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Paddling Journal November 2005 Cool temps but not much daylight Trips this month: 13
Back to Journal Index
11/2/05
Female Wood Duck
on Browns Creek
My head cold has put my energy levels at a real low point and so I've
avoided the water this week. The tides have been low and this time of the
year I have less than an hour of daylight after I get off work so it really puts a
damper on the after work paddles.
Today I kind of forced things but temps in the mid 70's and little wind
encouraged me to get out there. The put-in was gnatty as hell but it wasn't
so bad once I pushed off from shore and made my way west toward the big
island.
I cruised by shooting some Wood Storks and Great Blues and then went around
the bend and started north. I began to see large flocks of some medium sized
ducks flying about and I would occasionally scare a group of them up from
the water. At first I assumed that it was the Mergansers returning for the
winter but they were acting very un-Merganser like and were making a squeaky
sound that the Mergansers don't make. I caught one by itself and was able to get a
good shot which I later identified as a female Wood Duck.
The sun set and I headed home after just an hour out.
See the pictures from this trip
11/4/05
Fall day on the St. Mary's River
south of Traders Hill
Today was a perfect day for me to take Hope up to the St. Mary's for a trip
upriver from Traders Hill. I had been monitoring the water levels and flow
and felt like she could easily handle at least a couple of miles against
the negligible current in that section. The weather promised to be near
perfect Florida fall weather with temperatures reaching the low 80's and no
wind or rain in the forecast.
We got a late start from the house but made good time heading up I-95 to the
Kingsland exit and then taking SR-40 to Folkston where we headed south on
23. As I told Hope - there is no quick way to the St. Mary's but we pulled
into the recreation area a little after 9. As we did I noticed another
vehicle pull in behind us with a kayak on top but didn't think anything of
it at first. It turned out to be my co-worker and neighbor Mike and his
girlfriend Phyllis. I had mentioned to Mike that we were planning to do this
and he told me that they might meet us there but we never set anything up.
Actually, they had passed our house on their way out and had seen my truck so
they were surprised
that we had actually beat them there but they had come up Lem Turner through
Hilliard like I had done before so I guess that proves that I-95 is the
quicker way to go. With Hope, Mike and Phyllis at
Traders Hill
Well, paddling in a group is something I'm not used to and so it took us
what seemed like forever to finally get on the water but we did around 9:45
- much to the interest of a couple of old locals that drove over to us in
their pickup and watched us intently in the company of their dog. It was
kind of weird at first but we soon realized that that was just what they did
- watched people put-in at the park and they told us that they especially
enjoyed watching kayakers launch. They asked if we were camping and of
course we weren't but I told them I was planning to in a couple of weeks. I hope I don't hear that Deliverance theme song some night on the river!
Another boater pulled up to the ramp and that got their attention so they
drove over to watch them while we departed.
Anyway - after showing Mike and Phyllis the remnants of the old piers we
headed south. We were blessed with an amazing fall sky of deep blue and
puffy clouds. We found out something none of us were aware of - Cypress
trees actually turn colors in the fall - one of the only trees in this region to do
so and our entire trip was lined with the cypress turning yellow and red.
Like the last time that I was here we saw Great Blue Herons - at least we
saw one that we seemed to chase along the way - never getting close enough
to get any pictures. We also saw quite a few noisy Kingfishers who flitted
ahead of us. Lunch on the river
We stopped for a break at one of the white sandy beaches and stretched our
legs and then around 11:30 we stopped for lunch for about an hour. We
decided to head further south after lunch and we eventually wound up at the
same creek where I had ended my journey south in October - a small steam on
the western bank called Stanley Branch just south of Devils Elbow. We decided to part
company there since Mike and Phyllis wanted to continue on a bit further and
Hope and I had plans for the evening.
As we headed back north we saw a hawk fly up into a tree ahead of us and sit
on a branch over the water. We were sure that it was a Red Shouldered Hawk
but when he flew off we saw a mostly dark hawk with just a few speckles so
we are not sure what he was. Shortly after that I spotted a shape moving in
the water about 100 yards ahead and I could easily see that it was a deer. I
watched as he exited from the river and stood on the bank for a few seconds
before climbing up the hill and disappearing into the woods. When we got to
the bank where he had got out we could see that it was a well used path with
lots of deer tracks and we also realized that we were directly across from
the beach where we had taken our lunch break and we had seen deer and
raccoon tracks in the sand there. Apparently, this was a well used deer
crossing. Another aquatic deer on the river
We noticed one thing as we headed north - the current we had paddled against
- negligible as it was - was nowhere to be found on the return trip which
was a little disappointing since I think we both were looking forward to an
easy trip back. It wasn't bad but not as easy as we had expected. As it
turned out - even this far inland the river experiences some effect from the
tide and that was what had happened to the current - the water levels had
risen a foot and was now backed up in the river and hence - the current was
completely gone.
We made it after a couple of hours of relatively easy paddling but we were
both pretty tired at the end of it all.
See the pictures from this trip
11/7/05 Face to face with a Guana Gator
It had been almost three years since I had been to Guana - my first trip
had been pretty disappointing but I was pretty sure that was because I was not
aware of the tidal conditions there. Today I checked the tides at Vilano
Beach and headed there at what I figured would be mid-tide, incoming at the
north end of the lake - a place called Six Mile Ramp.
As soon as I got out of my truck I was sure the day was going to be a lot
better than it was three years ago. There was an Osprey sitting on a pole
nearby and a few flying about with fish in their claws. In the water I could
see flocks of Coots swimming around near the ramp and several herons were
visible so I had a good feeling about the day being a lot more productive
from a nature sighting standpoint.
I headed due south from the ramp along a very shallow branch and began
shooting the Coots and Herons that I saw along the way. I got to a point
where the marshy area began to open up into the northern end of the lake and
so headed west. I paused for a long time to shoot a pair of herons - a
Little Blue and a Tri-Color that were feeding. The Blue came so close to my
boat that I thought he was going to climb aboard he was so focused on
feeding. Little Blue on Guana Lake
I reached what appeared to be a deeper channel that runs through the center
of the marsh and it was marked by poles with blue reflectors on
them. These poles appear to be spaced within sight of each other and I
believe they must be marking the paddling trail through the area as they
began within sight of the ramp.
I spotted a Coot up on some grass by himself and I was surprised how close
he let me get to him but after he finally hobbled into the grass I realized
that he had a badly injured foot and probably didn't feel like moving unless
he absolutely had to. The vegetation in this marsh is quite different from
what I am used to in the preserve and I guess that is because this is fed by
fresh water. The grass is of a different variety and grows 8-10 feet tall
and provides some spacious refuges for the Coots who I could hear making
their odd calls unseen in the grass fortresses. American Coot on Guana Lake
As
I made my way north I noticed that there was an island about a mile above
the ramp. I tried to paddle behind it but the water levels were just too
shallow and so turned back to the main channel where I headed further north.
Ahead of me I saw what appeared to be a log laying on an island of
vegetation but I began to think that the log just might be a Gator. When a
Grackle began to walk on it I was convinced that it was indeed a log until
it began to slowly move into the water. I was able to get my camera out in
time to catch the tail slithering into the water and I assumed that would be
the last I would see of him. Instead, the head popped up immediately and
began moving slowly in my direction. I paused and then moved a little toward
the Gator but he kept his stare on me and kept moving ever so slightly in my
direction so I stopped where I was. He kept his gaze fixed firmly on me
until I finally left - a bit creepy. Anhinga on takeoff
I made my way north until I was about parallel to the mansions on the beach
above the state park and then headed back shooting the Herons, Anhingas and
Coots as I headed back. My paddle would occasionally clunk against something
hard in the water and invariably I would look down in the shallow water and
see a large, angry Blue Crab scurrying away. I'm just glad it wasn't that
Gator!
It was a wonderfully rewarding trip and indeed made me believe what people
have told me about Guana in the 20 years that I have lived here - it is one
of the best wildlife and birding spots on the First Coast. I only traveled
4.5 miles in four hours but I took 358 pictures in that time. Over 200 were
keepers.
See the pictures from this trip
11/10-11/05
Sunset over the ICW
We decided to try again at a kayak camp on the ICW. I'm almost over my cold
and I decided to take a couple hours off from work so that we could be sure
to get out to the campsite in time to do some house keeping and be able to
enjoy the sunset.
We got in the water at 4 and paddled against a slight current making
landfall at the camp around 4:30. We cleared some of the brush and got the
hammocks set up before digging our fire pit. The sun was starting to set
about the time we got the coals going so we carried our chairs out to the
beach and sat there drinking some stout while we watched a pretty nice
sunset.
Once the sun had set we began cooking our steaks while we watched the light
show continue to the west. Finally it was completely dark and we had
finished our food and wine - it was hard for us to believe that it was only
6:30 but we sat there for a few hours talking and enjoying the night. Just
before we went to bed a breeze kicked up and the temperature dropped about
10 degrees - the cold front that was forecast had arrived.
We retired to our hammocks and enjoyed a very peaceful and quiet night -
absolutely no traffic on the waterway. The wind really whipped up during the
night and the lows got down in the low 50's but our new North Face Sleeping
Bags kept us cozy.
I finally got up just after 6 and started walking through the woods to the
beach. I looked up to see the silhouette of an Osprey in the tree directly
above me. He saw me but wasn't sure what I was so I could see him turning
his head to peer down through the branches at me. I went back to get my
camera and he was still there but it was too dark to shoot and he flew off.
Once on the shoreline a pair of dolphins rose out of the water about 10 feet
offshore and blew as they made their way north. They paused to play around a
bit in front of the campsite and a few minutes later I heard one of them
making the urgent, rapid warning exhales but I couldn't tell how close they
were.
I decided to go for a quick paddle down to Shad Creek to watch the sunrise.
I got to Shad just as the sun came up over Mayport and I stopped to shoot. I
entered the lagoon behind the campsite there and I could see that the trees
held about six Great Blues but they flew off before I could get close so I
headed back to the campsite.
I watched an Osprey chase off a Red Tail Hawk across the way. Once back to
the campsite I stoked the fire and made coffee and we enjoyed a quiet
morning watching the White Pelicans across the waterway circle their pond.
We packed up and headed south with a strong wind at our back and got back to
the park at noon.
See the pictures from this trip
11/14-15/05
My long anticipated first campout on the St. Mary's River finally worked out
this weekend. Veteran's Day coincided with my long weekend to give me five
days off with Monday and Tuesday off as well. Since I know the St. Mary's
can be a popular place on weekends - especially during deer season I thought
a weekday camp would be best and the weather cooperated to the fullest with
highs in the low 80's and overnight temps in the low 60's.
Day One Loaded up and ready to launch
I got a later start than I had planned but finally left the house at 10
hoping to catch the incoming tide that would nullify the current for most of
my route. I finally reached Trader's Hill and was loaded up and headed out
right at 11. The water level was high and the current was indeed flowing
slightly backwards as I headed south. My plan was to go as far south as
possible to Thompkins Landing or at least get within striking distance so
that I could make a run at it the next day and thereby "connect the dots" on
my St. Mary's excursions.
About five minutes into my trip my mind began to clear and of course this
means I began to remember all the things I had forgotten. Today, it was my
fleece but it was so hot that I knew I wouldn't need it during the day and
if anything I was considering taking a swim at some point. I put those
thoughts out of my mind when about a mile south of Trader's Hill I saw the
largest gator I have ever seen slithering into the water from a beach. I saw
him as I began to round a bend and tried to slow my boat to take pictures.
As soon as he saw me, his slow crawl into the water became a loud splash -
like a giant rock being thrown off a bridge. I hung around in the area to
see if he would surface but he never did and so I continued on. Baby Gator
If that didn't deter me from my ideas of a dip in the cool, black waters
what I saw an hour later did. As I was paddling along in the slack current I
looked over to the side and saw an odd looking stick floating a few feet
away. Soon, I realized that the stick had eyes and that it was a baby gator
- no more than three feet long. Surprisingly, he didn't flinch when I put
the brakes on and turned my boat around. Like all gators he was able to move
without making a ripple and he let me get quite close until I began to get
ahead of him. Then he calmly turned around and began swimming in the
opposite direction. Once he realized that I was still following him he
silently disappeared beneath the surface of the water leaving not a ripple
to mark his presence. Bigger Gator
I had no sooner turned my boat south and started to paddle once again when I
saw, about 50 yards ahead of me, the distinct silhouette of an eight foot long
gator swimming out from a beach. He turned his back to me and swam for
several yards as I got close apparently unaware of my presence. As I got to
within 10 yards or so he turned his head slightly, stopped and then
disappeared without a trace - not a ripple.
I stopped for lunch around 1 at a beach on the Florida side that was covered
by so many deer tracks that it looked like there had been a stampede. After
unsuccessfully trying to call Hope I continued on passing through
Devil's Elbow and Stanley Branch - where we had stopped last week - around
2. At this point the river straightens out for a mile or so and the banks on
either side begin to get quite steep. I saw yet another gator - about an 8
footer - swimming along the bank in this stretch of river but never got
close to him. I had set in my mind that I needed to start getting serious
about finding a campsite around 3 and now I was in a stretch of river where
camping would be difficult at best. To make matters worse - I now began to
run along a stretch of river on the Georgia side that was lined with hunting
and fishing shacks. This continued for about a mile and a half and I was
starting to think about backtracking above Devil's Elbow to find a sure spot
to camp. The Florida side was looking good and was un-posted but the best
spots were opposite the shacks and most of the shotgun blasts I was hearing
seemed to be coming from the Florida side of the river so I continued on.
Finally, I passed the last of the shacks and began to see some potential
spots which made me feel a bit better about pressing on toward Thompkins. I
passed one of the many signs that a canoe outfitter has placed along the
route telling paddlers how far it is to Traders Hill. It said "5 Hours" but
I am pretty sure a 2 is missing that it really meant to say 2.5 hours since
it was approximately 1 hour past the previous sign which said "1.5 hours".
About 7.5 miles south of Traders Hill, I finally spotted what seemed to be a
pretty ideal spot on a sharp bend of the river on the Georgia side. It was a
very steep beach that plateaued out before the woods began. It was a bit of
chore unloading but I finally got things set up under an enormous pine tree.
Campsite - 7.5 miles south of
Traders Hill
It was only 3:30 or so when I began to set up camp but I was in such a deep
valley that the sun was already well hidden and a slight overcast had come
making it seem even darker. I got things set up and drank a beer and read a
bit. I attempted to call Hope but that same valley made my cell completely
useless so I settled down to eat my supper of dehydrated beef stew, red wine
and oatmeal cookies. Being in such a deep valley meant that there was no
sunset to watch and once dusk set in it was only a matter of minutes before
someone hit the lights and it was completely dark. It was 6:30, no one to
talk to and in complete darkness and total quiet save some hounds that
would start a "chain bark" occasionally. I was having fun and I love the
solitude but it was a bit boring and since my hammock is a more comfortable
place to read from I finally decided to go ahead and crawl in around 7:30.
The nearly full moon rose above the tall pines on the Florida side around 8
but the overcast skies simply turned white. I dozed and read off and on
until about 11 when I realized that the sky had cleared and the moon was
directly overhead. It had turned the scenery into an eerie snowscape - the
white sand was glowing in the moonlight and that contrasted with the
blackness of the water and trees. I sat outside for a while enjoying the
crisp air and utter quiet save the occasional splash from the river, the
hoot of an owl and sound of things dropping from the trees deep in the
forest. Occasionally, I would hear the hum of tires on SR-23 which was only
a few miles west but for the most part - no sound of humans.
I didn't sleep much as usual. I was a bit worried that an unsuspecting deer
would come crashing out of the woods and slam into my hammock since I had
seen tracks in the sand. I was also concerned that Armadillos might mess
with my stuff since there was plenty of evidence of their being in the area.
At one point during the night I was jolted awake by the sound of a Great
Blue Heron flying down the river in full croak. He was right at my ear level
as he flew by and it was pretty freaky. I heard plenty of odd crashes in the
woods, some scuffling on the ground nearby and at one point a bat seemed to
be flying about and then sat in a tree squeaking.
See the pictures from Day One of this trip
Day Two
At Thompkins Landing
Anyway - I made it through the night with nary a banjo playing or a pig
squealing and after packing up I headed on south around 8 toward Thompkins
which I estimated to be a mile away. The current here was pretty strong and
as I headed south it got stronger and the water levels became shallower
which made the flow more channelized hence it seemed swifter. I had to pick
my way through some tangles but for the most part it was not difficult. I
realized that there were several even better camping sites just beyond where
I had stopped but soon the fishing and hunting shacks began to appear again on
both sides of the river. I had expected this since I had paddled here in
July and seen the same thing and Thompkins is a pretty well developed road.
I reached the landing and took some pictures to show the difference in the
levels since July and then headed back north.
The swift current carried me quickly past my campsite and then past the
shacks. At one point, I saw two pairs of feet sticking out from under a
sheet on a mattress laid out on the ground. A head popped up and the buzz
cut young man began commenting on how loaded down I was. We continued our
brief conversation as I paddled out of sight but within a couple of minutes
a loud shotgun blast came from that direction. I'm guessing that was his way
of waking his slumbering buddy up - it was 9:45 after all.
A not so aquatic deer
The current began to slow considerably as I approached the long stretch
south of Devil's Elbow. I saw another deer in the water but this one wasn't
doing so good - or smelling so good either. It was a very small deer that
was hung up in a tree and drowned.
The current dropped off to nothing and as tired as I was my progress was
slow. I stopped to take a break around 11 and by now the current had
reversed slightly which I had expected. I never saw another gator but I kept
my eyes peeled especially when I passed the spot where I had seen the first
one. A mile short of Traders Hill I passed a couple of old guys in a small
boat and was pretty sure I recognized them as the pair who had been so
interested in us a week ago. I'm not sure they remembered me but we
acknowledged each other as I paddled by.
East of Traders Hill
I reached the ramp just after noon and decided to make a run at the Old
River Road access where we had stopped in January so that I could connect
yet another "dot" on my journey. I paddled about a half mile past the ramp
before I gave up and headed back to my truck. Just as I was pulling my truck
up the two old guys I had seen on the river pulled up and I saw their white
pickup which confirmed their identity.
I pulled away from the ramp satisfied after a wonderful trip - the first of
many campouts on the St. Mary's. I was so tired that my mind wandered on the
long road back to Kingsland and consequently got a speeding ticket for my
troubles but even that did not ruin my trip.
See the pictures from Day Two of this trip
11/20/05
Just a quick one to get our Thanksgiving holiday week started off right. I wasn't sure if
I would be able to get out especially after I arrived at the condo and found
that the Jags game against the Titans was indeed on the local channel so I
had to watch it.
After a great game and rousing win I set out from the beach in front of the
condo into breezy conditions and rough waters. The tide was just barely
coming in and since my plan was to explore the Back Bayou it really was a
bit of frustrating trip. I must have found every oyster bed in the bayou
with the bottom of my new kayak. Fortunately, I've already managed to
scratch it up on the local beds so I didn't feel too bad. I tried to do a
loop and come back in behind the condos but the oyster beds and failing
light made me turn back even though I was within sight of the channel.
Anyway - it was a good start to the week.
See the pictures from this trip
11/22/05
Yellow Crown Night Heron at
Cedar Key
Well, the weather and tides have just not cooperated this week in Cedar Key.
High tides are early morning and evening and yesterday a front blew through
here dumping a bunch of rain followed by near gale force winds.
We decided to forget about paddling as a family for the day since the waters
between us and Atsena Otie were capped with white and the low tides would
make paddling anywhere else a chore. We chose instead to spend the day
exploring by car and by foot the Lower Suwannee Refuge located just NW of
Cedar Key with Andrew and Sister in tow and we had a lot of fun doing it.
When we got back home I decided to brave what I figured might be a quick
paddle in the still windy conditions.
I put in at the beach in front of our condo and headed toward the marsh
that lies behind Cedar Key. Once I got around the corner from the condo I
was in a much more protected area although low tide prevented me from going
all the places I wanted to.
It was still an interesting although short trip. I paddled around to the bridges
on SR-24 and then took the channel that runs along the back side of the town
where most of the clam boats and other fishermen dock. Where there are
fishermen there are fish and where there are fish there are Ospreys and
Herons and I ran into quite a few including a few Yellow Crowned Night
Herons. I got so close to a feeding immature Yellow Crown that I nearly
bumped him with my boat. I also saw a Great Blue who was clearly hanging out
on a dock waiting for a sure meal. There were many inlets in the mangroves
of the marsh and had the water been high enough it would have been fun to
explore. There were also several derelict fishing boats mired in the mud
including one that was being manned by a crew of herons.
After barely an hour I headed back - I had taken nearly 100 pictures in that
short period of time so it was productive from that standpoint but we are
hoping for better weather the rest of the week so we can get down to
business.
See the pictures from this trip
11/23/05 am
Skimmers and Osprey at Sunrise on
Cedar Key
The wind finally died down this morning but unfortunately it was 33 degrees
when I got up just after 6:00 am. I bundled up in my winter gear (which
thankfully I had brought) and headed out about five minutes before sunrise
heading east toward Waccassa Bay.
After watching a beautiful sunrise that was highlighted by the silhouettes
of the Skimmers and a lone Osprey on one of the poles that mark the channel
out to the gulf I headed NE. Some herons feeding in the shallows caught my
eye and so I headed into what turned out to be Number 3 Channel. The White
Egrets flew off quickly but there was a Great Blue further up in the
shallows. As I got ready to shoot him I saw a large dark shape in a dead
tree in the distance and I could see a white head glowing in the morning
light - my first Bald Eagle of the week. Not long after spotting him a very
immature Bald Eagle - not more than a year old - flew close overhead. Immature Bald Eagle near Cedar Point
at Cedar Key
After shooting the heron I found the channel and began following a pair of ducks
that turned out to be Buffleheads. Once I got back into the marsh that lies
behind Cedar Key I realized that there was a channel that led right up to
the tree that the Eagle was sitting on so I headed that way and got some
good shots.
I headed back out to the gulf and continued my journey east toward what
looked like a beautiful beach. This turned out to be an island called Cedar
Point and once I got out on land I realized that the sand was covered by
thousands of beautiful Whelks. There were also hundreds of Horseshoe Crab
shells
there but we have been seeing those everywhere. To the north I could see an
eagle's nest and sitting on a tree nearby was another Eagle. I explored the
beach for a while before deciding to investigate a pair of trees that
appeared to be growing out of a shell island out in the gulf. It turns out
that they were growing out of a place called Corrigan Reef - a long series
of shell islands that stretch about a mile out from the island. Buffleheads in Cedar Key
I paddled out to the trees and as I approached I could see a few White
Pelicans floating around. As I was about to get out of my boat at the trees
I suddenly realized that there were people sleeping out on the beach -
apparently campers - so I headed back to Cedar Key. Along the way the young
Eagle circled me several times. As I got close to the condo I was greeted by
my two best girls - Hope and Sister who were waiting for me on the beach.
See the pictures from this trip
11/23/05 pm Bald Eagle on the Nest at Atsena
Otie
After about an hour of rest, I got Hope and Andrew to load up and continue
our day of paddling. We set out at 11 and headed toward Atsena Otie with the
outgoing tide. Not far out we began to see Dolphins crossing in front of us.
We reached the eastern point of the island where a sandbar blocked our way
so we headed out into the gulf to clear it. I showed Hope and Andrew the
Eagle's Nest in just behind the beach we were headed to but we couldn't see
any Eagles in the area. As we got to within 200 yards of the beach suddenly two
large dark shapes popped up and stood in the nest. One of them flew to a
tree nearby while the other (the female) sat low in the nest with just her
head showing. We were a bit perturbed by an airboat that had beat us to the
island and gone into the channel that divides it but the Eagles
didn't seem to be bothered by the loud noise or by our presence and soon the
airboat went on its way.
We pulled up and unloaded - setting up at the end of a break of trees that
separated our beach from the pool that ran under the nest. We sat there for
the next couple of hours, eating, snoozing and hiking and enjoying the close
company of Eagles. They didn't do much - at one point we noticed that the
male was gone and we looked above us to see an Eagle circling overhead. A
few minutes later he swooped back into the tree he had been in earlier. Raccoons on Atsena Otie
I hiked down to the southern point of the beach and saw a tidal pool just
off the beach. In the pool were a pair of Raccoons - a large one and much
younger one. It was interesting to see them walk around the pool - the older
one was constantly digging in the mud while the younger one seemed to play
on the edge of the pool - at one point it chased one of the hundreds of
Monarch Butterflies that are migrating through here. The older Coon would
occasionally see me watching them and stand up on its hind legs like a
little bear but for the most part didn't seem to mind my presence. Migrating Monarchs on Atsena Otie
Finally, we decided we needed to get back to the condo. The wind had shifted
and the temperature was dropping a bit so we packed up and headed back across
the channel. We followed a flock of Horned Grebes for a while. The trip back
was easy and we all had a good time. Sister - who we had worried about
leaving was sound asleep when we got back and apparently not worried by our
absence.
See the pictures from this trip
11/24/05
Oyster Catchers at Cedar Point near
Cedar Key
I was dead tired last night and was sure that I was going to take the day
off from paddling. When I got up at 6:30 I was greeted by a clear, calm sky
and a warm gentle breeze blowing off the gulf The temperature was 63 - 30
degrees higher than the day before so after checking the forecast I finally
gave in to my urges and headed out to celebrate Thanksgiving Day the way I
really love to - on the water.
I headed toward Cedar Point thinking that I would go past Corrigan Reef and
see if I could get close to the Eagles' nest I saw the day before. Once I
reached the reef I found a break through the barrier close to shore. On the
other side I saw dozens of black and white birds floating (or so I thought)
in the water. On closer examination I saw that they were not floating but
standing in the shallows and I also began to hear a familiar "whee" call. I
soon could tell that they were Oyster Catchers and there were literally
dozens if not hundreds of them sharing the shallows with Whimbrels and a few
Cormorants.
I made my way behind the island that the Eagle's nest was on and found
myself in what turned out to be Number Four Channel - the final channel as
you leave Cedar Key and go back to the mainland and I could see the bridge and
boat ramp in the distance. By now the breeze had kicked up and I considered
returning home by way of the area behind the town but my urge to see what
lies beyond the next turn took over and I wound up circumnavigating the
Eagle's Nest island and came back around between it and an island called
Live Oak Key that lies on the gulf. As I passed to the north of the island I
came in sight of the nest again and I thought I could see a white head
popping up and down but I'm not sure.
I came back around by the shallows where the Oyster Catchers were and
approached the reef from the other side. From here I could see that the
campers I had seen yesterday had set up a dome tent and I could see one
person walking around. I could also hear and see that the breeze had really
kicked up and the water on the other side of the reef was quite choppy. I
paused at Cedar Point to take a break and pick up some shells before I
continued on into the breeze and pretty good chop. I made good progress,
however and was back at the condo in 30 minutes.
See the pictures from this trip
11/25/05 Sunrise at Cedar Key
I woke up this morning at 5:30 and feeling refreshed I decided to make a run
at Seahorse Key which is located about two miles SE of Atsena Otie. The
weather forecast for today was the best of the week with temps reaching the
low 70's and absolutely no wind. I set out at 6:30 into glassy waters and
began my paddle SE. I paused to shoot a beautiful sunrise and then continued
on to the Atsena pier where I got some good shots of the Pelicans and Herons
silhouetted there. I headed from there to a tiny little grass island about a
third of the way to Seahorse called Grassy Key and rested for a bit. Great Blue Heron at Sunrise
I continued on across the long stretch of open water - it was glassy but the
power boat traffic was rapidly heating up as the morning wore on and their
wakes caused a gentle swell to roll across occasionally. A pod of Dolphins
swam parallel to me about 200 yards away and some birds that looked like
they might be Loons were swimming nearby. There were also some large flocks
of Mergansers out in the gulf.
I finally reached Seahorse Key and entered the large shallow bay on the
north side. There were large signs warning that the area was closed during
the nesting season from March 1st to June 30th - apparently even the water
is off limits during that time. An examination of the area showed me why.
They have set up dozens of nesting platforms for Herons in the interior of
the island and the University of Florida has a Aquatics Lab there at the old
lighthouse. The waters of the bay were crystal clear and I could see huge
Redfish swimming over the oyster beds. Immature Bald Eagle at Snake Key
As I paddled around the shallows an adult Bald Eagle flew by and as I began
to exit the western edge of the bay I could hear some Herons croaking in
alarm. I realized that the reason for the alarm was a large immature Bald Eagle who was perching
in the area. Every time he would fly up and change perches the Herons would
react with consternation. Finally, as I got close he flew away and rounded
the bend to the back side of the island. A few minutes later as I paddled
along the south side of the island I looked up and saw him sitting in the
tree directly above me. I was able to get one good shot of him as he flew
away. The back side of Seahorse Key is interesting as a large orange sand
dune rises about 30 feet above the the beach.
From there I began my journey across the channel to Snake Key reaching it in
about 30 minutes. I entered the mangrove lined channel that runs along the
back side of the island - not finding much of interest this year so I headed
north toward Atsena Otie and entered the channel that divides the island.
There was barely enough water to get through the oyster beds but I snaked my
way through and paddled up underneath the Eagle's Nest where momma seemingly had not
moved a muscle since we were there two days ago.
I paddled on through the island passing under a Live Oak tree on the north
side that contained a Green Heron - possibly the same one who had played hide
and seek from me there the year before. From there it was an easy paddle across
the glassy channel home - 5.5 hours and 12 miles of paddling.
See the pictures from this trip
11/26/05 Bald Eagle on the Suwannee near
Fanning Springs
My 100th trip of the year! I reached the goal that I had set for myself for
this year with more than a month still to go thanks to some great weather. I
wasn't sure if I was going to make that goal here in Cedar Key since when we
got up the 5 mph hour easterly wind the Weather Channel said we were having
seemed like at least twice that. I was a bit stiff after yesterday's long
paddle and Hope was in no mood to battle the wind so we decided to wait
until after we saw Andrew off (he had to go back early) to make our final
decision.
We were helped along in our decision making when someone set up and outdoor
sound system on the beach adjacent to our unit and it looked like we might
be in for a day of drunken Gator fans reveling on the grounds so we headed
toward the town of Suwannee - located at the mouth of the river it is named
for.
It took about an hour to get there since we had to go all the way up one
side of the river to Chiefland and then back down the other side. Once we
got to Suwannee we found what we expected - a fishing town built on a maze
of canals and of course on a beautiful Saturday afternoon every public ramp
was crowded so we decided to head back up river and put-in at Fanning
Springs in Old Town on SR-98.
We explored the State Park and found no place to put-in that wasn't a long
walk but there was a public ramp across the river so we drove across there
and finally got in the water and headed upstream.
It wasn't a very interesting paddle for the most part. The river here curves
west just after passing under the bridge and runs along the highway for
about a mile so it was quite noisy for most of the trip. This part of the
river is heavily populated and there was almost constant boat traffic. All
of that was manageable but just before we reached the railroad trestle where
I had hoped things would get more remote we began to see what turned out to
be at least a dozen racing boats speed noisily by in excess of 60 mph. That
was enough for us so we pulled off and took a break. There were campers just
ahead of us so I think that the river gets more remote the further north
from this point. Just as Hope was pulling into the beach where we stopped I
saw a Bald Eagle swoop in low behind her and fly upriver.
We headed back with the current feeling a bit frustrated but that all
changed when that same Bald Eagle came swooping in to the opposite bank and
landed at the edge of the water. We watched as we paddled over to it and saw
it sit there drinking from the river. We got to within about 50 yards before
it flew away but we both agreed that his presence made a bad trip a good
one. Just before reaching the ramp a Great Blue flew out from the trees above our
heads. A bad day paddling still beats most good days elsewhere.
See the pictures from this trip
11/30/05
Just a quick after work paddle. The sun is setting around 5:25 so there is
not much point in going out after work but I felt the urge and got in the
water at 4:45.
Not much of trip - just went around the big bend to the west and then north.
There were a few whites feeding and some Sandpipers and Dowitchers hanging
out on the oyster beds. There were literally hundreds of Tri-Colors, Little
Blues and Ibis flying along the same line from east to west into the setting
sun and a lone Harrier swooping over the grass.
See the pictures from this trip
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