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Summer time! Trips this month: 7
6/1/06
For my annual birthday paddling trip we decided to put-in where we did two years ago on our first visit to the Grady House - the 441 bridge and paddle up to the River Rise. What a difference from the trash at Ginnie Springs the day before! About half of the route is owned by the state so after passing a few houses on either side of the bridge you enter the River Rise State Park and see and hear nothing. Two years ago we saw one canoe full of people and today we were "annoyed" when we saw three canoes. Actually - as far as wildlife is concerned - most of it occurred while we were still outside the park but once again it was a fruitful day. Just across from the boat ramp, as we approached the bridge, I spotted a large brown bird walking along the shoreline. At first I couldn't tell if it was a Peacock or a Wild Turkey but we both agreed it was a Turkey. It hid behind a Cypress Tree on the water's edge and refused to come out even after Hope "pretended" to paddle away. Smart birds - or so my hunter friends tell me. We passed under the bridge and saw the entrance to Hornsby springs and decided to see how far we could paddle since it seemed as if the water was up a little from two years ago. We saw the concrete pillar that used to hold a gate blocking entrance to the run and where I got the first and best Red Shoulder Hawk pictures ever. The pillar was empty so we entered the small pool on the other side. We found our way blocked by shallow water and so we decided to not pull our boats over.
A Green Heron was feeding on the steep bank above the pool which was covered in thick vegetation. We watched him as he carefully stalked unseen prey beneath the green blanket and were delighted when he came leaping out into the pool and then jumped back onto the bank with a small fish in his beak. We gave him a round of applause as he swallowed his meal and then flew across the pool to look for more. We stayed there for several more minutes watching him walk carefully through the weeds before deciding to head upstream. We saw a Red Shouldered Hawk fly up from some bushes near the water into a tall tree not far away. As I tried to get a clear shot of him a second Hawk flew out from the same area and flew off into the woods. It made me realize just how special those pictures I took two years ago were. I often see Red Shoulders and nearly always hear them on the rivers but they are elusive to say the least. The current was a little stronger than we remembered it from two years ago but it was still an easy and gentle paddle. Soon, we spotted a Great Blue on the left hand bank but he flew across to a large cove on the opposite bank. As we approached the entrance to this cove we spotted a bird sitting on a log in the company of a turtle. We both thought from a distance that it was a Yellow Crowned Night Heron but as I got closer it was apparent that it was a duck. It flew off before any decent shots were possible but a quick review of my photos showed clearly that it was a female Wood Duck. I did a turn around in the cove and the Great Blue flew up from somewhere and departed and so we continued on. As we approached a large tree that had fallen across the river Hope pointed out a large brown and white spotted bird up in the branches that was making odd clacking sounds with his bill. As I got closer I was pretty sure that it was a Limpkin but the only other one I have ever seen was further up this same run and that was two years ago. The one I saw then was walking along the bank in the shadows and I did not remember it being so large. Clearly, however, it was a Limpkin and he soon flew over to the bank and began walking in and out of the brush along the edge of someone's yard. Finally, he headed up into the woods - still making his odd clacking sound.
Onward we went marveling at the clarity of the water that allowed us to see every turtle swimming beneath the surface. This time we saw no trash which was nice. A short time after seeing the Limpkin we saw the signs announcing that we were entering the park and we began to see what looked like endless perfect campsites. We cataloged those in our minds and promised ourselves that a future camp outing here was in our future.
We didn't see much wildlife the rest of the way up. Occasionally we would hear a Red Shoulder and at one point we heard one call and then saw him circle directly overhead in the company of a smaller and darker shaped hawk. We spotted a Little Blue who was just beginning to show a hint of the dark blue plumage that was soon to come. We did see a lot of turtles and I had fun trying to shoot them before they would plop into the water. As we got close to the Rise there is a long, rocky shallow area where the water is swifter and a group of turtles had climbed up on some of the large boulders. As I approached one who was perched of the biggest boulder he leaped off - and came crashing down on the rock below with a loud "CRACK!" I guess he forgot about that second rock. When we came back an hour or so later this same turtle did the same thing - only this time he became wedged between the two rocks, waving his legs wildly. I started to paddle over to help the moron but he finally managed to roll himself into the water. Funny - their faces look so wise up close but they are really pretty stupid. Hope began to wonder why some turtles were almost completely covered in moss while others were smooth and clean. It didn't seem to correlate to size or apparent age either. We decided that either there is a turtle car wash some where or else the clean ones are the hyper busy turtles and the mossy ones were the lazy ones. As we pulled into the area where the river comes out of the ground we began to see large fish traps tied to the banks that belonged to someone at the FDEP. The ones we checked contained only small turtles so we are not sure what they are trying to find out. We got out on the muddy bank where the river comes out and ate out light lunch of Hummus, chips and beer. The area was posted "no swimming" with the picture of a person jumping on top of an alligator so even though we never saw a gator we decided to head back downstream a bit and find a place to string our hammocks and swim. We found such a place just a few hundred yards downstream and enjoyed a cool dip in the water while sitting on the rocks. We climbed up into our hammocks and read and dozed until rain drops woke us up. We sat there in the hammocks for quite a while watching the steady rain before the rain finally worked it's way through the canopy above us and then soaked us. We stayed until the rain let up and then packed up to head back.
The rain had caused the vegetation to release it's stored up heat and the river was filled with a light mist. It had also dislodged a lot of the Duck Weed and the bright green dots streaked the dark river. With the sky now overcast the light was muted and it caused the green vegetation along the banks to almost glow and cast a green filter on everything.
We passed the fallen Limpkin Tree but it was empty. Not far past however, we approached the large cove and we could see him standing on the same log the Wood Duck had perched on. He flew off before I could get close but as I came out of the cove Hope was waiting for me and pointing over to some vegetation where either he had flown or else another Limpkin was standing. This one allowed me to drift by quite close and the only thing that prevented me from getting dozens of good shots was how little light there now was. I managed to adjust my settings and get a few that came out, however. We completed our journey back to the ramp and as we were loading up we saw directly across the river that a Grackle was dive bombing what looked to be a Red Shouldered Hawk who was sitting on the top of a dead tree. The Grackle was coming close enough to cause the Hawk to flinch but he never moved and the Grackle finally gave up. Nice birthday paddle! See the pictures from this trip
6/4/06
Not much of a paddle - I couldn't sleep and found myself wide awake at 5 am so I packed up and was at my usual Sunday morning put-in as the sun rose over Black Hammock. The tide was already heading out so I floated with it until I reached the second bend near the trailheads and began paddling the first long run away from the land. In the glare of the sunlight on the water I could see some activity at the end of the run and soon could see the dark silhouettes of three or four Dolphins rising and falling beneath the surface. As I watched them a flock of six Black Necked Stilts flew overhead toward the Edwards Flats. I paused to shoot the Dolphins for quite a while as they passed me heading up the creek and then I went to check the trees at the little point. Finding nothing noteworthy I continued on and made my way around the final bend before Tiger Point. There I encountered another pod of Dolphins - this one had four or five members including a youngster so I shot them for a while before completing my journey out to the point. I was sure I would find Spoonies this time but the point held nothing save a couple of Cormorants and a Great Egret. Not even a repeat of last weekend's Great Otter Adventure to make up for the lack of bird life. I ate my breakfast and since I was starting to feel kind of bad I decided to head back against the current. I saw the Ultra Light guy coming from the west just as I set out. I saw a lone Spoonbill fly overhead toward the point and then I spotted a medium sized heron backlit by the sun on the bank. As I approached, I detected a long plume emerging from the top of his head but the Yellow Crowned Night Heron flew off before I could get close enough to shoot. As I headed back up the long run toward the trailheads the larger group of Dolphins came toward me and after they passed I spotted a Black Crowned Night heron on the bank but he too flew away well before I was in range. I finished my day by shooting a pair of Skimmers sitting on the sandbar. Oh well - some days are just like this! See the pictures from this trip
6/6/06
It had been nearly a month since I had checked on my favorite Osprey family on the ICW so after work I headed to Hannah Mills and set out into a stiff sea breeze and incoming tide. It was a beautiful afternoon with no clouds, low humidity and temps that felt cooler than the upper 80's. I made my way toward the old marina so that I would have the current with me as I cruised by the Manatee sign. I passed a Little Blue that was in full molt - about halfway to getting his full blue plumage. I entered the ICW and looked toward the sign expecting to at least see a head or two above the sign but it appeared vacant. As I approached I still expected to see heads pop up and hear the alarm chirps begin but still - nothing. Finally I was close enough to see that the nest was indeed completely vacant - no adults in the area and no chicks. It seems awfully odd that the situation can change so drastically in less than a month. The last time I was here the chicks were obviously there but too small to be seen. A year ago at this time the chicks were getting big but it wasn't until early July that they left the nest. I know that two years ago something similar happened - the nest was suddenly empty. I'm hoping that I am wrong but it appears that this year the fledges didn't make it to maturity. As I continued north I began to see some activity at Marker 82 - which is located at the intersection of Shad and the ICW. What looked like a male was flying back and forth to a well built nest that was occupied by a female. I sat nearby and watched for a while and came to the conclusion that she was still on eggs while the male was busy ferrying food to her. Now here was a situation just as odd as the Manatee Zone nest. This pair appears to be at least two months behind the rest of the Ospreys in the region - why? Well, it gives me something to keep an eye on at least. I headed home from there on a slack tide not seeing much else of note. See the pictures from this trip
6/7/06
I was back at the Mayo Clinic - hopefully for the last time for a while and after receiving a relatively clean bill of health I decided to celebrate by heading to Guana. I stopped and picked up a sandwich and sat in the parking lot to eat it since I didn't bring a cooler with me. I had gone to work that morning before going to the clinic so I really wasn't sure if I was going to take the rest of the day off or not. As a result, I was only partially prepared for an outing and among the things I forgot was sunscreen. I decided it was worth a certain crisping to be on the water so I brought along my beach towel to cover my legs and set out from the ramp at 11. There was a good sea breeze coming in over the dunes and few clouds in the sky as I took the channel that runs directly south from the ramp. I wanted to check out the Eagle's nest again to see if there was any evidence of youngsters. As I paddled in the shallow water I could see that the vast open area ahead of me was full of Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. There was one odd looking bird ahead of me that I had trouble identifying, however. It looked like a heron but it appeared to have an enormous curved and shiny beak that reached all the way to the water. I was beginning to think that it was either a Pelican or else a Limpkin when I saw the beak begin to wiggle and then drop off the front of the bird.
Of course as I got closer I could tell that it was a Great Blue who was holding a huge fish by it's mouth and that the fish stretched from the heron's beak to the water probably 18 inches or more. The heron was grasping the fish by the inside of it's mouth and was shaking it occasionally and from time to time would drop it in the water. Obviously, the fish was nearly dead or too stunned to swim very far so the heron would calmly walk over and grab it again. At one point it wandered too close to a Great Egret and the Blue had to let him know that the fish was already spoken for. This went on for a few minutes as I slowly drifted toward the scene. Finally, the heron, after much consideration threw it's head back and the giant fish disappeared down the gullet. From the shots I took it actually appears that the fish is eating the heron initially but then a large lump appears in the throat and the fish is gone. The heron took some long drinks of water after that to wash the fish down and then flew off in search of more. I angled my way over to the west bank of the lake - passing a pair of kayak fishermen along the way and soon was close enough to the Eagle's nest to see a large shape in an adjacent tree. I didn't have my binoculars with me so I could scout the situation out and as a result about the time I had confirmed that the shape was the Eagle - it screeched and flew off toward the ICW. I stopped for a few minutes to look and listen but I heard none of the cries I heard a couple of weeks ago and no sign of activity from the nest.
I turned to the north and began paddling in the main channel. The water level seemed to be up a few more inches than the last time I was here consequently the area of stubble in front of the fortresses of grass were now covered. The Stilts were gone - or at least hiding inside the grass and there were no Spoonbills to be seen. I did see quite a few Least Bitterns but only as they flew across my path and disappeared into the tall grass. There were countless Tri-Colors and Little Blues about as well as a good number of Anhingas. The diversity of the bird species has clearly diminished although the density of the local birds is still pretty high. I saw a few gators and got close to a four footer. I passed on the other side of the island that sticks out into the marsh and tried once again to circumnavigate it from the north. Finding the water level too shallow I headed back to the ramp. As I approached the ramp I saw a FDEP vehicle in the parking area and so I decided to take the channel that runs north along the edge of the land from the ramp. I passed a group of a dozen ducks that I believe are called "Florida Mottled Ducks" which related to Mallards. They moved together as a group and hid in the grass. I found myself behind the aforementioned island and kept paddling until I was in sight of where I had stopped coming from the other direction - so almost a circumnavigation. I headed back to the ramp and loaded up to head home. See the pictures from this trip
6/18/06
11 days since I have been in the water! Far too long - so with the tides heading out I made my way to my favorite Sunday morning spot and began heading north with the tide. Another kayaker was dragging his boat down to the ramp as I set out so I waved, said "howdy" and pushed off. He had headphones on so I don't think he heard me.... There was a Dolphin playing across from the put-in but he didn't stay around long enough to shoot. There was a pretty stiff breeze coming from the southeast and that combined with the strong outgoing current made the first part of my trip easy.
I didn't see too much as I headed toward the point and kept my camera stowed until I was at the end of the last run before the creek reaches the point. I spotted a lone Oyster Catcher on one of the beds and stopped to shoot him for a few minutes. As I set out to continue, I saw a familiar shape with a hint of pink sitting on the muddy bank opposite me. I was happy to see at least one of the Spoonies had made its way to the Point so I paddled over and shot him for a few minutes. I was only a few yards from the grassy point where Pumpkin Hill turns sharply to the north and as I glided past it I saw two groups of Spoonbills feeding in the shallows. I stopped and shot the six or seven Roseates while they fed together as a group.
After they finally flew off I crossed the creek and entered Edwards Creek at the point. The trees were empty due to the strong breeze as I expected so I paddled past it a ways. A pair of Spoonbills flew overhead coming from the direction of the Edwards Flats and heading up Pumpkin Hill. As I was about to turn around and head to the point to eat breakfast I saw a group of four or five dolphins cavorting upstream so I watched as they passed by me and entered Pumpkin Hill heading toward the Nassau River. After resting in my hammock and eating breakfast I pushed off and decided to head further on down Pumpkin Hill while I waited for the tide to turn. I watched an immature Great Blue feeding in the shallows for a while. There were lots of small shrimp popping which prompted a lot of other activity beneath the surface of the water as everyone was busy feeding on each other. At one point a Sting Ray popped his head above the water and swam slowly along as he looked at me.
With the tide now slack I decided to head back. A couple of Dolphins were head of me with one of them exhaling urgently as he cruised near the shore. When I came around the first bend I saw a group of three or four dolphins hanging out at the entrance to some of the small streams feeding. They were having a lot of fun swirling their tail fins as they stood on their heads feeding on the bottom occasionally slapping their tails. As I approached the area where they had been I could smell a distinct fresh fishy smell - I guess even Dolphins can have "fish breath". The rest of the trip was uneventful. It was great to be back on the water. See the pictures from this trip
6/20/06
I headed out to Hannah Mills after work on a hot breezy afternoon with no clouds in the sky. I paddled over to the nearby grove of trees and scared up a few Night Herons including a couple of Yellow Crowned and then made my way north. Unlike the last few times I have paddled in Hannah I decided to do my usual clockwise route - partly because of the tidal conditions and partly because I knew the Manatee sign Ospreys were no longer there. I saw the usual assortment of Great Egrets feeding in the flooded grassy areas but didn't have many photo ops on my way up to the old cedar. I pulled up to the tree as a Great Egret flew off and settled in to drink some water as a Grackle flew up and began letting me know that this was his tree. This could be the same one that used to chase off Herons and harass Ospreys last summer. He flew from end to end a few times and I managed some good close ups before he tired of the game and flew away. I headed north up the parallel streams next to the ICW and then entered the waterway and headed south. The brisk wind out of the SE was making the water pretty choppy so that even if there had been some birds to shoot it would have been difficult. From a distance I could tell that the Marker 82 nest was empty but as I pulled even I saw that one of its occupants was on a tree along the shoreline. His mate or room mate was sitting on the shell bank where Hannah Mills empties into the ICW across from Shad Creek. They both flew up and circled me a few times before leaving the area. It's apparent that this couple was not successful in their attempt at mating and have given it up. I wonder if they are last year's fledges from the Manatee Zone couple since they both appear young. I re-entered Hannah at the old marina and let the breeze push me home against a slack tide and had an uneventful return trip. See the pictures from this trip
6/26/06
After serenading my wife on her birthday I headed out. The weather called for an 80% chance of rain but a quick check of the online radar showed that there were dozens of tiny storms hanging out in the ocean so I figured the chances were pretty good that they would miss me.
I reached the water at 7:30 and put in just after another kayak fisherman set out. The air was stifling - not a breath of wind and there were small thunderheads cruising in from the ocean making the morning light change constantly from intensely bright to gray and overcast. The tide was incoming at mid-level so the current was fairly strong as I headed toward the point. I reached the little point and found that there was just enough water to check out the trees which were full of birds. Even from a distance I could see the distinct shape of a Spoonbill amongst the Snowy Egrets. All of his buddies deserted him but He stayed put until I got several good shots and then moved on. I did the same and within a few more minutes was crossing the last grassy bend before Tiger Point. A lone Dolphin rose in front of me a couple of times as I crossed over to the point. I was sure that the point would be full of Spoonies on such a still morning since the tide was too high for them to still be feeding. As I prepared to enter Edwards Creek and let the current carry me past what I hoped would be trees full of pink fruit I was surprised by the sight of someone standing on the shore at the point where I normally set my hammock. Obviously this was the "caretaker/squatter" who lives in the trailer near the point and apparently he had spooked any birds that would have been up in the trees. It wasn't a total loss, however, as a lone Spoonbill was in a tree on the far western part of the point and I got some good shots of him as I cruised by. I went on into to Edwards Creek a ways figuring I would give the caretaker some time to clear out. I headed back and got out to eat my breakfast.
I hiked around the point a bit getting good shots of some flowers. I could see a mass of white across the way in the interior of Edwards Flats. At first I thought that they were White Pelicans but after a Mosquito Control Helicopter buzzed the flats several took off and soon about a half dozen Wood Storks came flying up to the point. This was followed in short order by a lone Spoonbill and within minutes four more had joined him on the dead trees over the water and they all began their gentle quacking conversation. I shot several shots from the land and then prepared to load my boat to shoot them from the water. The caretaker walked up as I was loading up and introduced himself as "Bonny" the park manager. He told me that the Ospreys whose nest is along the road that runs south from the point had a pair of babies that were getting quite large. We chatted a bit more before I headed out and I made a couple of passes by the Spoonbills before heading back toward the put-in on the last of the incoming tide. As I passed the little point it seemed as if the exact same birds were back including the same Spoonbill but I wasn't able to get any good shots so I headed back out into the main channel. As I skirted the shoreline that runs beneath the trails a pair of male Painted Buntings flew over and began fighting fiercely over a place to perch. They broke it off and flew back across the marsh in opposite directions.
I passed little of interest the rest of the way until I reached the small island opposite the put-in. It was full of Little Blue Herons as well as three more Roseate Spoonbills. Yes indeed - the Spoonies are back at Tiger Point.
See the pictures from this trip
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