|
|
 |
|
 |
Quick Links |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Support this Web Site By shopping at Amazon via the link below:
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
Paddling Journal November 2007 Cool weather and a couple weeks of vacation to enjoy it. Trips this month: 10
Back to Journal Index
11/4/07
Otter eating
breakfast in Edwards Creek
The clocks rolled back last night and as much as I hate that, I was so tired
after a weekend of gardening that it was probably a good thing that I got an
extra hour of sleep.
I pulled into the Pumpkin Hill put-in at 7:30 with the sun already well up over Black
Hammock. After a seemingly endless Nor'Easter, the winds were finally calm,
the water glassy and there was not a cloud in the sky as I set out. High tide was a couple of
hours earlier but there was plenty of water still in the marsh so I checked out
one of the islands near Black Hammock before heading on toward the trails. Great Egret and Stork on Pumpkin
Hill
I was shooting a Spotted Sandpiper that always seems to hang out at the last trail
head and was getting some good shots of him against the black clay when I
heard the sound of splashing coming from behind me. I turned, expecting to
see an otter or a raccoon, but instead I saw a deer chugging across the
water. Of course I was turned the wrong way and was only able to get one
quick shot of him as he disappeared into the grass near the beach. By the time I got turned
around and was able to paddle over to where I thought he was headed he was gone.
The beach there contained one set of deep hoof prints where he had exited
the water, jumped up on the ledge and bounded into the woods. Northern Harrier searching for food
at Tiger Point
I turned back downstream and soon saw that the little point was full of
birds so I made my way over. As I approached I could hear the chirp of an
Osprey but it took me some time to find him. While I was searching for him I
spotted the head of what appeared to be a Red Tailed Hawk on a tree just
past where the Wood Storks had massed. I finally spotted the Osprey on a
branch overhanging the stream that I was in and got off a couple of shots
before he flushed. I spent the next several minutes shooting the Wood Storks
that had massed in the tree at the point there. After coming back out to the
main channel I watched some of the planes warming up for the final day of
the air show at the beaches. They were doing big loops with smoke trailing
behind them over Mayport Navy base Catching Oysters is a messy business
.I headed on toward Tiger Point and as I approached, a noisy boat emerged from
Edwards Creek causing an immature Bald Eagle who had been perching there to
flush. I decided to head on past the landing at the point and set up my
hammock and eat breakfast at the next landing up Edwards Creek. I was about
to pack up and head back when a slick, furry head popped up a few yards offshore. I
watched as the otter made his way across the creek until he was just a few
feet away from where I was standing. It appeared that he had something in his mouth - either a fish or
an oyster shell and he was struggling against the outgoing current of
Edwards Creek as he munched on his prize. I watched him for a few minutes as he made his way along the
shoreline, popping his head up every now and then to check things out.
I headed back against the last of the outgoing tide and passed a group of
Oyster Catchers who were busy snagging their tasty morsels from the shells.
One of them had his bright orange beak comically covered in mud.
See the pictures from this trip
11/5/07
Pileated Woodpecker on Durbin Creek
I had an early appointment at Mayo this morning so I planned to head out for
some paddling on that side of town. I was there on Friday and planned to
paddle in Guana one last time but the wind was
too intense and I opted to go home and work on the garden instead. Sunday
night, as I was contemplating where to go after my clinic visit I remembered
that someone had e-mailed me a couple of years ago about a trip they took on
Durbin Creek. I had looked it up back then so I knew
that it was in the general area that I was going to be in. Since I wasn't
sure if Guana would be open or not and I didn't want to waste a trip there I
decided to try Durbin as my "Plan A" and keep Guana or possibly Jones Creek
as my backup plans. Ibis gathering nesting materials
At any rate - by 9:00 I had found my way to Racetrack Road and the bridge
across the creek where there was a rough little track down to a put-in next
to the bridge. As I drove down the track, I could see that the woods were
flooded well away from the banks of the creek. When I got out to look at the
put-in I could see a slow moving tannin colored stream passing in front of
me but it seemed to split off in two directions. Once in the water, I
decided to go with the current and took what seemed to be the most likely
path. That soon proved to be a dead end in the dense, flooded, cypress
forest. I turned back and took the other route and within a few seconds I was
sure I had reached another dead end when I was confronted with a huge fallen
tree that was impossible to go under or over. I was able to find a path
around it by snaking my way out into the woods and was soon back in the main
channel. Alligator sunning himself on a log
After working my way over, under and around some lesser snags I was pretty
sure that this trip was going to be a short one but a bit further downstream
the channel became more defined and less clogged with snags. The creek
itself was beautiful and I soon began to see some of the biggest cypress
trees that I have seen in this part of Florida - some that were as big as
the ones we had seen on the Chipola River a couple of weeks ago. I had
noticed, when I checked Terraserver the night before, that this area was, as
yet, relatively untouched by development and the reason became apparent as I floated
along with the gentle current. As far as I could see on either side of me was
flooded cypress woods. I could spot huge, moss covered cypress logs back in
the woods that had obviously been there for decades. The sun was still low
in the sky and was being filtered through the dense foliage which made the whole
area dark and creepy in spite of the bright sun and cloudless skies I had
left back on Racetrack Road. If it had not been for the constant roar of
traffic from the nearby major thoroughfares it would have been one of the
most remote trips I have taken as there was very little signs of human
habitation. Glassy waters
I spotted some activity ahead of me and began to see several immature Ibis
flying about in the woods. As I looked, I could see that the woods on either
side of me were literally full of Ibis but the darkness prevented me from
getting many good shots. As I continued down the creek I constantly saw
these birds watching me from deep inside the impenetrable forest. I began to
see some ducks moving on the water ahead of me and a check with my
binoculars confirmed that they were Wood Ducks - both male and female. This
area is an ideal place for them since they prefer to stay under trees in
the water and that was what this whole area consists of. I never got close enough
for photos but on the day I probably saw a couple of dozen. Each time I
would see them, however, they would simply swim out into the dark woods
where they would hide. Occasionally I could hear their distinctive "ooooheee" call
coming from nearby. Cotton Mouth a few feet from my head
Through the trees, as I was rounding a bend, I could see the gleam of the sun
on what looked to be a scaly reptilian skin. As I came around the turn I saw
a five foot Gator sunning himself on a log but he flopped into the water
before I got too close. All along the banks of the creek were some beautiful
lavender flowers that grew in enormous bushes that I later identified as
"Climbing Astor". Since the sun had yet to reach
it's zenith, they were mostly in the shade and therefore empty of butterflies
but I knew that would change by the afternoon. I passed by one of these
bushes as I was trying to shoot a turtle ahead of me. I looked up just in
time to see the shape of an enormous grey snake coiled up in the branches of
the bush - just three feet from my head.
I quietly passed by and then turned around, making sure that I gave him a
wide berth. I checked with my binoculars and saw what I am almost certain
was a Cotton Mouth - also known as a Water Moccasin. It has been since my boyhood in Oklahoma
that I have seen one but I have always heard stories about how aggressive
they are compared to other snakes. Stories of large poisonous snakes dropping
from overhanging branches into canoes has always given me pause while
paddling in freshwater swamps such as this as well as the accounts of them
chasing boats and trying to climb in. Fortunately, this guy was facing the
wrong way and he never reacted to my presence but I made sure to give him
some distance as I shot him and then passed by. Warbler in the trees
I wasn't sure how far I was going to go since this was one of my impromptu
trips that was more or less unplanned and I wasn't sure if there would be
any landmarks along the way to tell me how far I had traveled. I soon passed
out of the darkness and into the bright sunlight as I entered a power line
right of way that I remembered seeing on Terraserver. About a mile west of
there I spotted the first dry ground I had seen since the bridge and I
pulled over to stretch my legs. I fully expected to see "No Trespassing"
signs but I realized that this had to be some kind of public land since
there were a couple of wooden bridges that led over the water and they were
marked with spray paint the way public trails usually are. Directly
opposite the landing where I was, I could see another path that seemed to
lead up to higher ground and I suspect that it may have led to the power
lines I had just passed. Water Moccasin on a log
After pushing off from the trail, I stopped to shoot some Warblers that I
saw flitting in and out of one of the flowery bushes. Remembering my
previous snakey encounter I made sure to check the overhead branches before
I drifted in and took a few pictures. Ironically, as I got ready to move on
I looked downstream only to see a large snake swimming across the creek. His
heart shaped pit viper head and fat body gave him away as a Moccasin but
instead of the dull grey that I had seen earlier, this one was beautifully
patterned. He swam across and I paddled downstream making sure I gave him
plenty of space. I looked over to the side and spotted his head peeking over
a small log. He crawled up on it briefly and then began swimming into the woods
and I left him in peace, thankful I had seen him before I wound up too
close. Later, after I got home I confirmed that he was a young Cotton Mouth. Pileated Woodpecker
The creek began to widen out considerably and the flow increased
noticeably. The terrain on either side of me continued to be the same
deep, dark flooded swampland and the trees along the shoreline still mostly
blocked out the sunlight overhead. I suddenly heard the raucous call of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers who were obviously not happy that I had entered their
territory. I could tell that they were quite close to me and soon I saw one
of their large black bodies clinging to one of the cypress trees a few feet
away. I sat there for several minutes shooting them from no more than ten
feet away before they flew on and I continued downstream. Gator youngsters on a log
The creek gradually got wider and wider and the sky opened up above me as I
got closer to where it entered Julington Creek a few miles east of the St. Johns River. The
current continued to get stronger and I wondered if I was beginning to feel
the tidal influence of the river. I spotted a pair of small Gators - no more
than two feet long - sunning themselves on a log and paused to shoot them
before they flopped into the water. A few yards down from them I saw a much
smaller Gator in the water and I realized that the flooded woods were an
ideal Gator nursery.
Not far past the Gators, I saw a rope swing attached to a huge Cypress and I
knew I had to be getting close to Julington Creek. I was approaching my
preset time limit anyway but as I rounded one more bend I was confronted by
a half dozen new looking docks, each with a huge power boat and I knew that it
was time to head for home. The current was strong by this point and I was
tired after three hours on the water but I was actually able to make better
progress on the way back since I wasn't trying to sneak up on any Wood
Ducks. "I'm not leaving this log!"
I passed the same log I had passed less than an hour earlier and the same
two young Gators were back on it enjoying the noon time sun. One of them
flopped almost immediately but the second one never did and simply eyed me
annoyingly as if to say that he was determined to stay no matter what. I
made good progress back to the place where the creek narrowed down and the
current was soon back to a lazy pace. I recognized the place where I had
seen the snake in the bush and it appeared as if he had hardly moved in the
two hours since I had initially seen him.
Butterfly on the Astor
I began to see that the butterflies in the area had found the flowery Astor
now that the sun was directly overhead so I stopped to shoot a variety of
them. I passed a couple of more young Gators and saw a large one slip into the
water before I could shoot him. I began to see the Ibis once again and the
sound of traffic from Racetrack Road became louder and louder indicating
that I was getting close to my destination. Finally, I reached the big tree
blocking my way and was able to easily get around it. After exploring
upstream of the bridge for a short time I headed back and packed up to head
home. More young Gators
It was a wonderful and unexpected trip. I'm not entirely certain if the
water level I saw was normal since we have been experiencing high tides for
several weeks along the coast. This is far enough up the St. Johns that I
have a hard time believing that it would be influenced that much and the
woods gave every appearance of a freshwater cypress swamp that stays
flooded. The sound of traffic from nearby US-1, I-95, Racetrack Road and Old
St. Augustine Road was fairly loud and stayed with me at least a little bit
most of my trip so there wasn't that feeling of solitude that you would
think should be associated with a place like this but the beauty was
incredible and I will be back to explore it more.
See the pictures from this trip
11/11/07
Raccoon along the ICW
The tide was right this morning for me to stick close to home and since we
were getting ready to leave for Blue Springs in the morning I didn't want to
stay out too long so I headed to what used to be my favorite spot - Hannah
Mills.
With cool weather upon us I knew that I would see at least some of the birds
who stay here for the winter months and I was hopeful that my big white
friends would be back in their pool north of Hannah Mills. A Northern
Harrier was swooping low over the marsh as I set out and I saw a few Hooded
Mergansers soon after leaving the shore so I knew for sure that the
migratory birds were back in force. I cruised past the grove of trees near
the put-in as I watched the sun rise over the horizon but the Night Herons
weren't there so I headed toward the sea daisy island. Osprey on sea daisy island
I didn't see many birds hanging out there as I approached and the reason was
soon apparent. An Osprey was sitting on the oyster bed eating a fish and he
wasn't in a mood to share. He didn't let me get too close before he flew off
so I headed up to the old cedar where a Great Blue was perching. He stayed
briefly before heading on and since I had eaten breakfast before setting
out, I didn't stay too long myself . I was quickly out in the ICW and making
my way north with the incoming current. When I reached the area where the
slough runs out to the waterway I decided to drag my boat over and see if
there was enough water to get into the pool itself.
There wasn't, of course, so I was only able to float to within a hundred
yards of the Pelican Pool which was teeming with the slumbering giants. I
watched them for a while as they began to stir and groom themselves. Many of
them were still asleep with their heads tucked under a wing but I could see
many of them with their necks extended and bills straight down as they began
the meticulous act of grooming that is essential for birds to do.
Occasionally, a huge yellow bill would extend straight up in the air and
shake as they performed another act essential to their survival - the
stretching of their huge mouths. Trotting across the mudflat for
breakfast
I decided to paddle back to the ICW to beach my boat and get out and
walk back so I turned my boat around. I spotted something coming at me from the
direction of the island and watched as a Raccoon came trotting across the
mudflat straight for me. I was pretty sure he was unaware of my presence and
I was starting to get nervous about an encounter with a rabies carrying
vermin. He was obviously coming to the slough where I was sitting and since
I had seen several large crabs skittering beneath the surface I was sure he
was coming for a breakfast of the shellfish variety. He veered off slightly
as he got close and a few seconds later he popped his head out from the
grass at the end of the slough and began searching under the surface of the
water. I was turned the wrong way and was having to twist around far to much
for a 50 year old man with a bad back but I managed to get a few shots off
before he finally looked up in surprise and annoyance and saw me. White Pelicans back at their winter
home
He hopped back into the grass and I could see him running away from the
slough to the south, occasionally standing on his hind legs to look back at
me and make sure I was still there. I headed back to the end of the slough
and exited my boat and began walking slowly toward the Pelicans. Since I was
coming out of the bright sun they didn't see me at first and continued their
grooming. I could see that the shallow pool near the island was full of Wood
Storks and Dowitchers as well as quite a few Roseate Spoonbills who had yet
to make their annual trip south.
As I got closer to the Pelicans I could see that the entire group was
finally aware of me as their heads were now erect and their huge yellow
bills were shining in the morning glare. I watched as, at first, one or two
quietly waddled off the spit of land where they sit and slid into the water
to begin their journey away from the intruder. Soon they all followed suit
and the spit was empty and the pool full of the swimming birds. Spoonbills and Woodstorks
I turned my attention to the pool full of Storks and Spoonbills, the latter
of which flew off save a pair who seemed content to hang with their big
cousins. I walked partway around the pool as the Storks watched me calmly
and when I finally got too close they began walking away to the far side of
the pool. As I made my way back to my boat I noticed that most of the
Pelicans had returned to their original perch so I walked toward them again
until a few of them began to slide into the water so I left them alone.
The waterway was filling up with both fishermen and snowbirds and even a
pair of brave Jetskiers so I didn't stay out for long. I saw little on my
way back and was soon loaded up for home.
See the pictures from this trip
11/12/07
Mosquito Lagoon from the top of
Turtle Mound
This is the final trip in our year of discovering new places in Florida. One
of our recent family traditions was to go to Cedar Key and spend
Thanksgiving week there but last year, and again this year, scheduling conflicts
prevented us from doing so. This year, I had an opportunity to take the
week before Thanksgiving off as well as the holiday week and after returning
home from Silver Springs a couple of months ago we decided to find a place
to stay during that time period.
Although the week of Thanksgiving is generally full up in the state parks,
the week before was wide open and after considering several other places we
decided to try yet another new location - Blue Springs State Park near
Orange City, Florida - about 125 miles due south from Jacksonville. After making
the reservation, I realized that this park, located along the Middle Basin
of the St. Johns River,
is one of the best places to see the West Indian Manatees and they begin to
show up at the park when the cool weather arrives. Although we were having a
relatively warm fall, the cool weather finally arrived about a week before
our scheduled trip and when I checked the park's home page they were
confirming that the Manatees were indeed back in the spring. The Eldora State House on Mosquito
Lagoon
Although we usually try to find a wandering route to our destinations, I
wasn't so sure we were going to have much success doing that this time since
we were headed down toward the dreaded "South Florida". To me - the Real
Florida ends where Daytona Beach begins and I try real hard to stay north
and west of that place. Blue Springs State Park is also located just
to the north of the Kingdom of the Rat - Orlando, and the place that has
caused a good bit of the ruin of this state - Disney World. All that
considered, I decided that we would hop on 95 south and make a beeline for
the area where the park was located only to take a detour to the coast to
visit the Canaveral National Seashore.
We pulled off at New Smyrna Beach and drove out onto A1A and headed south.
We stopped at a little restaurant on Mosquito Lagoon called "Captain JB's"
and had a wonderful lunch of fresh fried shrimp and scallops while looking
out over the lagoon which is the northern end of the preserve. A1A dead-ends
here at the park and there is several miles of pristine beach along a narrow
spit of land with the ocean on one side and the lagoon on the other. After
entering the park we stopped at Turtle Mound - a 40 foot high shell midden
left by the Timucuan Indians. There is a walkway to the top of the mound
where you can see the ocean on one side and the lagoon on the other. We
drove down to a place called "Eldora" where there had been a late 19th
century community. Only the State House remains and after walking around the
trails a bit we headed on down the road where it ended. Manatee cruising down the spring at
dusk
We walked down to the beach where we could see several people sunbathing
behind curtains they had set up. The reason became apparent when a large
extremely white two legged Manatee (or possibly whale) stood up exposing his
wonderful glory. Well - actually, most of his glory was well hidden by his
enormous belly that really should have made naked sunbathing a crime against
nature but still - he seemed quite proud of himself. Hope and I were
reminded of our first trip down here over 10 years ago when we read in the
local papers that since this beach was a National Seashore that nudity was
allowed but the local authorities were trying to pass a law against "Male
Turgidity". I'll let you guys look that one up but suffice it to say - we
had a good laugh at the thought of a cop trying to arrest a "turgid" male.
At least Orca didn't appear to be turgid and since neither Hope nor I have
much to say about good looking bodies ourselves we left and headed back
north. We stopped at the visitors center where we picked up some info and
watched a video. We also learned that there are several primitive campsites
that you can visit out in the lagoon and we agreed that we had to come back
and try that out.
We headed back through New Smyrna Beach and went west on SR 44 until we reached
Deland where we took US-17 south a few miles to Orange City and found the
road to the park. We checked in and quickly unpacked so that we could take a
quick walk down to the spring before the sun set. We walked down to the
boardwalk that lines the spring run and as soon as we could see the water we
could see and hear the Manatees. We stood there where the spring run enters
the St. Johns River and marveled at the sight of many "boils" popping up
about us. Occasionally, we could see at whiskered snout or a gnarled flipper
rise lazily above the surface of the water and the sounds of exhales seemed
to be coming from everywhere. Sunset over the St. Johns River
We heard the "keeyah, keeyah, keeyah" call of a Red Shouldered Hawk and
looked to the trees on the opposite side of the run to see one perching, his
red head glowing in the setting sun. As we walked up the boardwalk we could
look out into the water and see several bulbous shapes under the water,
barely moving at all. Every hundred yards or so a observation platform had
been built over the water and each time we walked out we could see the
Manatees slowly moving beneath the surface of the water. We reached a
floating dock near the spring head where several people were gathered
looking down at the surface of the water. There was a transmitting device
floating on the surface and we could see that it was attached to the tail of
one of the Manatees who was lying quietly beneath the dock. On the other
side was another tail sticking out and we heard the ranger who was there
tell the people that this was a male.
We walked on up to the spring head where a few people were swimming in spite
of the cool weather. According to the ranger at the office people were still
allowed to swim in the spring until the 15th when it was left to the
Manatees. We watched the last of the sunset over the river and then returned
back to our cabin where we enjoyed our steak and wine.
I think we're gonna like this place.
See the pictures from this trip
11/13/07
Red Shouldered Hawk checking me out
on Snake Creek
As usual - I was up well before dawn and decided to work on catching up with
my writing as I sat in front of the gas fireplace in the cabin. While
sitting there, I suddenly heard a loud Owl call from somewhere nearby and
since it was getting light outside I decided to go for a little explore.
I walked down to where the spring entered the river and as soon as I reached
the boardwalk I could hear the sounds of Manatees exhaling and splashing all
about. There was a Great Blue Heron standing on the barrier to the spring
and I spent some time trying to shoot him in the dim light.
Great Blue Heron at the entrance to
Blue Springs
As I stood there watching the Heron and listening to the Manatees I suddenly
heard a thump and looked to see a squirrel sitting on the railing five feet
away. He looked at me and I was sure that he had intended to use the railing
to run past me but I was in the way so I waited for him to jump down on the
surface of the boardwalk and then hop back up on the railing further down.
Instead, after eyeing me for a few seconds, he came running right past me -
practically running right over my fingers on the railing. I could have
easily reached out and grabbed the little nut but instead I laughed and said
"Hi" to him as he ran past and continued on his way down the railing.
I walked down the shoreline toward where the pontoon tour boats were moored
and I could see out on an old dilapidated dock near there another Great Blue
in the company of a Limpkin. The Limpkin flew off and later I found him searching
the shoreline next to the boats. It was far too dark to shoot still photos
but I managed to get some halfway decent videos of him eating a snail that
he found along the shore. Setting out on the St. Johns River
I walked back up to the boardwalk and added to the sound of the Manatees
exhaling was the call of a Red Shouldered Hawk, an Owl and what sounded an
awful lot like a Turkey who was joining in the cacophony. I walked a little
ways up the boardwalk and watched as a group of seven Manatees floated past
me toward the river. Suddenly, there was a commotion in the trees above me
and a large bird fluttered noisily to the ground. I expected to see one of
the dozens of Vultures that I had seen perching along the river to land on the
grass but, instead, a wild Turkey stood there proudly. A few seconds
later another one crashed to the ground and within minutes there were about
a dozen chasing each other around the picnic area.
I returned to the cabin and after waking Hope up and eating some breakfast
we got ready to head out. The night before and that morning I had studied
the satellite photos, USGS maps and the park information in planning out our
route. Across the St. Johns River from Blue Springs is a sister park called
Hontoon Island State Park that is accessible only by boat. There is a boat
camping dock on the north end of the park directly across from a densely
developed waterfront community and that was where the main park
facilities were. According to the park info, there were a couple of landings
on the south end of the island with trails that led to the north side that
were accessible from a small stream called "Snake Creek". Snake
Creek fed into the
St. Johns just south of Blue Springs so we decided to see if we could find
our way into the creek and travel up to the landings on Hontoon. Entering the Smith Canal
The canoe/kayak launch at Blue Springs is located at the mouth of the spring run but is a
good 100 yards from the parking lot so we had to make several trips to get
our stuff loaded up at the beach. We set out on an absolutely glorious fall
day with not a cloud in the sky and temperatures already approaching 70. The
current on the river was lazy as it flowed past the spring and we had an
easy paddle south. We pulled over at the mouth of a place called "The
Lagoon" so that Hope could apply sunscreen. We pulled under the shade of
some Cypress trees full of Vultures and as we sat there a huge bulbous shape
rolled to the surface of the water pushing the lily pads out of the way. The
Manatee quickly submerged and we never saw him again. After we set out
again, we
watched a Bald Eagle fly up the river and disappear around the bend.
We reached the mouth of the creek that I thought I was either Snake Creek or
else something called Snake Creek Cutoff where the St. Johns cut around an
island. I was sure that the entrance to the creek would be obvious so we
started down the stream. I saw the entrance to a creek to our left but is
seemed too small so we passed it and headed on. Not far from there was a
large entrance to a creek and we were sure we had found the right spot and
started down it. We were stopped a few yards downstream by a mass of
vegetation but I could see clear water beyond it and we were able to slog
our way past it without a problem and were soon traveling down a straight
channel that was clogged with fallen trees but none that blocked our way. Limpkin on Hontoon Dead River
As we passed under the boughs of the trees Hope asked me why I thought they
called this Snake Creek. I assured her that it was probably because it
"snaked" its way through the swamp and had nothing to do with Cotton Mouths
lying in wait on branches waiting to drop in people's canoes. I told her
that since I was leading the way I would make sure that the trees were snake
free but I didn't tell her that it was usually the second boat that passed
under that usually got the snake's attention. I spotted a Deer bounding into the
underbrush who had evidently been standing at the water's edge and a minute
or two later a large Gator slid into the water and disappeared ahead of us.
After about 30 minutes of slow paddling the stream opened up into a wide
channel the seemed to go north and south and thinking that this had to be
the real Snake Creek we turned right and began paddling toward what we hoped
was Hontoon Island. We saw plenty of bird life - Great Blues, Little Blues,
Ibis and Anhingas as we paddled up the slack current. I spotted a brown
shape in a tree and paddled over to get some good shots of a Limpkin
grooming itself in a tree overhanging the water. Gator on Snake Creek
We reached a fork in the stream where the channel branched off to the east
and west. I honestly had no idea where we were since I couldn't remember
seeing this on the photos or maps. For some reason I chose the branch that
headed to the east because I thought that I could see what looked like a
landing a little ways from where we were. We headed that way, passing by a
Gator sunning himself on a log who flipped himself into the water when I got
too close.
The stream passed under some huge oak trees and I remembered that one of the
landings on Hontoon was called "Oak Tree Landing". It looked as though there
was a place to get out but there was no obvious trail and certainly no signs
indicating that this was our destination so we continued on. The stream
began to narrow and it passed through an very swampy area on both sides. It
also began to go in a definite southerly direction which seemed wrong to me.
Hope and I had stopped to discuss whether or not we were on the right path
when I looked up to see a Red Shouldered Hawk perching on a branch about 10
feet above the water. Red Shouldered Hawk
I paddled over as the Hawk pretty much ignored me and looked intently down at the
surface of the water. I sat there for a few minutes shooting him and he
never seemed to be too bothered my presence. Occasionally, he would twist
his head around to get a better look at me but then would turn his attention
to the water next to my boat. He finally flushed as I pushed off and I
paddled to catch up with Hope downstream. The steam continued its slow
meander southward and slightly eastward and continued to get narrower and
swampier. I pulled over to take a break and wait for Hope and heard a
commotion in the trees behind me. Another beautiful Red Shouldered Hawk flew
out a few feet from my face and disappeared into a tree downstream. Barred Owl on Snake Creek
After some more discussion we decided to press on. I knew that we were going
the wrong direction but the current had been steadily against us the whole
way and was increasing as we went along so I knew that it had to connect to
some source of flow - I just didn't know what or where. The stream took a
turn to the north as the flow increased even more and the channel got
narrower. Suddenly, we heard the sound of an Owl coming from very close to
us - a racous "Who, Who, Who, Whoooahhh!" that was soon answered by another
from deep in the swamp. Hope was behind me and I saw her look up into the
trees toward the direction of the call. Soon, she indicated that she had spotted
him and I paddled over to see a Barred Owl sitting on a branch 10 feet above
the water and about 10 feet from where we were sitting. He let loose with
another call which was answered in kind by the second Owl and then proceeded
to sleepily groom himself while watching us. Snowy Egret on the Snake Creek
Cutoff
I sat there for a few minutes and the Owl never acted like he was prepared
to give up his perch even when I had to change batteries. I finally turned
to catch up with Hope who had paddled on and was promptly greeted by a Gator
who launched himself into the water as I passed. We came to a thick barrier
of vegetation and Hope was unable to get through it so I took the lead and
soon we were both in the clear. The stream continued to narrow and I would
have questioned whether or not we should turn back except that the flow kept
steadily increasing. Suddenly we found ourselves in the open and in a stream
that curved to the north and to the south.
At this point, I was totally confused. I could see the radio towers that we
had seen near the park and had occasionally used as landmarks throughout the
day and now they seemed quite close. Where we sat we couldn't really tell
which way the current was flowing since it had entered a large pool and had
slackened. For some reason I chose to head north and soon the stream bent
around to the east. Ahead I could see a large free flowing stream that was
flowing north and I knew that somehow we had found our way back to the St.
Johns River - the only question was where? Were we north of the park or
south? We paddled out to the river and saw channel markers and Manatee zone
signs that looked an awful lot like the ones we had passed as we entered what we
thought was Snake Creek.
Gator at the entrance to Blue
Springs
A young man in a jon boat appeared from the direction we had just come and I
told Hope that, against my better judgment , I would flag him down and
ask directions. This violates one of the primary rules of manhood since you
are never lost until you ask for directions but I did it anyway. He kind of
chuckled when I asked him and then said that he was wondering the same
thing. He told me that Blue Springs State Park was definitely to the north
and he showed me on his GPS what he thought we had done. A few hours later
when we got back to the cabin I put it all together and realized our
mistake.
As it turns out the stream we had first entered and where we found ourselves
now was called "Snake Creek Cutoff" and was really just a place where the
St. Johns flowed around an island. The small stream we had been traveling
for the last couple of hours was indeed Snake Creek and apparently we had
missed it on our way down - easy to do since it really doesn't look like a
stream that goes anywhere. What we had done was found one of the many
drainage canals that had been cut through the swamp south of Hontoon Island
and it led to the Hontoon Dead River. That stream dead-ends just south of where
we entered it and when we took it north we were heading toward Hontoon
Island and the beginning of Snake Creek. Had we taken the branch to the west
we would have gone around Hontoon Island and eventually found ourselves back in the
river about 3 miles north of the park. When we went to the east we were
actually exactly where we had planned to be - just at the opposite end of
where we thought. The landing with the big oaks had to be Oak Tree Landing
and from that point on we were traveling on Snake Creek - but in the
opposite direction that we had planned.
SEE? I TOLD YOU I WASN'T LOST!!!!!
Great Blue doing their "dirty old
man" thing
Anyway - we both needed a bathroom break so we headed back to the put-in and
after taking care of business we decided to paddle a little north so that we
could eat our lunch and drink our Stout outside of park property. While
waiting, for Hope, I watched an Osprey perching above the entrance to the
spring suddenly dive down on one of the Great Blue Herons who were
perching in the barrier to the run. He didn't hit the Heron but came so
close that it caused the bird to scream in alarm so loudly that Hope thought
it was a child crying.
We found a spot upstream and had a nice lunch while watching all of the
rental pontoon boats that are hired up near Hontoon Island flow by and then headed
back to the cabin to try and figure out where in the hell we had been all
day. Maybe Santa will bring me a GPS one day but still - it was fun getting
lost and finding our way back. All in all - I have stayed pretty lost most of my
life anyway so it's not that big a deal.
See the pictures from this trip
11/14/07
Manatees cavorting on the St. Johns
River after feeding
About 5:30 this morning I heard Hopey get up and so a few minutes later when
I went to check on her I found her wide awake, reading on the sofa. As great
as the Florida State Park cabins are the beds are very uncomfortable and
neither of us has been sleeping very well. We sat around together waiting
for it to get a little lighter outside and then I put our coffee in a
thermos and invited Hope out for a rare morning walk with the old man. Manatees nuzzling at dawn
As soon as we walked outside I saw the fog and almost wished that I was
heading out for an early morning paddle but I figured I still had time to do
that while we were here and, if not - then on a return trip. Hope is not an early
riser so she rarely gets to see and hear the things that I do when I go on
my morning hikes or paddles. Today, I got to treat her to the sights and
sounds of Blue Springs waking up and as soon as we got to the water's edge
we could see and hear the manatees huffing and splashing about. On the
opposite side of the spring run there seemed to be several of them gathered
and one of them was really making a racket - splashing about and
occasionally rocking the oak tree that hung over the water. We walked down
to the mouth of the spring and watched a pair of them do a underwater ballet
where they nuzzled each other nose to nose. One appeared to be much larger
so we wondered if it was a mother and child.
It was really touching to see how affectionate they are with each other
but we know so little about Manatee behavior that for all we knew this was
an overt act of anger, but we kind of lean toward the former. We walked up
close to the spring head where we saw the one we have named "Radio Girl"
because of the transmitter attached to her tail. She was spinning in the
water constantly and we wondered if she was trying in vain to get the damn
thing off. After spending an hour watching the Manatees we walked back to
the cabin, passing the flock of Turkeys who were out for their morning walk
in the picnic area. Anhinga on the Lagoon near Blue
Springs
I made a big breakfast and since Hope had some "church lady" stuff to do on
her laptop I decided to go out for a quick paddle to "The Lagoon" - a big cove
directly south of the park on the east bank of the river. As I was carrying
my stuff down to the water I noticed a couple of kayakers that we had seen
heading out as we were coming back the day before. The husband asked if I
was from this area and when I told him no, he asked if we had made to Snake
Creek yet. I laughed and proceeded to tell him of our misadventure the day
before and he and his wife seemed enjoy my account. I tried to explain to
him how to find the entrance to the creek now that I knew where to look for
it and he said that they would try and find it or at least "go with the
flow".
I set out for the lagoon, shooting a young Gator on the old dock that looked
like the same one we passed the day before. I entered the pool and began
skirting the shoreline in a clockwise direction. The shoreline is quite
swampy the whole circumference and there wasn't much to see. There was an
small island that consisted of lone tree overgrown with vines that an
Anhinga was perching on so I paddled around it until it flushed. On the far
end of the lagoon was a swamp consisting mostly of Red Maples - a type of
tree that flourishes in the swamp and wetlands. This is also one of the few
trees in Florida that changes colors in the fall and we had seen many the
day before with red and yellow leaves. There were a few Anhingas perching in
the branches and I also heard the "chirp, chirp" of baby Gators coming from
deep inside the flooded woodlands. As I reached the half way point of my
circumnavigation I saw a Bald Eagle soaring above the river in the same
location as the day before. Little Gator on the St. Johns River
I made my way around until I reached the bank that separates the lagoon from
the St. Johns which is made up mostly of cypress. I passed a couple of
Gators sunning themselves along with several turtles. In the cypress
branches above were several Vultures who had yet to join their friends in
the skies. As I entered the river, I could see the couple I had talked
to earlier on the western shore sitting with their boats pointed at the
shore and they were obviously watching something either in the water or on
the shore. I kept to the east side, shooting a Little Blue and some Ibis but
when I got across from the couple they asked if I had seen any Manatees yet.
When I told them no, they pointed toward the shore and said "well there's
about a dozen of them right here!" Vacuuming the lettuce
I paddled over and, sure enough, I could see the enormous blue grey shapes rolling
in the vegetation which consisted of lily pads and a plant called "water
lettuce". Apparently it was the "lettuce" that they were after and, as I
watched, you could see their gnarly snouts rise up and begin devouring the
plant. They were literally "vacuuming" the water of the lettuce and it would
disappear in front of them as their whiskered mouths chomped down on it,
occasionally accompanied by a huge exhale. Occasionally, a pair of them
would exit the bed of vegetation and come out to the river where they would
frolic - spin in the water and rise up and nuzzle each other nose to nose
before re-entering the feeding frenzy. I could watch as the lily pads would
disappear under the water as they swam past and them pop back up as they
left.
As we sat there watching in awe these gentle creatures, we chatted with each
other about kayaking and I could sense that they were somewhat kindred
spirits with Hope and I. They had only had their kayaks a few weeks and were
already hooked. When I related some of my experiences including our bad
experiences with power boating the husband told me he was a bass fisherman
all his life and still had a bass boat but he didn't think he would ever get
back in a real boat again. It was obvious that he and his wife were into
kayaking for the sheer relaxation of it and into watching and enjoying
nature from the water.
Large Gator on the St. Johns River
They decided to head on to try and find Snake Creek and after taking some
more shots and videos I reluctantly did the same although I could have
stayed there for hours. I decided to head to the cutoff again and travel
down it to where it re-entered the river. I also wanted to see the entrance
to Snake Creek again just so that I could get it in my head where it was. I entered the
cutoff and rounded the bend and immediately saw the creek entrance. It was
so obvious that I'm not sure how I missed it but that's the way it goes and
all in all - that was one wrong turn that turned out well. I continued on
down the cutoff and saw the entrance to the canal that we had taken. Just
past that, the stream rounded a bend and then headed due east to the river.
There was a houseboat anchored at the bend and I could see a woman on the
front porch watching something on the shore with binoculars. As I rounded
the bend, I spotted the familiar boils associated with Manatees and soon a
head, followed by a bulbous body, followed by a round tail surfaced and then
disappeared. The woman's husband excitedly began pointing out in the water
and then yelled at me in a foreign accent - "I think that was a Manatee!" I
told him it sure was and headed on toward the river.
Once back in the river I had an easy paddle with the current as I cris-crossed
back and forth from either side of the river. I saw one more Manatee but
didn't get any shots and after passing a few Gators and Anhingas I
re-entered the spring run.
See the pictures from this trip
11/15/07 Trip 1
Lesser Scaup on the Lagoon at dawn
After my trip to the Lagoon the day before, I decided to head out there and
catch the sunrise across the water. As usual, I was up well before dawn and
it didn't take me long to get myself motivated and since I had loaded
everything up the night before I was at the put-in just after 6:30. Manatees frolicking in the river
A Red Shouldered Hawk was perched in a dead tree just above the boardwalk
but he hardly looked at me as I carried my boat down the steps. One of the Great
Blue Herons who hangs out at the spring entrance were there, as usual, so I shot
him against the mist rising off the river and then headed. There were six or seven Manatees at the entrance to the spring just on the
other side of the barrier so I stopped to shoot some photos and videos of
them. They were frolicking in the water - splashing, exhaling and nuzzling
each other above the surface of the water. While I was shooting a video I
began to drift in on top of them and suddenly my kayak was lifted out of the
water as a dark, gray, round shape rose from the water. I gently stuck my
paddle in the water and pushed away from them and sat there a few more
minutes shooting them as they played.
I headed toward the entrance to the Lagoon but I spotted the same Limpkin I
had seen the day before feeding in the grass just past where the tour boats
are moored. I pulled over and since it was so dark I shot a couple of videos
of him as he searched the water for snails. While shooting, I kept hearing a
racket coming from the direction of one of the pontoon boats and I looked
over to see several Vultures on the metal roof of the boat. One of the
vultures was chasing the others around and their claws were making an awful
scratching noise as they ran about. Limpkin hunting for snails at the
park
I had spent so much time hanging out with the Manatees and the Limpkin that
I almost missed the the sunrise over the Lagoon but I cleared the point and
floated out into middle of the pool just as the sun broke over the tops of
the Red Maples on the eastern shoreline. There was a lone duck swimming out
in the middle of the lake and I followed it for a while, later identifying
it as a female Lesser Scaup. A trio of birds flew across the sky that I am
pretty sure were Sand Hill Cranes and I later heard them call, confirming
their identity. I cruised around the shoreline, shooting
pictures of the mist rising off the water and the sun shining through the
maples and then headed back out to the river. I paused to shoot some stills
of the Limpkin now that there was more light and took some pictures of the
vultures who I now noticed were perching on the pontoon boat named the
"Eagle". I shot a trio of them as they sat above the name and they looked
like they were trying to convince themselves that they really were Eagles
and not vultures. Turkeys surrounding my truck at the
park
I beached my boat at the landing and decided to lock it up and leave it
since Hope and I planned to go out later in the morning. When I walked up
the steps to the parking lot I saw that the flock of Turkeys were grazing
around my truck. I stood there shooting them for a few seconds until they
spotted me and came running over. They stopped a few feet away and
continued to graze and occasionally one of them would open its tail up to
display. Almost all of them had long "beards" which meant that they were
males. A park ranger pulled up and after I decided to head to my truck he
told me it looked as though was trying to guard the canoes from the Turkeys.
I told him that they all came running over to me when they spotted me so I
guessed they thought I was one of them. He told me that he had never seen so
many males together in one place.
I headed back to the cabin and cooked Hopey breakfast and packed up a lunch
to take with us and we got going a couple of hours later.
See the pictures from this trip
11/15/07 Trip 2
Bald Eagle on the St. Johns River
We hit the water at 9:30 and were soon floating with the current on the St.
Johns River as we headed north toward Hontoon Island State Park. Our plan
was to go up there and check it out, eat our lunch and then return by the
same route. We paddled up to Starks Cutoff, a place where the river goes
around an island opposite the boat ramp at a place called Starks Landing. Our first Bald Eagle on the day
We were passing by a bed a lily pads and water lettuce watching what we
thought were Moorhens and Coots. Hope noticed that some of the birds had purple necks
and greenish brown bodies
and we later identified them as Purple Gallinules - a bird that neither of
us had seen before. Hope also spotted a Bald Eagle perching in a Cypress and
so we let the current carry us under the branch he was perching on. Once he
flushed, I looked over and saw that there was a Red Shouldered Hawk perching on
a tree beneath where the Eagle was so I shot a few pics of him before we
headed on. A few minutes later, we spotted another Eagle perching in an
enormous cypress and I got a few shots of him before he flew off.
We started to see some Gators along the western bank sunning themselves. At
one point, I pointed over to a large, dark object partly obscured by the grass
and asked Hope if she thought it was a log or a Gator. She said that she was pretty sure
that it was a log but I checked with my binoculars anyway and told her that
not only was it a Gator but that it had to be one of the biggest Gators that
I had ever seen. A good eight feet of him was exposed but his head and most
of this tail were hidden by the grass. As we watched, he began to move -
very, very slowly - into the water. He turned his enormous head towards us
and slowly began to slide into the water. It took several seconds for him to
finally drag his tail out of the grass and he disappeared under the dark
water. We quietly paddled downstream, hoping that he didn't mind too much
that we had disturbed his slumber. Purple Gallinule
We started to see a little more boat traffic coming from the north where the
state park lies and where there is a large waterfront community with a
marina where people can rent power boats. Soon, we came to a place where the
river opened up to our right into a large lake called Lake Beresford, which
the town of Deland borders on. The river cut sharply to the west, away from
the lake and we soon saw the sign for the state park. The park is power boat
friendly with a boat camping marina but very paddler unfriendly. The area
around the picnic tables and offices is lined with a concrete bulwark and
the water next to it was at least a couple of feet deep. We paddled around
to the marina where we saw some canoes and kayaks stacked up and I spotted a
low bench for exiting our boats. Unfortunately, the water between it and the
river was about 50 yards of solid water lettuce and impossible to get
through. I finally found a spot near the tables where the bulwark sloped
steeply out into the water and we were able to get out and drag our boats
up. An old park ranger started to hassle us about it but when I explained that
getting out at the marina was not an option he backed off.
We started to explore around a bit and I spotted the new friends that I had
made the day before. We introduced ourselves (Gerald and Jackie) and spent
several minutes chatting about our adventures on the water. They had come
over on the ferry and hiked around the island and they told me that on the day before, when I met
them, they had had a good day and no problems finding Snake Creek.
Hontoon Island State Park
We parted company and Hope and I hiked down to the place where they had
rustic cabins and checked them out. The cabins are small, with bunk beds and
electricity but no running water. There is a bath house in the center of
them and it looked like an interesting place to stay. We hiked back to the
picnic area and ate our lunch and talked about the route back we wanted to
take. I had assumed that Hope would want to go back the way we came since
that was the shortest trip but the wind had really kicked up since we had
been on the water and we knew that the river would be rough and that we would be
going against the current. According to the maps we saw at the park and my
research on the computer, it was only an additional three miles if we
continued west a little ways where we could enter the Dead River and take that
down to the north end of Snake Creek where we had been two days earlier. We figured that
the Dead River would be a little more sheltered from the wind and there would be
little current to fight and once in Snake Creek we would be out of the wind
for the rest of the trip. Gator on the Dead River
Hope decided that she wanted keep going, so after making her promise to not
be mad at me four hours later when she was dog tired, we set off. The St.
Johns took a sharp turn to the north just west of the park and we turned to
the south into the Hontoon Dead River. We started to see more Gators out in the
sun and on the day we probably saw in excess of two dozen. The stiff breeze
we were feeling was the beginning of a cold front that was blowing in and we
wondered if the Gators sensed this and were taking advantage of the
opportunity to digest some food before it got too cold to do so. We wound
our way south as the breeze kept changing both in intensity and direction.
The current was negligible and the wind was not bad for most of the trip so
we made good progress. Snake Creek Landing
After about an hour after leaving the park we spotted a landing and realized
that we had come to what the park map called the "River to River" trail. We
got out and stretched our legs before heading on south. After about another
hour the river bent sharply to the east and we saw the entrance to Snake
Creek waiting for us. According to the maps, the two landings that we had
looked for on our last trip here, were located within the first mile of the
creek. We found a couple of places that had be the landings but once again
there was no clear trail leading away and the only sign at each one was a FDEP
"No Trespassing" sign pointed toward the water. We surmised that this was
to keep boaters from entering the park from this direction since they looked
like some great places to camp.
From there, we had an easy, if long, trip. It makes your trip a lot easier when
you know where you are and where you are going and approximately how long it
was going to be to the end. We passed many more Gators - some of whom were
deep in the flooded woodlands and would start thrashing about as we passed.
We didn't see a lot of birdlife on the rest of the day save several trees
that were packed with Ibis. Finally, we reached the barrier of water lettuce
and easily broke through to open water where we floated with the current
back to the park.
We were both exhausted and glad to give our asses a rest but we were happy
and satisfied that we had done the circumnavigation of Hontoon Island - 10
miles!
See the pictures from this trip
.11/16/07
So ugly they're beautiful - Manatees
at Blue Springs State Park
The promised cold front came through and I woke up to temperatures a good 15
degrees colder than the day before. After it started to get light, I decided
to take another hike down to the water to see what the Manatees were up to.
When I first arrived, I didn't see any activity and even the Great Blue
Herons who had been perched at the entrance to the spring were missing. I
was beginning to think that everyone was snuggling up somewhere and perhaps
I would be better off doing the same when I started to see some activity in
the water. Newborn Manatee and Mother
I walked up to the first deck over the water and began shooting videos in
the dim light. I spotted a tiny, light colored Manatee in the water that was
less than half the size of the smallest ones that we had seen so far. I watched as it
swam along with several others of varying sizes and let one of the smaller
ones push it around while it appeared to groom it. At one point a black fish
attached itself to it's back and the little one twisted and spun in the water as
it tried to jar the fish loose. I watched as a huge mass of Manatees swam
beneath me as they seemed to do a Manatee group hug.
Reluctantly, I left them and walked up toward the spring head. I saw Gerald
and Jackie walk down to the floating dock ahead of me and I decided to not
say "Hi", thinking that they would think I was stalking them after crossing
paths with them three days in a row. I walked up toward the spring and then
cut across back to the cabin and we started packing up to leave. We got
everything loaded up with a lot of time to spare and decided to head down to
say goodbye to the Manatees one last time before checking out. Baby Manatee "Momma surfing"
There was quite a group of people gathering there in the parking lot so we headed to
the overlook where I had seen the baby. As we watched, we could see him
floating down the run where he was greeted by his exuberant family who
nuzzled, groomed and pushed him around the water. Occasionally, he would
hitch a ride on the back of one of what looked like it must have been his
mother and ride for a few feet
just above the surface of the water. We watched as the Manatees did their
group hug thing again - reaching out with their flippers and putting it around
the necks of their neighbors.
While we watched, a group of people with Wildlife Department Logos on their
fleece stood there and one of the men seemed to be a Manatee expert who was
explaining to the others what they were seeing. When he saw the baby, he said
that it was a late spring arrival, at least, and very possibly an early fall
birth. We listened with fascination at several of the other facts he gave
out and found it very hard to pull ourselves away and check out but,
finally, we did.
Not before I had filled up an entire photo card with stills, however.
Unlike our trip down, our trip back was more or less uneventful. We headed
south on US-17 and passed through Orange City, Debary and Sanford crossing the St.
Johns River as we entered and left Sanford. From there we headed north on
415 into Daytona where we caught I-95 home. A great week!
See the pictures from this trip
11/21/07
Sand Hill Cranes on the Okefenokee
Swamp
I headed to the Okefenokee Swamp on this beautiful fall morning with clear skies
and highs that were supposed to reach the upper 70's. I was slow to get
going but finally was on the road at 7 am and headed north on a foggy day.
I was amazed at the fall colors as I drove west on route 40 - the red maples
that we had seen down south a week earlier were an even darker shade of red here in
Georgia and the cypress, which had just began to turn near Blue Springs, were
a dark, rust red. The fog accompanied me the entire route through Folkston
and even south on 121 giving me hope that I would finally see some fog as I
set out on the Suwannee Canal. As soon as I turned onto the park road,
however, I knew that I wouldn't be so lucky as a clear blue sky and bright
sun greeted me. Red cypress on the Suwannee Canal
I used my newly purchased annual pass to check in at the office and noticed
that I was the first one on the water - something I figured would change on
this glorious day before Thanksgiving. As I headed out the canal, I
immediately noticed that what the Okefenokee Home Page had said was true -
the water levels were up higher than they have been in months - the highest
by far that I had ever seen it. Although it was a warm, sunny day in which I
expected to see many Gators out on the banks sunning themselves I now
wondered if I would see any at all since the banks along the canal were
covered with water.
The cypress trees were in full, fall glory and the bright morning sun made
their needles glow a bright red. There were other trees changing colors as
well including what looked like wax myrtles. Added to this scene was the
lush green of the pine trees and lily pads and a bright yellow daisy like
flower that was blooming everywhere. I spent the first 20 years of my time
living in Florida believing that the leaves didn't change colors in the fall
only to find out in the last two that they do - if you know where to look. Heavy Dew
As I headed down the canal, I would occasionally hear the distant call of
the Sand Hill Cranes so I knew they were somewhere in the swamp. The last
few times I had been here, however, I had only heard and not seen them so I
wasn't sure if it would be different this time. I came to the Cedar Hammock
path and, since the web site had mentioned that "path cutting" machine that
clears the thick vegetation from the water had started taking advantage of
the high water levels, I turned down it to see how far I could make it.
About 100 yards in I could tell that the machine had not been to this area
yet and I turned back and re-entered the canal.
I reached the canal split and then the path to Grand Prairie where I turned
to to the south. As soon as I turned down the path I spotted a pair of Sand
Hill Cranes to my right but they were too far away for good photos so I
continued on. I began to hear their calls in the vicinity so I knew they
were quite close. When I reached the intersection where I normally turn
right, I could tell that the southern path that is normally too overgrown to
paddle in had been at least partially cleared by the path cutter so I
paddled down it.
The path headed south a ways and then veered off to the the west. I could
clearly see evidence of the path cutter as chopped up lily pads lay floating
in the water and masses of vegetation and mud were pushed over to the side.
It was still a little difficult to paddle in but I assume that, in time, the
vegetation will decompose and sink to the bottom. There wasn't much in the
way of wildlife but the calls of the Sand Hills were fairly frequent.
Phoebe on the sign to the prairies
Finally, since I hadn't brought any maps and didn't know exactly where this path was
leading, I turned around to head back to more familiar waters. As soon as I
did, I began to hear a low growl coming from the grass nearby. Although I
couldn't see him, I knew that there was an Alligator not too far away from
where I was. Soon, he was answered by another growl and as I paddled back
toward the intersection the swamp was filled with the sound of at least a
dozen or more Gators bellowing in response. It didn't sound threatening, but
the sound of several unseen Gators all around me letting me know they were
there was a bit unnerving. Added to this cacophony were the Sand Hill's
raucous calls and soon they drown out the Gator's calls. Sleepy Gator
When I reached the intersection, I turned to the west and paddled toward the
next intersection that would take me back to the canal. I began to see the
Cranes out in the flats but, again, they were too far away to shoot. They
began trumpeting and flying in circles around me, occasionally landing near
the islands of cypress that dot the area. I was paddling next to a small
stand of trees that lined the waterway and I could hear what sounded like
dozens of the big, gray birds calling from just a few yards away. I don't
know if they sensed my presence or not, but two by two they began to trumpet
and fly away. As I got past the stand of trees, I could see a pair of them
were still left so I tried to shoot them as they walked through the grass.
When I reached the intersection where I normally head back to the canal, I
noticed that the high water levels had opened up a path to the south that I
had never noticed before. I paddled down it a short distance until I was
sure that it was the other end of the path I had been on earlier. I turned
back around and as I reached the intersection again, I realized that I had
passed right by a large gator who was sound asleep on the grass. I paused to
shoot him as he opened a heavy eyelid, looked at me and then went back to
sleep. Red Shouldered Hawk on top of a red
cypress
I paddled north on the path toward the canal and about halfway up it I
looked to my right and spotted a pair of Cranes sitting just a few yards
away grooming themselves - likely the same pair I had just seen walking this
way. Using the grass, I pulled myself carefully through the flooded flats as
they were concentrated on their intense grooming and not me. As I worked my
way slowly toward them, I noticed a young Red Shouldered Hawk fly up into a
cypress above them. He shifted his perch a couple of times as he stared into
the water and then came swooping down into a clump of grass about 10 feet
from the Cranes who ignored him. After a few seconds, he flew up again,
empty handed, and perched at the top of a cypress to my right and I
turned my attention back to the Cranes.
I finally worked my way out into the open and was about 20 yards away from
the big gray birds when they either finished with their housekeeping or else
finally became aware of me and began walking away. A few seconds later they
stared at me a few seconds, trumpeted and flew away and I paddled back to
the channel. I had noticed that the Red Shouldered Hawk had returned to a
dead tree downstream of where I was so I paddled close to him as he sat in
the breeze that was starting to pick up. Green Heron
I passed another sleeping Gator who never moved and only briefly bothered to
open an eye. I reached the Suwannee Canal and followed it as it turned north
toward the cutoff back to the put-in. I passed a pair of people in a canoe
who were watching another Gator in the grass so I didn't stop to take photos
and continued on. I spotted a Green Heron under a bough over the water who
was perching on the branches and diving into the water and then hopping back
up. He continued doing this for a while and I waited to see if he would do
what Green Herons often do - drop sticks into the water to attract fish but
he never did and he soon worked his way deep into the flooded woods. Female Merganser
I reached the intersection with the cutoff and turned to the east back to
the put-in. Not far down the channel a small duck came flying toward me low
over the water and skidded to a landing a few yards ahead of me. I had heard
Wood Ducks earlier in the day, but hadn't seen any but as I looked with my
binoculars I could see what looked like a female Hooded Merganser. The
little duck quickly turned around and began swimming ahead of me but unlike
most Mergansers, she didn't flush. I was able to paddle up to within 10 yards
of her before she would fly off and then a few minutes later I would catch up
to her. Each time, she would swim ahead of me turning her head from side to
side to watch me and she began to quack quietly as she did. Her reddish
crest glowed in the afternoon sun making her look like a punk rock girl with
a crimson mowhawk.
This continued for the next two miles until she finally stopped when another
kayaker came from the opposite direction. She stopped and started to come
toward me and then finally flushed for good and I never saw here again. I was nearly
back to the put-in by this time so I packed up and headed home.
See the pictures from this trip
11/23/07
Sand Hill Cranes on Grand Prairie in
the Okefenokee Swamp
I had such a great time in the swamp the day before Thanksgiving, I decided
to head back there to burn off the excess calories I had accumulated. I
thought hard about going to Billy's Lake but when I realized that it would
be a 250 mile round trip I opted to go back to the Suwannee Canal at the
Folkston entrance. Pine Warbler on the Suwannee Canal
It was overcast and breezy as I set out but by the time I reached Folkston
the clouds had passed on to the east and it was turning into a another day
of bright blue skies only this time the temperatures were going to be about
20 degrees cooler. As I checked into the office, I talked with the Gal
behind the counter about which trails had been cleared so far. She told me
that one of their boats had reached Monkey Lake where there was a day use
picnic shelter and she thought that since I was getting on the water early
enough that there should be plenty of time for me to make it that far and
back. Since I had been looking at going in that direction anyway I decided
to make a run at it and at least see how far I could get.
I knew that I wasn't the first one on the water on this morning but I
figured that I was
probably going to be one of the few since most people spend this day trying
to help the the U.S. economy. Bad American that I am, I headed west on the
canal and made my way for the path down to Grand Prairie. I didn't stop to
shoot much of the foliage on this day but I noticed that the cold front and
breeze had started knocking a lot of the cypress needles off and the water
was full of them. I saw very little wildlife on the way down but a cute
little bird caught my attention and posed for me that I believe was a Pine
Warbler. Red Shouldered Hawk
I turned into the Grand Prairie area and as I turned to the west at the next
intersection I saw a pair of Cranes off to the left but they were too far
away. I had heard the Cranes calling as I paddled down the canal but not
as frequently as on Wednesday. Once in the path the led to the next
intersection I spotted a Red Shouldered Hawk perching in a dead tree near
the edge of the water who looked a lot like the youngster I had seen the
previous day. This must be his territory since I almost always see one here.
I reached the intersection where I normally head back north to the canal and
I veered to the left and began paddling in a SW direction down a narrow path
that had recently been cleared of vegetation. The path quickly entered an
area where the islands of cypress began to close in on either side as the
stream winds it's way through. This area, according to USGS is called "the
Gap O' Grand Prairie". I passed under another Red Shouldered Hawk who appeared
to be an adult and flew off after staring at me for a few minutes. Sleeping Gator
I was surprised to see a couple in a small power boat coming toward me and I
realized that thes |
