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Hoping for excellent fall weather. Trips this month: 10
10/6/04 My 67th trip - a new personal best with three months still to go! Today, I put-in at the Palms Fish Camp for a trip that was just to keep the rust off. My camera is back at the factory getting repaired and my replacement hasn't arrived yet so I decided to explore the many paths that extend eastward from Clapboard toward Cedar Point in the hopes that I would finally find that elusive shortcut between the two. Of course, I knew that I wouldn't since I have tried many times in the past from the Cedar Point side but when you look at the Terraserver photos you see dozens of streams that come tantalizingly close and I've always felt that I might find that one that didn't show up on the maps or photos. As soon as I set out, a pair of hawks flew out from the trees growing on the banks of the dredge spoil behind the fish camp. I couldn't identify them but they might have been Red Tails. They were definitely a pair, however, and they flew around the corner of the spoil pile and then flew off together again when I cleared the point. I saw them a couple of other times during the afternoon and they were always together. As I began to explore, a dark line of clouds moved in off the ocean and I could see squall lines behind it on either end. Although I never heard any thunder or saw any lightning, the darkest part of the front seemed to hang directly over my head forever and it made me a little paranoid as I explored the many dead ends. As soon as the trailing edge of the front passed over my head the wind, which was already a steady 10 knots, picked up to around 20 or so and some light rain started to fall. I was deep in the marsh at this point so the water was not too rough and since I could see patches of blue sky behind the dark gray line above my head, I pressed on. The sky was actually quite beautiful in a menacing sort of way and it made me wish for my camera. There wasn't much in the way of bird life out there but sometimes the best view in the preserve is just the combination of the sky, water and grass which at this time of year seem to compliment each other. I never found that shortcut, but there were a few paths I didn't explore and I have to believe that at the peak of a flood tide you would be able to find one.
10/10/04 I set out from Browns Creek Bridge about an hour before dawn and headed north toward Shrimpers Creek and the bridge that separates Clapboard Creek from Browns Creek. There was no wind and no current and the water was reflecting the black night sky as I made my way through the marsh hoping to find my way in the dark. I reached the bridge just as the sky started to lighten but I hesitated passing under the span since the water level was so high. I finally decided to go under face down rather than face up so that I wouldn't have to see what I was narrowly missing as I floated under. From the bridge I decided to head east and had just entered Clapboard Creek when the sun broke over the horizon so I decided to sip some coffee as I floated along watching the sun break through the clouds. I continued eastward toward Pinders Island and I decided to explore the large cove on the north side of Pelotes Island. I checked out the old Eagles Nest near Pinders Island and I could see that it has fallen into disuse and the recent winds have knocked most of it down. I continued to explore the cove and Magnolia Island that lies in front of it. As I began to exit the cove, I heard the distinct call of a Pileated Woodpecker. I didn't see him but I saw in an oak tree overhanging the water a very sleepy young raccoon grooming himself. As I made my way back to Shrimpers Creek I spied a large nest in a pine tree on the western edge of Pelotes Island and went over to investigate. It was certainly large enough to be an Eagle's nest but it was impossible to tell if had been used recently. The rest of the trip was easy with the tide beginning to head out.
10/12/04 Today was one of those rare days that I didn't have my camera so of course it was also one of those days where the wildlife was abundant and posing like skinny fashion models on a runway. It was just past mid-tide as I put-in at Hannah Mills and I immediately spotted a male Osprey on one of the cast iron pipes that are stuck in the creek bed. Since he didn't see my camera, he stayed put as I passed by him and then sat in a grass bank a few yards away watching him with my binoculars. He barely flinched and only seemed slightly perturbed as I watched him. After a few minutes of this I looked around and saw to my north another male sitting on a small oyster bed where another pipe used to be located. The pipe recently broke off and there was just enough island left for him to stand upon. I paddled upstream of him and let the current carry me toward him. He didn't stay put for long and flew off carrying what was left of a meal he had been working on. He was probably about to leave anyway as his long white legs were barely keeping him dry as the tide rushed in. I took my usual path to the old cedar and just before I came within sight of it saw a pair of Northern Harriers flying around - a sure harbinger of the coming winter. I was amazed when I cleared the grass bank and came in view of the old cedar. The fact that it was full of white herons was not unexpected but at the very top was a falcon-like bird that at first looked a lot like a Peregrine Falcon. The rest of the tree was full of various herons and at the very end was a male Osprey. I let the current carry me toward the group and the Osprey quickly left followed by the white herons. By now I could see that the other bird of prey was too small to be a Peregrine but I could not get a clear ID of him. When he finally took off I could see his distinct falcon-like wing shape - unlike the Harriers I had seen earlier. His tail was also too short to be a Harrier. The closest I could get to an ID later was either a Kestrel or a Merlin but I think he was too big to be the latter. As I floated by the tree a pair of Tri-colors steadfastly remained perched but they had their crests raised in alarm. For good reason apparently because the Falcon began circling the area and then began dive bombing whatever heron he spotted in the grass. Later in the evening when I saw him again he was doing the same thing. I also watched as he encountered a butterfly in mid-air and changed directions to chase him. He must have been full because it was only a momentary distraction from the fun he was having at the herons expense and the butterfly escaped unharmed. I proceeded north and suddenly I heard a loudspeaker behind me. When I turned, I saw a cruise ship departing and so I stopped to observe what many people have claimed would be a ruinous view in the Timucuan Preserve if the new cruise ship terminal was built at Sisters Creek. As I suspected, the ship was barely visible above the tree-line and at one point was hidden completely by the tall pines - the same pines that will now undoubtedly be removed to make way for the new houses that will go there instead. The sight of the ship was a pleasant one for me - but I am a ship lover and it certainly didn't take away from the view when to the left or right I could see worse from the dry-docks at Atlantic Marine and the cranes on Blount Island. I headed on out to the ICW and the banks were lined with herons. On the west bank I spotted a couple of Ruddy Turnstones hanging out with the Dowitchers and they all flew off in a panic as I floated by. I crossed over to "Bottle Island" and saw that the trees above the water contained a Great Blue and an Osprey who both flew off. I got out to check out the bug situation for a potential camping trip this weekend - think I will wait. The south bound trip was a bit strenuous as I was against the strongest current of the tide but it was a beautiful and pleasant evening so it was not bad. The trees were full of herons as usual and since I had no camera they were willing to stay on their perches as I approached. I crossed over to the east bank at the Kingfish Park and, of course, the pair of Oyster Catchers were there as they often are in the evening lately. The rest of the trip was a pleasant float home with a strong current at my back and a gentle breeze cooling me off. And, of course, when I checked my tracking for my camera I saw that it was scheduled for delivery tomorrow. A little late but if I had it - the birds wouldn't have been in a mood to pose.
10/15/04
My new camera - a Fuji S7000 arrived yesterday so I was anxious to try it out but when I got up this morning we were in the process of a change of seasons and the rain, wind and cool weather were upon us at last. I waited out the rain and headed toward Cedar Point road to check out what I was hoping was a newly opened park. Bad information, I guess, because nothing had changed at Pumpkin Hill and I wound up putting in at the usual place outside the park gates. The rain had ended but the sky was gray with low clouds moving swiftly from the west as the front pushed on through and the water was a little choppy as I headed north toward the point. I soon spotted a tree full of Wood Storks on the leeward side of one of the points and I worked my over to them and managed to get a few good shots and played with the various settings on the camera to see what kind of effects I could get. I moved on and soon reached the final turn where the creek opens up near Tiger Point. Even on a calm day this stretch is usually quite breezy and choppy but with the wind kicking up to over 20 knots today it was quite a ride. I made slow progress and got to the point where, as expected, I found it quite empty since it was baring the brunt of the wind. I pulled off, hung my hammock and ate my lunch while enjoying the wonderful view as the sun came out and the sky cleared into a dazzling blue. The ride back was pretty wild especially on the initial stretch but since the wind was mostly at my back it wasn't too bad after I made the first turn. See the pictures from this trip
10/18/04
It's warmed up quite a bit this weekend so we decided that a nice mid-day paddle picnic on the FGR would be great. We put in at Alimacani and caught the incoming current on an absolutely perfect day on the water - not much wind and the water was smooth. We let the current carry us toward the mouth of Simpsons Creek, passing several Ospreys along the way. We finally beached our boats on the western bank of Simpsons and ate lunch, took a swim, read and relaxed in our hammocks. At one point, I got up to explore around a bit and noticed a female Osprey who was hovering over the water at Simpsons. The wind had suddenly picked up considerably since we had landed and the water had become very rough - especially where the two streams met. I watched the Osprey dive into the water with a huge splash and then watched as she stayed in the water for what seemed like forever. I could see her head and occasionally her wings but it seemed as though a wave would crash on top of her just as she was starting to get clear of the water. Finally, she must have let go of her catch and was able to get airborne where she gave that wonderful mid-air shoulder shake that Ospreys do and then she circled directly over my head a few times. She dove again a few minutes later but this time she had no problems getting out of the water. She was once again without a catch however so it was not a very good day for her - at least while I was watching. Finally, we decided it was time to head back and so we headed into a strong breeze and swells that were reaching up to two feet as they rolled in from the ocean. The current was with us, however and that made our progress slow but steady and even Hopey was able to make the trip back without much trouble. As I approached the boat ramp I saw an amazing sight. An Osprey and an immature Bald Eagle were whirling and spinning above the water with the Eagle the obvious aggressor. Suddenly, the Osprey released the small fish he had been carrying and the Eagle changed directions in mid-air, snatched the fish as it tumbled toward the water and flew off in the opposite direction. The Osprey, looking a bit annoyed flew away in disgust - those damn juvenile delinquent Eagles! See the pictures from this trip
10/21/04 It was a very pleasant after work paddle in Cedar Point Creek. The tide had just peaked out as I set out and that combined with a pretty decent breeze meant that the usual birdlife out there was largely absent. I saw the occasional Great Egret and a few Marsh Wrens but that was about it. Kind of disappointing since I wanted to put my new camera through its paces. It was a nice evening to be out, however, and I made my way north to the sea daisy island near the confluence of Hannah Mills and Cedar Point. I sat there for several minutes enjoying the solitude before heading back to my truck with the wind at my back.
10/24/04
After a breezy evening I was surprised when I got to Pumpkin Hill Creek and found sun rising over the glassy water. There was an elderly gentleman with a pair of binoculars where I unloaded my boat and he asked if I had seen the wild pigs on the way in. I hadn't but I told him that I had run across a pair of them last year out in the marsh. He told me that they were very aggressive and had been known to charge the ranger in his golf cart. I ferried my boat down to the water's edge stopping along the way to admire the sunrise over Black Hammock Island. The old guy was waiting for me at the launch point and we talked a bit about the birding in the area. I told him about the Spoonbills I had seen on Tiger Point. He told me before I pushed off that he had been hearing a Red Shouldered Hawk in the area. I had never been to Pumpkin Hill when the water was so glassy and it made for a beautiful scene with the sunrise reflecting on it. I almost hated to break the mirror image as I made my way north. I easily see that the same trees that had been full of Wood Storks last week was full of the same birds once again and as I approached I could also see a Lone Great Blue sitting near the water. He left noisily before I could get very close and his croaks echoed loudly off the water as he flew along the bank. I paused to shoot the Storks and as I floated by I began hearing a loud honking sound and turned to see a loose formation of geese flying toward the ICW. I continued on toward the point and was once again amazed at the calmness of the water. That last stretch before the point is normally always a little choppy even on the stillest days but it too was perfectly smooth. Just before I reached the point I saw the slick black body of an otter rise out of the water. I never did see his head and I never got another look at him so I continued on to the point where I encountered more Storks. After stopping to eat breakfast, I didn't stay around too long because the gnats took advantage of the unusual stillness and began swarming so I set back out into the water. The tide had just started to turn and already the current was pretty strong but the lack of chop made it easy going. Along the way I noticed a large bird of prey circling over the marsh and I'm fairly certain that it was a juvenile Bald Eagle. A few minutes later a small hawk flew by and I watched as he disappeared into the trees overhanging the water. As soon as he disappeared I head the distinct call of the Red Shouldered Hawk but I never could find him amongst the dense foliage. I stopped along the way at one of the small islands near the put-in - the one where I saw the wild pigs last year as a matter of fact and checked it out for potential camping and also got some good shots of a Tri-Color. See the pictures from this trip
10/25-26/04
The quirky part of my schedule has come back around giving me an extra day off in the middle of the week. For some reason it hasn't worked out for me to take advantage of it in times past but this week all worked together to make a solo campout ideal. I couldn't have asked for better weather - clear, light breezes and temps from the low 60's overnight to near 80 in the daytime. Hope and I took the "girls" to the beach on the north bank of Ft. George River and that worked out well since I had planned to put-in at Alimacani. Our walk with Abby and Sister was fun - Sister enjoyed chasing after every bird in sight and was particularly interested in the bite size sandpipers we saw. Abby, who loves dead fish, found one along the path and she was absolutely fascinated by an Osprey who crashed into the water a few feet from us, emerging with a fish of it's own. Abby ran into the water trying to follow it. Finally, we parted company and I packed up my boat and caught the incoming tide toward the ICW. My intention was to paddle to the Intracoastal and then head south to the mouth of Cedar Point Creek. About a quarter mile off the waterway is a wonderful island that I have wanted to camp on for years. It is a well used site and so I knew better than to attempt it on a weekend. I thought that if all worked out well the tides would be right for a "reverse circumnavigation" of Ft. George Island. Shortly after setting out I crossed paths with Ray Hetchka who was in the yacht basin with a group. We chatted for a while before I headed on. I reached the ICW in about an hour going at a leisurely pace. From there I had the wind and current still in my favor as I made my way toward Cedar Point Creek and I reached the island in about 30 minutes. This island is unusual - it rises steeply out of the water a good 15 feet and is more what you would expect from an island on the ICW rather than one of it's tributaries. Most "marsh" islands barely get above the high tide mark until you get much further to the west. It was a steep climb from the water's edge and took some effort to unload the boat but not too difficult and in another hour I had my camp set up to my liking. After calling Hope to check in with her I decided to explore the marsh behind the island. On either end of the island are deep, fast flowing streams that seemed to have some promise. From the back of the island I could see my old friends the White Pelicans in their usual pool and according to Terraserver, both of these streams seemed to come awfully close to actually connecting with the pool. After exploring for an hour I came to the conclusion that they both came close but neither actually did connect - at least not at this tide, which was still coming in. I returned to the island and cooked my supper and then got a good fire going. I basically vegged out the rest of the night, watching the fire, the sunset, the moonrise, the stars and listened to the Clapper Rails and the Night Herons in the marsh. I finally retired to my jungle hammock about 9:30 and had a surprisingly good nights sleep. I was glad to be off the waterway when two giant barges roared up the water, making a huge racket and lighting up the area like it was Christmas. I got up about 5 and proceeded to stoke the fire and made some coffee. As I sat there enjoying the quiet and watching the sky grow lighter, I heard a dolphin exhale a couple of times as he headed west on the incoming tide. I made breakfast and then cleaned up and began packing my things away. I wanted to be on the water by 8 if I was going to make it to the Shad Creek Bridge at slack tide. As soon as I got to the ICW, I noticed that the tide was already unusually high - higher than I had ever seen it in this area. The water was completely over the shell bank and the mudflats behind the islands was covered by at least 8 inches of water instead of the usual one or two. This made paddling back in this area a possibility and I took advantage of it. What I found was a marsh that was full of an amazing variety of bird life who like me were taking advantage of the unusual conditions. Dozens of Wood Storks, Ibis and Roseate Spoonbills joined the normal assortment of Snowy Egrets, Tri-Colors and Dowitchers and I was able to float in quite close to shoot some nice photos. Another unexpected treat was that the flooded marsh now enabled me to access that secluded pool that is home to those majestic creatures - the White Pelicans. I didn't find a direct route but I was able to glide over the grass and soon I was in their domain. They are such docile creatures and I guess when you are the largest bird in the wetlands you don't have much reason to fear. They merely gave me an annoyed look like "damn - who let him in here!" and then slowly moved to the opposite side of the pool. When I glided over in their direction they calmly turned and made their way over to the other side. I stayed there for a while and then decided to change my plans. Instead of making the trip around Ft. George, I would try to find a way out of the pool so that I could return at a later date and then take the quick way home via the FGR. I never did find a direct route in or out - it simply does not exist which is undoubtedly why the Whites have chosen this pool as their hangout. At an extremely high tide, however, I should be able to at least reach the mudflats from the west and then walk my boat over to the pool. Once in the pool their are lots of nooks and crannies and outcroppings of sea daisies so that one could sit and observe the Pelicans without disturbing them. Using the same stream I had explored the night before I made my way back to backside of the Cedar Point Island which was now covered by the Wood Storks I had rousted from the mudflats. I headed back to the ICW, exploring a couple of islands along the way. At one point I heard a lone, weak "honk" coming from somewhere. Once I reached the waterway, I found a single white Goose sitting on the bank. He must have been from the group I had seen and heard on Sunday when I was in Pumpkin Hill. Was he sick or lost - I don't know but he was certainly alone and he flew off honking noisily when I approached. I had stopped to watch an Osprey in a pine tree when a Northern Harrier swooped in a few feet above my head. I had just run out of memory on my camera and so I missed what would have been the best shot of this elusive bird. The rest of the trip was easy and pleasant. Once I reached the FGR the current was strong and the wind was at my back. I stopped at our old sandbar to drink a beer and take a quick dip and then floated easily back to the ramp. See the pictures from this trip
10/28/04
After my ambitious weekend I decided that a laid back easy paddle was called for and so headed to Cedar Point. The tide had been coming in for just over an hour which I hoped would give me the opportunity to shoot some herons feeding in the oyster beds. I didn't find much until I rounded the first big bend to the south and I soon crossed paths with a Little Blue Heron who was so intently feeding in the shallows along the grass line that he completely ignored me - to a point. I "harassed" him several times as I slowly made my way north - each time he would allow me to get within a few feet before he would glare at me and began croaking angrily for a few seconds before flying a few yards north where he would begin stalking his prey once again. Finally, he flew off and I headed on north where I stopped at a shell island at the point where Cedar Point splits off to the north and south. I stayed for a couple of minutes scanning the area with my binoculars and finding nothing of interest headed back. On the opposite bank where I had played with the Heron I found another (perhaps the same one) Little Blue and stopped to take some nice shots of him as he caught a shrimp. A little ways down from him I shot some good shots of a Dowitcher snagging a fiddler crab with the setting sun silhouetting him from behind. An nice easy after work paddle - just what I wanted. See the pictures from this trip
10/31/04
A good way to finish off a really wonderful month of paddling. October started off with the last of the hurricanes blowing through here but it ended with about three weeks of fabulous fall weather. It has really warmed up here in Jacksonville this past week and the air was still and the water glassy as I set out from Heckscher Dr. I spotted an Osprey sitting on the iron pipe out in the main pool and he let me get fairly close to him before flying off. I headed north taking my usual route by the old cedar and then north from there out to the ICW. Even the waterway was glassy which is unusual with the weekend boat traffic. Once out on the waterway I headed north a little ways and explored a mudflat briefly before heading back south. At one point I saw some mist hanging over the surface of the water and thought perhaps there was some lingering fog that I hadn't noticed. Then I saw five or six fins rise out of the water and heard the loud exhale of the dolphins as they headed north. I tried to use the video function of my new camera hoping that I could capture the sound I enjoy so much but they had moved too far away and boat traffic forced me to abandon the attempt. I didn't really see much of note the rest of the trip. It was very a pleasant day out on the water. |
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