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Hot and wet summer in NE Fla. Trips this month: 9
7/1/05
After a week of almost constant thunderstorms that cancelled more than a couple of after work trips today we got a respite and I decided to take advantage of it. The tides were perfect for a paddle down Simpsons Creek but I got quite a shock when I found that the state has apparently permanently closed the boat ramp at the A1A bridge - taking away yet another longstanding public access. I turned around and headed toward Ft. George and after my initial anger subsided I realized that I still could have put-in there and in the long run the only people that were going to be hurt were the small power boaters who frequent the ramp. It's not a long walk down to the water from the road and it might actually make my paddles there more pleasant. I still hate to see the state take away any access - especially one that is so well established. I got in the water with a pretty good outgoing current still rushing by and made a slow journey past the houses and down the creek by our sandbar. I had to carry over some shallows to continue on toward the Plantation and I passed a couple of Great Blues in the trees about halfway down. I watched as an Osprey came flying across the river with a fish in hand and he made a couple of attempts at lighting on a tree but gave up and headed in the direction he had come. I watched to see him land on a tree that has washed up in the middle to the sandbar opposite the plantation. Since this was my destination I headed over and snuck around the deep channel that circumnavigates the bar. I was able to drift up close to the tree since the water was so low his perspective probably only showed my head floating by. As he sat on the tree eating his meal he was joined by a pair of Crows who flew off after it was apparent he was not in the mood to share. After I decided to move on he flew off again and went back to the same tree he had tried to perch on earlier while I took a swim, drank a beer and explored the sandbar. After an hour or so I headed back and floated by the Osprey on his new perch before heading on back. A pair of kayakers were putting in at the ramp so I floated around the yacht basin while I waited. I was amused to see that they also took their small dog along with them - riding on the deck of momma's kayak. See the pictures from this trip
7/3/05
I wasn't in the mood for much of an adventure this morning but with the weather so iffy lately I figured I'd better get out there while the opportunity afforded itself. I got in the water a few minutes after sunrise and I could see the Night Herons in the nearby grove and I could hear the resident peacocks screeching so I headed that way. Five or six of the herons flew out before I got very close but I was able to get some shots of a Black Crown and a Yellow Crown. A Green Heron was sitting on the palm stump nearby but flew off as I floated by. I headed toward the old cedar to eat breakfast but as I approached the first sea daisy island I saw a large hulking shape that I soon could tell was a Great Blue. After shooting the heron and some Little Blues I noticed another shape in the grass nearby and could tell that it was a Night Heron of some sort. As I got close I could quickly tell that it was a Yellow Crown sitting in the sun. From there I made my way to the old cedar and found that it was full of both Great Egrets as well as Little Blues. After they departed I stopped to eat my breakfast and relax a bit before heading on. It was still and stifling which made the water glassy but it was borderline unbearably hot for so early in the morning. I could see by the plumes on the stacks to the west that there was a pretty good wind blowing inland and I felt sure that it meant that the incessant rain we have been having was on its way. I decided to head directly east from the cedar to the ICW so that it would take me close to the Manatee Zone sign. I was fairly certain that the Osprey fledglings would be gone by now but I was curious to see anyway. As I approached the nest sure enough I could see that it was empty. I had mixed feeling about this - knowing that it was the circle of life being completed and yet sad to see the young-ins departed. As I floated by however something caught my eye on the shore nearby and I could see that it was the pair of young Ospreys sitting on a washed up beam close to the spot from which I had been observing them for the last several weeks. As I drifted toward them one of them flew off and circled around me before flying away. I could tell from the speckled appearance of their feathers that these were the two chicks that I had been observing and the remaining one - a female - began chirping away as I approached. She stayed put as I floated quite close to the shore but she definitely was in no mood to go far from home. Sometimes it turns out that way doesn't it? The chicks leave the nest and sometimes they go to California and sometimes they go to New York but sometimes they stay in the neighborhood. I did notice that Mom and Dad were no where to be found - obviously enjoying the "empty nest" and probably spending the holiday weekend at a B&B somewhere. I made my way back as the tide began to turn and the sun began to be obscured by the low clouds coming in from the west - here comes that rain again! See the pictures from this trip
7/5/05
I decided to take advantage of my long holiday weekend by heading west to the St. Mary's River to explore another stretch of it. I had several potential put-ins in mind that I had explored over the past few months and I wasn't sure where I was going to wind up but I headed toward Hilliard and from there west on 108 to where it intersects with 121. My book said there was an unmarked road that led to the water just after a bridge over Dunn Creek - one of the many north Florida streams with that name. I never saw Dunn Creek but I did see a road called Thompkins Landing and took a chance that it would take me to the water. I passed a few houses in the first mile or so and then the road began to head steeply toward where I knew the river lie. The road had just begun to level back out when it suddenly disappeared into the dark tea colored water of the St. Mary's. I was still too far away to see the river but I took a chance that this flooded road would take me there so I loaded up and headed down road. It was eerily quiet - just the low grunts or croaks of either a gator or something else echoing through the flooded forest. After a short paddle the road opened up into the actual river and I could tell by the flooded trash cans that this was a public put-in. I expected to see the river out of it's banks with all the rain we have had but I was stunned by the sight of the normally slow moving stream rushing by me. I was pretty sure that this meant a very short paddle but I ventured out into the torrent and slowly made my way upstream. It was indeed a struggle and at times I was making very little headway and there were no places to pull off out of the current so I pressed on. I passed a few houses on the Georgia side that were mostly shacks on stilts and these were surrounded by water that went endlessly into the woods. I'm sure they had a jon boat parked up in the woods somewhere - I heard TV's or radios playing but never saw any signs of life. I decided to try to at least make the first bend before turning back and once I got there I was pleased to find that the current was considerably less. Apparently, the river passes through a series of tight turns about a mile above the landing that slows the current down to almost nothing but once it straightens out the water makes up for lost time. For about the next mile or so I passed through those tight turns and occasionally the way appeared to be blocked by vegetation. I realized that at normal water levels I would be passing under the boughs of the willows and oaks but now I was negotiating my way through the tops of those trees. After some exploring I was always able to easily pick my way through - always making sure that the boughs held no moccasins waiting to catch a ride. I didn't see many birds but at this point on the river I began to hear the distinct call of the Red Shouldered Hawks but they were well back in the woods. I did see one fly across the River at one point and their calls made me aware that I was passing through their territory. I passed a landing on the Georgia side that looked as if it was probably private and I never saw it on my maps. After another mile or so of very little current I suddenly could here the sound of roaring water and could see ahead of me that the current was picking up and the sound was of the water rushing into the woods where the river took a tight turn. I fought the current on a straight section of river but it was manageable. The river went through another set of bends and entered a long straight section again and here I had to call it quits. As far as I could see ahead of me was a dark brown stream rushing at me and so I turned and headed back. Of course the trip back was quick and easy and I traveled the three and a half miles in just 30 minutes. I had paused along the way down to shoot the many varieties of butterflies that were feeding on the blossoms and I did the same on the way back. I saw a snake cross my path along the way back but he was too far away to bother me or I him. See the pictures from this trip
7/12/05
Heavy thunderstorms rolled through as I was getting off work so I decided to head home and wait them out before venturing out today. After about 45 minutes the radar showed that they were dissipating and so I headed up the road to Browns Creek and put in the water in a light drizzle. It was so humid out there I could barely breathe and there was a light mist rising from the grass as the hot grass cooled itself off after a long hot day. I headed west and skirted the southern edge of the big island as I headed toward the run-off pond. I didn't see a whole lot on my way over but there were several white herons feeding in the shallows. An Osprey and a Yellow Crowned Night Heron flew by ahead of me as I approached the island. The pond was far too shallow to enter very far but I could see an Osprey drying her wings near the main nest on the plant property and there was an immature Yellow Crown sitting on the fence over the spillway. There was a Green Heron sitting near the entrance to the pond and another one that I played hide and seek with on the way back. It was a short trip but at least I got out there - it's increasingly difficult to make these after work trips since that seems to always be the time the storms churn up and blow through. See the pictures from this trip
7/13/05
I walked out of work this afternoon and was greeted by bright blue skies and a stiff sea breeze from the SE keeping the thunderstorms at bay. That breeze pushed me against the outgoing flow and I headed in pretty much the same direction hoping that the earlier start would allow me to explore the run-off pond a bit more. As I approached the pond I noticed quite a few Green Herons flying overhead - perhaps I am just more aware of their silhouettes now but it seems as if I am seeing a lot more out here. When they fly they pull their long necks in and more resemble a Blackbird or a Kingfisher than any type of heron. I entered the pond and found plenty of water to paddle in and started to cross over to the west side where the same Osprey was sitting on the same branch as the day before. My attention was diverted by some activity on a large tree at the entrance to the pond so I headed that way. It was difficult to see who was in the tree at first - the Great Egrets were obvious but I could see some dark shapes moving about as well. As I floated by I could see both a mature and immature Yellow Crowned Night Heron deep in the branches. I floated across to the Osprey who chirped and then flew off and began circling the pond - soon joined by her mate. I paddled up to the spillway to shoot a Tri-Color feeding along the beach before heading back to the east bank where I had seen a Green Heron fly. When I first approached him he was in the open but he eyed me apprehensively - displaying his wild crest a couple of times as he watched me drift in. Nervously, he climbed further up into the boughs of the small tree he was in so that he could peer at me from the safety of his blind. The Tri-Color I had seen earlier had since moved over to where the Green Heron and I were playing hide and seek so I stalked him for a while - nearly hitting him with my boat as I drifted toward him. After a few minutes of watching the Tri-Color I returned to the Green who had been watching me all this time from his perch. I noticed something about his behavior that I had noticed before with other's of his species. Green Herons are very brave little birds and are not easily spooked. They are also very curious birds and when they are spooked will only travel a short distance away where they can continue to keep an eye on whoever they have identified as a predator - in this case me. Unlike the larger herons, the Greens are very adept climbers and can move easily through the branches of trees. The one I was observing used this skill to play a game of hide and seek with me as I photographed him. If I moved a few feet in one direction he would move in the opposite direction so that he could always keep the branches of the tree between us. He would stay very still and look as much like a part of the tree as possible - in fact, at times I would lose him entirely only to find him again when he would stretch out his long neck to peer out at me to make sure I was still there. We spent about 30 minutes playing this game before I headed on and left the pond. I decided to continue around the first island on my way back, passing a Black Crowned Night Heron and several Great Egrets as I scraped my way past the shallows on the back side of the island. By this time the sea breeze was starting to yield to the thunderstorms to the west and there was the occasional sound of thunder to be heard. As I approached my put-in one of the commercial fishermen that frequent the Back River on the north side of the port was trolling along just offshore. At first I thought that his tarp was full of vent slits but I soon realized that I was seeing the wings of dozens of terns and gulls which suddenly rose in a cloud from the boat. I was amazed to see that this cloud also contained a few herons and even and Osprey that trailed along behind the boat while a Great Egret rode the bow. On the large rocks at the point of the put-in there were a pair of White Egrets watching this in the company of a Black Crowned Night Heron. See the pictures from this trip
7/15/05
What is up with the Green Herons? In the last week I have seen more of the little buggers than I have in the past five years and today's trip down Simpsons Creek was in the almost constant company of at least one of them. I decided to put-in at the A1A bridge and try walking my stuff down to the water. It's pretty apparent by the way that they have graded the area that they have no intention of ever allowing people to drive down so I parked at the top and carried down. Actually it only took me an extra five minutes and a little more effort than it did before and I was in the water by 6:45 - about 10 minutes after sunrise. Almost immediately I began seeing Green Herons along the banks and often I saw two or more together. The entire marsh was alive with activity and it was if all the birds in the area had come down to the water to feed at the same time. I'm not sure if the activity in the gulf is causing this but it sure seemed as if everyone was desperate to get a meal. Of course the water was literally writhing with life and that probably had more to do with it. There was an easy meal to be had for everyone and they were all taking advantage of it.
I took a long leisurely time down to the sound stopping several times to shoot the Green Herons that I passed along the way. Once I arrived at Half Moon Bluff I saw a Great Blue Heron sitting in a tree in the water. I set my boat to glide in on the current and was amazed that I was able to actually to bump into the tree he was sitting on before he flew off. There was a Tri-Color sitting in a tree nearby and he too allowed me to float by so close that I couldn't keep my camera focused on him. He flew off and nearly landed on top of a Green Heron who was on the beach nearby. The Tri-Color flew across the creek where I continued to shoot him at very close range as he fed. At one point he came walking down the shallows within inches of my boat and stared at me as if to say "Well....are you going to get out of my way or not?" I didn't and so he flew over my boat and continued to feed a few feet further down the bank. Close to the sound I saw my first boat - another nice thing about the ramp being closed I guess. Once on the sound the feeding frenzy was ongoing at the mudflats and oyster beds located at the mouth of the creek. Once again the Green Herons soon joined the activity as a pair came to feed there along with the other herons. I spotted a wet, muddy raccoon scampering across the mudflats and the herons never gave him another look. I headed over to my hammock tree and saw an Osprey in the tree above it. I spotted something
else moving on the beach and at first I thought it was an armadillo but soon could tell that it was an enormous Gopher Tortoise taking a stroll away from the colony that is located near there. I shot several close-ups of him as well as the Osprey who was watching us from nearby. The turtle decided to return to his colony - he seemed a bit disgusted with the fact that I had interfered with his constitutional and he wheezed as he scampered away. After setting up my hammock I noticed some strange tracks in the sand nearby and I could tell almost immediately that it was the track of a sea turtle that had crawled up in the night to lay its eggs at the base of the bluff. I took a walk and crossed paths with a different turtle out for a walk and he was already heading back into the dunes toward the colony. Strange day to see so many signs of turtles so close together. The Osprey that I had seen earlier kept returning to the trees nearby - one time carrying a fish. While I was off on my walk it returned to the tree directly overhead and when I got close it took off and crashed into the water right next to my boat. The gnats were pretty bad on the beach and it was hot and still so I didn't stay as long as I thought I would - I took a cooling dip in the water and then packed up to catch the incoming tide. The trip back was not too eventful - there was still some feeding going on but the water level was higher and so there was less of a crowd on the shallows. As I approached the ramp I passed a small creek and heard a cacophony of croaks and grunts coming from that direction. At the mouth of the stream I could see a large White Egret in the company of several Snowy Egrets. I pulled into the stream as far as I could and took some shots. I could here the sound of many more unseen birds further up the creek but the water level was too low to go any further. After I left the area a power boater came racing by and I watched as a cloud of at least two dozen herons and Wood Storks flew up from the same location. The trip back was easy but the carry back up to the truck was a little more effort since I was tired and was carrying the load uphill. It was not a problem and I think I can get over the closing of the road down to the water. See the pictures from this trip
7/18/05
I got up early this morning and headed to the put-in at the end of Pumpkin Hill Rd - getting into the water about 15 minutes before the sun rose over Black Hammock Island. The water was like glass and the mist was slowly rising out of the marsh grass - the only sound that I could hear was a dog barking in the distance. As soon as I pushed away from the shore a lone dolphin rose out of the water then disappeared and never appeared again. I made my way toward Tiger Point hoping of course that I would be rewarded with my usual pink fruit which I figured would look spectacular in the morning light. I was disappointed when I rounded the point, however - there was a couple of cormorants and a few Snowy Egrets but no Spoonbills. There were several Green Herons - no surprise there since I always see them up here and lately I have been seeing them everywhere.
After eating breakfast at the point I could see that the tide was just beginning to turn and head out so I made the decision to head over to the southern edge of the Broward Islands where I hoped to see the Spoonbills at their other roost. I was accompanied along the way by several more Green Herons who flew ahead on me on the tall grass. As I reached the small creek that heads west toward the islands another Dolphin fin rose ahead of me and then disappeared. Altogether this happened on four different occasions during the day which was unusual behavior for a Dolphin - just a single appearance - no exhale and no further sighting at that location. Once I reached the islands I could see that the trees were indeed full but only with white herons and a single Black Crowned Night Heron. There was also a new Osprey nest in the area and the Osprey was sitting nearby. The outgoing current was pretty swift at this point and I had to make a decision whether to head back or continue the circumnavigation of the Edwards Flats. I figured that at some point the current would head the other way was I approached Edwards Creek so I went that direction.
A lone Spoonbill flew overhead as I paddled south and a flock of Ibis few over as well. The expected change of direction never occurred - something to remember in the future and I was going to turn around and take the current back up to the islands and then back the way I came on Pumpkin Hill but some familiar shapes on the opposite end of the big pool caught my eye. Two or three dozen White Pelicans were cruising along in the shallow bay so I decided to continue the circumnavigation of the flats. I headed the flock off so that they would be going in the same direction I was. I wound up splitting the group in two as I made my way to the outlet of the pool and headed east to Tiger Point.
As I approached the point I could see three or four pinkish globs in the trees so I pointed my boat to glide under them. I was surprised to see a pickup truck pulling away from the point as I floated up but I think there is a caretaker living in a trailer near the point so that must have been him. After the Spoonbills flew away I set up my hammock at the point ate lunch and called Hope. As I lay in my hammock I could look across the way and see three or four Spoonbills feeding in the shallows of Pumpkin Hill. I had planned to wait until the tide turned before continuing my journey but getting a chance to shoot Spoonbills feeding is a rare treat so after a brief rest I paddle over and spent 30 minutes watching and photographing the birds as they fed. It was fun to watch as they intensely swing their bills in the water as they walk along. They resemble a pack of dogs as they walk along herding the fish together. After several minutes they take a break and groom themselves before continuing on. Their activity attracted the attention of other herons and other Spoonbills who joined the group in their feeding pack. After a while I decided to make my way back. The current wasn't as bad as I had feared but by now a pretty stiff sea-breeze had blown up and that made the going slow in the shallow water. I passed a few more Spoonbills along the way and I passed another kayaker heading the opposite direction - the only actual human being that I had seen all day. See the pictures from this trip
7/21/05
Well, I can be pretty stupid sometimes and last night was a good example. Lured by the wonderful, low humidity and clear, bright blue skies - a rarity this time of year around here I headed out after dinner without considering for a minute what the tidal conditions would be. I had waited long enough so that I could have put in at Cedar Point or Hannah Mills and had a pleasant paddle but a couple of things changed my mind. First - the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament is in full swing and there was a line of boats on the ICW as far as the eye could see waiting to weigh in. Even if I didn't venture out into the waterway I knew that the noise from the PA system would be annoying enough. Second - there was a full moon due to rise just after nine tonight so I figured that Hope might want to meet me and watch it over a glass of wine and what better place to do that than the Ft George Inlet where we could watch it rise out of the ocean? So I headed on east and put-in at the Alimacani ramp in spite of a tide that was ripping past the ramp as fast as I have ever seen it - helped along by a pretty decent sea breeze. I crossed over to the sandbar that lies west of the bridge and began skirting it's edge as the channel curved toward Simpsons Creek. There was a Great Blue standing in the center of it with his back to the wind - his crest being blown up. I entered the small stream that runs along Little Talbot - originating on the north side of the bridge and curving sharply around the rip-rap that covers that bank. I wanted see if it was going to be possible to take that route home so that I could avoid the torrent on the opposite bank. After satisfying my curiosity I headed back to the main channel passing a large flock of Roseate Terns who were congregated with the other terns and gulls. These are the same terns that I had seen in Browns Creek during the early spring but I was surprised to see so many of what I had assumed was only a casual visitor to these waters. The current carried me down to our usual picnic place at the entrance to Simpsons Creek and I could tell that the trip back would be manageable if not easy. I exited my boat and began shooting the landscape which was quite stunning in this light. The sun was intense in the western sky with none of the usual summer haze to filter it. Behind it were some distant thunderheads set against a deep blue sky. It was a glorious sight and I walked around to try and get shots of the sun sparkling through the palm fronds. As I stood in the water admiring the view I felt something on my foot. I looked down to see an enormous Horseshoe Crab crawling across my foot causing me to yelp and jump straight out of the water. He headed for deeper water while I took a cooling dip in the water and began to think about heading back to meet up with Hope for our moonrise date. Here is where I made my big mistake. Instead of heading back the way I came and had proven would not be too much of a workout - I headed across to the big grass island opposite the houses and decided that I would try to take one of the interior streams to at least close to the Ribault ramp and them from there I could angle back across to the Little Talbot side and take the little stream I had traversed before. After taking a few wrong turns I came out in the main channel still well away from the Ribault club and found myself in the middle of a current that was impossible to make headway against. The right thing to do would have been to cut my losses, admit my mistake and go back the way I came and stick with my original plan. Instead I headed over to the Ft. George side of the channel and managed to make slow headway in the flooded marsh grass. It meant that I had to pass under the walkways to a couple of the docks and each time I had to be extremely careful to not make a false move or else the current would have dumped me and my stuff a million different places between there and the ICW. I finally made my way past the last dock and took a break in the yacht basin and called Hope to tell her that I thought I was only a short time away from meeting her. That WOULD have been the case had I taken the longer route and gone back to plan A but the deceptively slow current just past the ramp led me to stay the course. That worked for a while but once I got to within about 200 yards of the entrance to Haulover Creek the current once again became impossible. Finally, I angled my way across to the now covered sandbar hoping to find less current. I did but just barely and too often I would drift back into the flow that made my progress null. I had just entered an area of extreme chop when a power boater came roaring past behind me and soon I was contending with his wake in addition to the chop, the current and the sea breeze. Once again I had to make sure I made no false moves - which was getting harder and harder to do in my exhausted state with both arms screaming for relief. Finally, I was able to inch my way just enough so that I was even with the beach that lies just west of the ramp at Alimacani. I knew that the current in front of the beach actually ran the opposite direction from the river due to the eddys that swirl there so I angled over and found myself propelled toward the ramp where I collapsed in exhaustion. I loaded up and drove across the bridge to find Hope waiting for me with Sister the Dog and we sat on my toolbox and sipped some wine as we watched to moon rise over the ocean. Not a disappointing way to end the evening - even one that was so stupid on my part. See the pictures from this trip
7/25/05 I've been trying to give my arms a rest after last week's disaster of a trip but today was just too nice and I knew that I probably wouldn't get another chance for a few days. I got in the water at Browns Creek at about mid outgoing tide with a pretty stiff NE breeze. There was a Great Blue in the water at my put-in and I paused to shoot him before continuing on. As it turns out that was about my only good photo-op on the trip. I decided to go the opposite direction than what I have been going of late out in Browns Creek - heading east and going around the northernmost island. With the low water I had to go out further than I usually do and the breeze made the going tough. My arms - which had felt good when I set out were screaming after a short time. I entered the creek that leads along the north side of the island and made my way north from there a little ways before the water starting getting too shallow. At one point, I passed a little inlet in the grass where there were several Little Blues hanging out. Sticking out of the water was the back of an enormous Redfish. A good 12 inches were sticking out of the water so he had to be at least twice that long. As soon as he saw me he shot away in a hurry. I headed in to see if I could get close to the herons and was soon hit by a fishy projectile that caused my boat to rock and me to curse. I exited this scary place before I started to hear the theme to "Jaws" and headed home. |
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