|
|
 |
|
 |
Quick Links |
 |
|
Pretty Darn Good
Menu |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Support this Web Site By shopping at Amazon via the link below:
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
Back on nights for the outage.
Plenty of time to paddle Trips this month: 9
3/4/09
The outage began last Friday night and I have had my days free since that time but the breezy conditions that started a week ago persisted into this week so I stayed home. This morning I woke up listening to the wind chimes outside our bedroom window sing like there was still a strong Nor'easter blowing in across the marsh and I wondered if I would venture out.
Ultimately, I opted to brave the cold wind and headed up the road to Browns Creek and was in the water a little after 10 a.m. It was just a couple of hours after low tide so the first leg of my journey toward the big island was shielded by the grass but as I entered the main channel to cross over I was hit by the full force of the wind coming in across water from Pelotes Island. The water was choppy but I made it over to where the Great Blue Herons are nesting not seeing much activity I decided to head back around to the south side of the island to cruise by the usual roosts. Only a couple of Ospreys were present but I managed to get some good shots of both and then made my way around the bend to the west side of the island. I decided to make my way to the runoff pond to see if the tide was in high enough for me to make it up to the spillway. As I was shooting some Ibis along the way I began to notice some vultures circling above the marsh and realized that one of them had white on its head and rump. The Bald Eagle began circling low over the marsh and then suddenly floated down to the ground and disappeared behind a bank of grass about 200 yards away.
I tried to paddle in that direction but the low water made the going slow and before I could get very far I saw the Eagle rise up and fly toward the east. I began paddling toward the runoff pond where I could see a Red Tailed Hawk perching in a dead tree just south of the entrance. As I made my way toward the entrance I began to be bombarded by a pair of Brown Pelicans who were diving in the water close to my boat. They would rise up from the surface of the water about 20 feet and then quickly do a 180 degree turn in mid-air and come crashing back to the surface of the water. They repeated this many times over the next hour and seemed to enjoy doing it in my vicinity. I entered the runoff pond but at first was only able to paddle a few feet in before being stopped by low water. I tried a different path close to the middle but that too was too low to pass over. As I sat in the mud waiting for the level to rise another inch I noticed that one of the Ospreys who I have been watching build a new nest at work this week was sitting in a dead tree adjacent to the tree where their old nest has been for the last 10 years. Its a tree that I often see both Ospreys perching on and a couple of years ago I actually witnessed and photographed them in the act of copulation.
As I was thinking about this suddenly the second Osprey flew up and mounted the female's back and the pair became the "beast with two backs and four wings" as the male made his delicate semi-aerial maneuver above the female while she leaned forward. It was over in a matter of seconds and the male hopped down to the left of the female and after grooming himself briefly flew over to a tree near the spillway while the female acted as if nothing interesting had just happened. I was marveling at the chances that I would get to witness this from the same pair of Ospreys on the same branch just two years apart when the Brown Pelicans who had followed me into the pool continued their kamikaze hunting nearby.
The water had risen just enough by now to allow me to paddle over to the spillway where the male Osprey was perching along with dozens of Ibis and some Great Egrets. I got some good shots of all of them and then made my way out of the pool and started back the way I came. As I was shooting another Osprey on the SE corner of the big island I spotted another Bald Eagle soaring overhead and watched as he flew along the river to the west.
See the pictures from this trip
3/5/09
The wind finally subsided somewhat today and the temperatures were supposed to gradually warm up to the low 60's so I decided to head to Pumpkin Hill Creek for my second trip of the month.
I got in the water a few minutes before low tide at 11 am and headed toward the point. It was a beautiful morning with a bit of a breeze out of the NE but nothing like the intensity of the past week or so. After getting a few good shots of a Little Blue feeding in the shallows I rounded the bend near the trails and began paddling toward Black Hammock Island. I watched an Osprey dive toward the surface of the water between the big sandbars near the trails only to pull up and gently land in the shallow water. He sat there as I paddled up and beached my boat on the opposite side of the bar - about 30 yards away. I was sure that I knew the reason he was standing there and sure enough he began to wade out into deeper water and began plunging his head under the surface and then emerging as he ruffled his entire body, shaking the water from his feathers. This bath time that I have seen on a few occasions before went on for about seven minutes while I sat there shooting. Finally, he rose into the air and then did a full body shake in mid-air and flew away - bath time was over.
I rounded the bend and headed toward the point and as I began to enter Edwards Creek I remembered the adult Eagle I had seen here on my last trip and got my camera ready to shoot. As I rounded the point I scanned the trees and at first I saw nothing and assumed that they were empty. I saw some movement deep in the branches but could detect no white plumage and figured that if anything it was simply a vulture taking a break. Suddenly, a large black bird flew out from the trees and I could see that it was a very young Bald Eagle - probably the same one I had seen here a few weeks ago. He flew off before I was able to get any good shots so I paddled up to the landing and got out to take some panoramic shots of the area. I ate the sandwiches that I had brought along and drank my beer and then caught the now incoming tide back to the put-in. See the pictures from this trip
3/9/09
With little wind and temperatures forecast to reach the low 80's today I decided to make my goal to find the most comfortable spot to hang my hammock and "veg-out" on the FGR. I was in the water at 11 and made a circuit of the yacht basin chasing the usual Black Crowned Night Herons around the pool before heading out into the channel. The tide was outgoing at mid level which meant that it was close to it's strongest flow - not usually the best time to head west on the FGR but I was able to use the docks as protection and made steady progress past the houses and around the bend to the west where I used the current to ferry me quickly over to the island where I "hammocked" a couple of weeks ago. I spent the next hour and a half relaxing and then headed back by continuing around the big sandbar in front of the houses. It wasn't much of a trip but I needed it. See the pictures from this trip
3/10/09
Because of the outage I rarely get the chance to paddle in Guana during the month of March but I woke up early and decided that if I got going early enough I would have just enough time for a decent trip. The new flyover at JTB cuts a few minutes off my driving time now and I was in the water a little after 10.
Since it was mid-morning I decided to not check in at the Eagle's nest but as I paddled out to the main channel I could see one of them perching in the prominent pine tree that sits on the western shoreline just south of Six Mile Landing. I paddled into the channel that runs along that shore and headed north seeing only Coots and Moorhens for the most part. I also scared up a number of Teals but they always flushed long before I could shoot them. I continued past the Peyton's Place into the very shallow area just south of where the houses begin on that side of the lake. It was just barely deep enough for me to make through the soupy mud but I was able to make slow progress. I reached a spot where about a dozen Great Blue Herons suddenly came flying out from the trees and flew off together to the north. Since I could see no nests I suspect that these are a migratory group who are probably making their way back north from wherever they wintered. There were also a number of Black Crowned Night Herons who didn't allow me to get very close as well as many Glossy Ibis - another very shy bird.
I started to cross over to the east side so that I could check out the pool that lies behind the island I like to stretch my legs at. As I was floating over an area where I had seen a Gator lying motionless just below the surface on a couple of other occasions I, for some reason, happened to look down again and say the spooky shape of a huge Alligator passing just inches from my boat. I don't know why I always happen to look down in the water at exactly that same spot and I am finding it hard to believe that it is actually a real Gator because it never reacts when I pass over but what else could it be. I am wondering if it is some kind of statue that got tossed in here but I am afraid to poke it with my paddle since if it is a real Gator it is a big one that I really don't want to disturb. I paddled into the pool but was disappointed to find it populated only by Coots and so I headed back out into the main channel. I heard a familiar call and saw a medium sized heron fly up to a clump of grass and realized that it was a Green Heron which I have not seen for a few months. As I continued down the main channel I was passed by a familiar looking bird who headed south along the main path but I couldn't see where it landed. A few minutes later I heard another familiar call and spotted the Black Necked Stilt on one of the few patches of stubble that is not covered by water.
This was the earliest sighting that I have ever seen of a Stilt but as I said before - I am usually not paddling here this early. He was by himself which I have also never witnessed but perhaps he was trying to get a jump on the real estate market before the rest of the gang gets here. I shot him for a while and then headed into the trail that goes around the back side of the island just north of the ramp. I spotted a Red Shouldered Hawk perching atop an palm tree whose top was missing and he was peering intently into the hollow trunk below, I managed sneak up as close as I could and get a few shots before he flushed and I was soon back at the ramp. See the pictures from this trip
3/13/09
I missed a couple of opportunities to paddle on some beautiful days because I was feeling a bit rough so today I wasn't about to let the blustery gray conditions deter me from getting in the water.
I watched the fog roll in at work as I headed home and I was pleased to see that it was still hanging around the area as I set out from Hannah Mills along Heckscher Dr. The tide was coming in still and there was a brisk breeze coming from the NE which made the trip out slow going. There was little to shoot at the sea daisy island and the old cedar so I was out on the ICW about 45 minutes after setting out. As I paddled up the waterway a dark furry critter with a bushy tail scurried away from the water's edge and disappeared into the woods. My first impression was that it was a Raccoon but the fur was almost completely black and it didn't move like a Coon. I can't think of what else it could be except a very dark Raccoon.
I made my way up to the slough that leads up to the Pelican pool but rather than continue on and get out at my usual place I decided to approach the pool from the south. I could see that the pool was nearly at it's winter capacity as the big white birds were grouped in three large groups - most of whom were dozing with their heads tucked under their wings. I noticed that about half of them were sporting the odd little hump on the tops of their long beaks indicating they they were males of breeding age. As I approached, more and more of the heads popped up as they became aware of the intruder and then suddenly a few of them had had enough and flew out into the middle of the pool where they began swimming around. The water level was even lower than the last time I was here and I could see that even in the center of the pool some of the Pelicans were walking rather than floating which gives further credence to my theory that this pool is not connected to the tidal influences. Eventually, the entire group had entered the water but they didn't seem like they were ready to depart for their usual feeding. Perhaps the fog was keeping them grounded for the day. I left them along and walked over the smaller pool near the island south of Cedar Point but it was mostly empty and it's water level was lower than I have ever seen it. I returned to my boat and began paddling with the now outgoing current to the south. The fog was starting to lift but it was still thick to the east of me and the sound of the fog horns of the incoming ships resonated throughout the area.
I spotted an Osprey perching near Bottle Island and managed to get quite close to him since he was looking at something on the island instead of the water. From there I floated down to the Kingfish park passing the Manatee Zone sign which once again is not being used by the Ospreys who used to nest there. As I entered Hannah Mills, I could see that on Marker 85, a long male Osprey was sitting but it was hard to tell if they were re-building the nest that fledged a trio of youngsters last year. The current wasn't too bad as I made my way back to the pool near the road and I was back home in plenty of time to make to my 21st day in a row at work. See the pictures from this trip
3/17/09
I headed to Pumpkin Hill to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on the water and underway a little after 10:30. The tide had already turned and that combined with a 15 mph breeze coming from the NE meant that the trip out was strenuous. As I made the turn near the trail I was confronted by the full force of the wind and a strong current and gave a lot of consideration toward making this a short paddle. I spotted some big splashes at the end of the run and I knew that there were Dolphins in the area and made the decision to try to at least get close to them. A pair of them suddenly appeared near me when I was about halfway down the run so I pulled over and spent some time shooting them. They disappeared and as I continued on I could see more splashing and plumes of exhales shooting into the air some 15 feet back where I originally saw the first Dolphins. By now, I was close enough to Black Hammock that it provided some shelter from the wind but by the time I reached the area where the Dolphins had been they had moved on. I spent some time exploring one of the streams near my shrimping spot shooting some Herons and then continued on to the point where I stretched my legs. After a few minutes there I headed back and this time I had the tide in my favor and the wind was at my back for the majority of my trip back to the put-in. See the pictures from this trip
3/20/09 I woke up on this first day of spring thinking about heading down to Guana to do a little paddling and then some shopping on my way home. As I sat around the house drinking coffee with Hope and the girls I re-considered and decided to stay closer to home by heading back up to Pumpkin Hill. As I was prepping to leave - the trees around my house were still and every placed I checked on the internet confirmed that it was a calm day and so warm that I briefly considered going in my paddling shorts and leaving my fleece behind. As I stepped out of my truck at the put-in, however, I was hit by an incredible blast of cold wind and as I gazed out on the water I very nearly packed up and headed home. It was amazing how different the conditions were on one side of Cedar Point road to the other but I guess the topography of the land leaves this area open to the northeasterly breezes blowing in across the Nassau Sound which lay just on the other side of Black Hammock Island. I decided to make a go of it since there was still about two hours of outgoing tide left to help me make headway against the wind. There was almost nothing to shoot as all of the bird life in the area obviously had better sense than I so I kept my camera stowed and only turned it on once the entire trip. When I made the turn at the trails I was confronted by a channel of grayish brown water broken up by the whitecaps which were rolling my direction. I paddled into it and made slow progress only because the underlying current was in my favor. At one point I spotted a Clapper Rail leaping across a small stream and pulled in to take a break and see if he would pop his head out of this grassy fortress but he didn't and I continued on until I reached the stream beyond my shrimping spot. It was sheltered by Black Hammock and provided a calm respite from the gale but it was nearly dead low tide and I could only go so far up it there was nothing to shoot. I returned to the main channel and saw that the run out to the point was relatively sheltered by the wind but I decided to give it up and let the wind blow me back toward the put-in. I rode the swells back to the trails and was surprised when I made the turn to see a pair of kayakers coming out from the put-in. I guess I wasn't the only one with no sense on the first day of spring!
3/24/09
I headed to the west end of our island today to paddle in Browns Creek. I was surprised to find the put-in crowded on a Tuesday mid-morning but I guess the windy conditions have been keeping everyone on shore and people are grabbing every opportunity they can to get out on the water now that conditions have moderated somewhat. I set out against the outgoing tide and was soon at the Heron Rookery along the eastern edge of the island. It appeared as though the nests have been completed and are now occupied by birds being attended to by their mates who would sweep in noisily to bring them them food. I decided to paddle around the north side of the island and head over to the runoff pond from that direction. As I was leaving the Herons nests, I happened to look over and spotted a large dark shape perching in a pine tree in the interior of the island. A quick check with my binoculars confirmed what I already knew - that it was a mature Bald Eagle - perhaps the same one I saw here in January checking out the Great Blue's nests. Today he was sitting there calmly but the Herons were very aware of him, flying overhead squawking as they headed toward their nests. Even an Osprey voiced his displeasure as he flew overhead and he made a feint as if he was going to dive on the bigger bird but flew off instead. From there I paddled out to where the main channel of Browns Creek comes around the western side of the island chain and had to wait for a kayak fishing traffic jam to clear before I could continue on to the runoff pond at SJRPP. I did a circuit in the pond and, although there were some Night Herons there, no one would stay put long enough for me to shoot and I wound up leaving a little while later. Once out of the pool I decided to take a very different route than I am accustomed to and headed around the bend to the little cove that is adjacent to the run-off pond. I have seen Red Tailed Hawks perching in there in the past as well as Ospreys but today I didn't see anything until I found the entrance to the pool. A -small falcon-like bird that I believe was a Merlin flew up to a dead tree at the entrance and perched there. When I got too close he flew to another dead tree on the opposite side of the pool and perched there, flying out to catch insects occasionally. I exited the pool and spent some time trying to find a shortcut back to the main channel but wound up having to backtrack and then floated back to the put-in on the outgoing tide. See the pictures from this trip
3/25/09
I had the night off due to a previous commitment - Hope and I were going to see Topal's farewell tour of "Fiddler on the Roof", so I had the whole day to relax and go paddling. I thought about doing something more adventurous but I finally settled on heading out to the Ribault Club to do some serious vegging on the FGR.
I got in the water a little after high tide and as usual did a circuit of the yacht basin adjacent to the ramp. As I paddled along the western shoreline a Green Heron who was hunting from the branches of a fallen oak tree got my attention. These birds are among my favorites and I rarely get to see them in the winter so I decided to spend some time shooting him. He was sporting his breeding plumage that I don't think I had ever seen before. His neck was dark red, his wings a dark green and he had silvery pin feathers down his back. Even his legs, which normally are a pale yellow were a dark orange and his beak seemed backer than I usually see in the summer and fall.
He was climbing along the low branches a few inches above the water and would occasionally stretch his long neck out until it was nearly touching the surface - then leap quickly into the water and back out with his meal. I watched him for several minutes before deciding to continue my circumnavigation of the basin shooting some dozing Brown Pelicans, Night Herons and an Osprey. As I came back around to the entrance to the pool, I saw the Green Heron still feeding and decided to paddle back over to watch him some more. He finally became aware of me and began raising his crest in alarm and at one point stretched out his neck straight up as he tried to fool me into believing he was a branch on the tree where he was hunting.
As I was shooting him I heard the unmistakable call of a Pileated Woodpecker coming from quite close by. When I was ready to leave the Heron, I began looking for the Woodpecker but at first I was sure he had left the area. Suddenly, I spotted some movement on the bank behind some tree roots and I could see the large black and white bird doing something odd in the sand. He was digging furiously in the soft sand and I could see where he had already dug several large holes. His head would disappear completely into the ground and then emerge in a cloud of orange sand as he flung it skyward. As I drifted toward him he gave me a quick look and flew up to the oak tree above him where he did a quick survey and then flew deeper into the woods.
I exited the basin at last and headed toward Point Isabella against an outgoing current that was just starting to get swift. As I rounded the point, I spotted a Bald Eagle and a pair of Osprey who appeared to be finishing up an aerial tussle with the Ospreys the winners. The Eagle flew into the area behind the wharf at the point and I assumed that he would be on the other side of the island by the time I pulled into the pool there. As I paddled in, I scanned the trees that line the little stream that loops behind the point, just in case he might be perching there. Suddenly, a dark bird flew out from a low overhanging branch and began to ascend. He was immediately set upon by the same pair of Ospreys who circled noisily above him and occasionally dove near him. The Eagle had a mostly white head and tail but I could tell that he was not quite mature - perhaps three years old, and although I have never seen it I'm sure the Ospreys have nest nearby and wanted to make sure this young Eagle knew that he was not welcome. He quickly flew off toward the west and the Ospreys appeared to fly away. I explored the stream a bit further but with the tide going out I didn't want to go very far and headed back out. As I was paddling past the wharf, I looked up and saw a male Osprey perched above me and stopped to shoot him for a while before heading back out to the river. I let the current carry me across to my hammock island and spent the next hour or so relaxing in my usual manner before heading on back. See the pictures from this trip
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Sponsors :
The Timucuan Paddle Page - In Affiliation with GearPro.com