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Cooler weather at last! Trips this month: 11
Back to Journal Index
10/3/08
Reddish Egret on Pumpkin Hill
I headed back to Pumpkin Hill this morning on the first crisp autumn day of
the fall. Temperatures were in the upper 50's which caused me to don my
fleece for the first time since last March. One of the nice things about
getting out at this time of the year is that it is very easy to get out on
the water before the sun rises and today I was there as the it began to
rise behind the pine trees on Black Hammock. Sunrise on Pumpkin Hill
I floated with the gentle current of the last of the outgoing tide passing a
pair of Wood Storks at the first bend. One of them was a youngster who was
actively feeding in the shallows - flinging his wing out for balance as he
chased his food through the water. I rounded the bend near the trails and as
soon as I did I could see a Reddish Egret dancing on the same sand bar where
I had seen one on Monday. I paddled down and spent the next several minutes
shooting him as he was spinning and leaping in the morning sun before heading
on.
As usual, I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to end up but in the back
of my mind I was considering making this a long day by heading into Edwards
Creek and possibly doing a circumnavigation of the flats. I made my way to
the point and then after taking a brief break there I caught the now
incoming tide into Edwards Creek. I had a pleasant ride into the huge pool
that lies south of the Broward Islands but I didn't see too much wildlife.
Soon, I was there and so I headed north and found the entrance to the creek
that runs along the southern edge of the islands. As I paddled toward the
stream I saw a Bald Eagle soaring overhead catching a thermals while an Osprey
circled above him. Green Heron at the Broward Islands
One of the things I was thinking about doing was trying to find a way into
the pool that lies in the center of the Edwards Flats and since the tides of
late
have been higher than normal I thought that I might be able to find a path
into it. Amazingly, my GPS, which is sadly lacking in resolution, showed the
pool and I took the first branch to the east and followed it to it's
conclusion. According to my GPS, I was still about .4 miles from the pool so
I returned to the main channel and took the next branch to the east. This
one took me to within 500 feet of the edge of the pool but when I tried to
stand up outside my boat I sank to my knees and I could see no evidence of
the pool so I turned around and headed back to the main channel.
I had to fight the current all the way up to the shoreline of the island
where I had camped a couple of years ago but within a few minutes I was
pulling up to the trees overhanging the water. There was a Wood Stork and a
Roseate Spoonbill perching there who flew off to the south. As I pulled up
to the landing I spotted a Green Heron nearby so I spent some time chasing
him around the area before getting out to take a break at the campsite.
After leaving the landing, I spent some more time shooting the Green Heron
and then battled the current as I paddled out toward Pumpkin Hill Creek.
Once I reached Pumpkin Hill I still had some incoming tide to carry me in so
I had an easy time making my way back to the point. From there I continued
on and after stopping at the little point near the trails to shoot some Wood
Storks and Spoonbills I headed back to the put-in.
See the pictures from this trip
10/7/08
Black Crowned Night Heron on Browns
Creek
I hadn't paddled in Browns Creek for nearly 8 months so it has been in the
back of my mind as a destination for a few weeks. As I contemplated where to
go for my after work paddle today I considered it but was leaning more
toward Cedar Point. As I crossed the bridge and saw how high the water was
nearly two hours after high tide I made the decision and turned into an
empty put-in.
There was a strong NE breeze keeping the level high and it made the crossing
over to the first island a little rough but I was soon cruising by the trees
that held the usual assortment of Herons and Ospreys. I paddled past them
and headed toward the runoff pond where I expected to find several birds
taking shelter from the wind. Near the entrance to the pond sat a lone Hawk
in a dead tree that I was never able to identify as either at Red Shouldered
or Red Tailed. Directly overhead was a Red Shouldered Hawk who was busily
harassing an Osprey who had ventured into it's territory.
The pond itself was empty except for a couple of Black Crowned Night Herons
and after chasing one of them I headed back out and made my way around the
back side of the first island and back to the put-in.
See the pictures from this trip
10/12/08 Bald Eagle Pair at Guana Lake
I decided to head to Guana this morning and was in the water at 7:30 - just
as the sun was supposed to be rising above the dunes behind me. There was
storm system offshore that obscured the sun and although the sky was
beautiful it was absent the sun. Stormy skies at dawn
I took the channel along the eastern shore and paddled down until I was almost
even with the Eagle's nest and then began angling my way over. When I was
still on the eastern shoreline I could see the silhouette of one of the Eagle's perching on a
branch near the nest. As I approached the western shoreline, I could see the
Eagle begin to twist it's head around and lift its beak up in the air as if
to sniff the air and I knew that it was aware of my presence. I was able to
beach my boat in the grass and take a few shots before it finally flew off
without a sound. I ate my breakfast and decided to head further south to the
observation tower to see if the high water levels would make it easier for
me to access it. Storm coming in off the ocean
Before I left the area of the nest, I looked up and saw that the Eagle had
quietly returned to an adjacent tree so I took some more shots before heading on. I
made my way toward the pool where the tower is located scaring a couple of
big gators out of the grass as I did. As I pulled up to the tower I realized
the the increased water level wasn't really going to be much help in getting
up on the walkway but I felt around under the water and realized that the
ground immediately around the pilings was relatively firm. After splashing
around to make sure that there were no Gators lurking beneath the water I
exited my boat and with some difficulty managed to pull myself through the gap in the railing.
I took some shots from the top of the tower and then watched as a Northern
Harrier fluttered above the grassy point directly in front of the tower. I
walked down the trail to the main road the runs up the peninsula on the east
side of the lake. There were some trucks parked up the road and a Wildlife
Officer drove by me as I walked toward them and I wondered if there was a
deer hunt underway or if they were preparing for one since I'm pretty sure
it's not the season quite yet. Baby Gator at Observation Tower
When I returned to the tower I could see that the weather that had been
lurking offshore was making its way across the beach but the rain appeared
to be well north of where I was. I looked out into the water in front of the
tower and saw two very young Gators staring at me as I got in my boat. I
couldn't see their Momma but I could almost hear them saying "If Momma was
here we could snack on some crunchy kayaker!" I made sure she wasn't around
before I hopped into the water and got back in my boat.
I headed north and soon was back at the Eagle's nest where I could now see
that both of the adults were perching there. As I watched, the pair moved
around - flying off and then right back to the tree where the nest was
located. The larger one - the female - seemed to spend most of her time
either in or very close to the nest while the male was content to watch.
After a long pause, I moved on and headed north in the channel along the
west side of the lake. As I paddled along, a bird with a very distinct
profile passed overhead that I knew was a Peregrine Falcon. Yawn!
As I reached the area that was parallel to the ramp I saw a group of
kayakers coming toward me that I had seen putting in as I left the ramp
earlier - a kayak outfitter that was leading a tour of about 6 people. After
we exchanged pleasantries I continued on until I had gone past the island
located north of the ramp on the east side and I headed across. I paddled
around it easily, shooting a few Tri-Coloreds along the way and then headed
home.
See the pictures from this trip
10/15/08
Clapper Rail on Pumpkin Hill Creek
I headed to Pumpkin Hill after work today since it was a full harvest moon
rising about 30 minutes after sunset this evening. I made my way around the
first couple of bends and was at my shrimping spot in a few minutes. After
shooting a Little Blue Heron there, I decided to head up the stream that
empties into Pumpkin Hill just past where I shrimp. I spotted a Clapper Rail
that was trying to bravely come out into the open to see what was going on
but he soon retreated into his grassy enclosure. I investigated the stream a
little further as the shrimp began popping out of the water. Most of the
shrimp were of the "popcorn" variety but some of them were definitely eating
size and a couple wound up in my boat. Shrimp on the attack again
I made my way to Tiger Point where I watched the sun set and after checking
out the area I decided to head back toward the put-in, hoping that I would
get to see the moon rise before I had to head in. As I rounded
the bend near my shrimping spot I spotted the silhouette of the Gator in the
dim light who
seems to like hanging out there. He disappeared without a
ripple and I headed on. I made my way around the bend near
the trails and decided to sit and wait for the moon rise. A couple of
minutes after the set time I spotted a bright light breaking through the
trees on Black Hammock Island and soon it was rising into the autumn night
sky. I watched it for a while and took a few attempts at pictures before I
decided to finish my trip and head home.
See the pictures from this trip
10/16/08
Reddish Egret on Haulover Creek
It was "National Boss's Day" today so I decided to give my boss the gift of
peace and quiet - I.E. I took the day off and also tried to organize a mutiny of
his entire crew but, alas, when it was said and done - I was the only one
who followed through and actually took the day off.
It gave me an unexpected five day weekend and, not wanting to waste it, I
decided,
after some consideration to do something relatively simple and
head to Ft. George River with the intention of finding a place to hang my
hammock, drink beer and "veg". As I headed toward the Ribault Club, however,
I began to wonder if I hadn't made a mistake in my choice of put-ins as the
water levels were already at peak levels 2 hours before high tide. As I
made my way down the island road I could see even more evidence of the flood
tides as the water was starting to creep over the road in places and I could
see the marsh surrounding Haulover Creek completely flooded. Red Shouldered Hawk on the FGR
As I loaded my boat at the Ribault Club I could see a Reddish Egret dancing
in the mudflat east of the put-in and so I began thinking about exploring
the Haulover area. In the yacht basin, however, I could see a young, Red
Shouldered Hawk perching and so I decided that it was more likely that he would flush
first rather than the Egret and decided to make a circuit of the pool. I shot the Hawk
for a few minutes who seemed to be far more concerned about what was on the
ground than what was in water. I cruised around the area shooting some
Ospreys and a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers before making my way back out to
the river
I paddle against the incoming current but quickly entered the marsh beyond
the ramp and headed into the flooded mudflats. The Reddish Egret that
I had seen earlier had moved further into the marsh and was calmly standing
in the grass with some Little Blue Herons. I decided to take advantage of
the situation and explore the Haulover marsh. I hugged the eastern shore line of Ft.
George Island shooting some Eastern Phoebes who were flitting out into the
marsh to nab some of the many insects. I continued on until I reached the
place where I was even with St. George's Church and thought about giving
Hope a call to let her know I was sitting a few feet away but decided not
to. Eastern Phoebe on Haulover Creek
I headed out into main channel and since I was now close to the island that
lies in the middle of the marsh I decided to see if I could get all of the
way around it. There is a causeway that connects the island with A1A and I
remembered that in the days before the state blocked off the road that there
was a break in it that had been dug to prevent people from driving out to
it. After a lot of exploration I finally found the break and with the water
level so high I could see that getting through it would be no problem.
I decided to get out and explore the island a little bit before pulling my
boat on across the causeway and continuing on. I decided to continue my
exploration of the Haulover marsh before finally getting back into the main
channel and paddling back to the FGR. I got lost several times and
ultimately had to get out and pull my boat through the grass a couple of
times before I finally got back on track. I passed by a dead tree that had
three Reddish Egrets perching on it - unusual both for the number of those
birds in the same vicinity and the fact that they were perching.
Reddish Egrets on Haulover
By now, the tide had turned and was heading swiftly out past Alimacani so I
knew that my original idea of finding a pair of trees to hang my hammock on
was probably not going to happen. I worked my way up against the tide until
I was even with the Ribault ramp and ferried over to the big sand bar that
lies at the bend in the river. I paddled up the small channel that runs
along the south side and finally decided to make my destination the little
beach in the middle.
I spent the next couple of hours doing what I intended to do when I set out
3 hours earlier - vegged. I didn't have a place to hang my hammock but I had
remembered to bring my Crazy Creek chair and set it in the water while I ate
and drank and swam in the chilly October water. Across the little stream
that cuts through the sandbar I spotted a medium sized white bird dancing in
the shallows and I soon realized that it was a White Phase Reddish Egret -
only the second one I have ever seen. I decided to paddle over and get some
shots of him but as the water went out he was content to stand calmly on the
sandbar. Immature Bald Eagle
As I sat there watching him I began to realize that the air was literally
full of Ospreys and as I watched them fly around the area I saw what at
first I thought was a pair of them chasing each other. One of them had a
small fish in it's claws and it quickly became obvious that I was seeing
another case of a juvenile Bald Eagle trying to pirate a fish from an
Osprey. After a couple of quick aerobatic moves over the water the Osprey
let loose of the fish but since they were so close to the surface it dropped
harmlessly into river where I could hear it splash. The Osprey flew off in
disgust to hunt for some more food while the young Eagle circled over the
area for a couple of minutes as if it were searching for it's lost, ill
gotten prize.
It finally gave up and flew directly over my head and then landed in the
grass just a few feet from where I had been eating my lunch earlier. It
disappeared into the grass and a few minutes later it flew up and then
dropped back down in the same spot so I knew that it had found something
interesting. I paddled back across and started to walk toward the spot where
I had seen it disappear. I didn't get very far before it flew up again but
this time it began circling the grassy island until it had achieved some
altitude and flew off toward the ICW. The intense stare of a White Phase
Reddish Egret
I returned my attention to the Egret who had moved a little further down the
sandbar closer to the main channel. There was an Osprey who was sitting in a
small pool a few feet from him taking a bath but when I tried to walk toward
them he flew off shaking his shoulders as he dried himself. I walked slowly
up to the Egret and managed to get within 10 feet of him where I sat down on
the sand and shot him until he decided that he would rather be somewhere
else and walked away. Osprey with fish near the Ribault
Club
I returned to my boat and decided to head back to the ramp. I decided to
take one more turn in the yacht basin and found that like the rest of the
area - it too was full of more Ospreys than I have seen in one place before.
There were three or four in the trees and several more flying constantly
overhead chirping as the did. One of them started to fly up into a branch
above my head but seeing me turned away at the last second. He flew up to
another tree a little further down the shore where he struggled to find a
good position in which to eat the mullet he had just caught. I sat almost
directly beneath him and took several shots before heading on back out to
the ramp as a mature Bald Eagle flew overhead.
It wasn't the day I had envisioned when I set out but with my memory card
containing over 500 shots I had to say it was a good one.
See the pictures from this trip
10/17/08
Sanderling on Ft. George Inlet
Hope and I decided to take one more stab at a paddle picnic before the time
change and with low
tide at 5 pm I thought we might just be able to squeeze one in.
We launched at Alimacani at 4:30 and headed east under the A1A bridge. The
water was higher than normal low tide and as we headed out toward the ocean
we realized that the channel that normally cuts off Huegenot Park from where
we usually have our cookouts was no longer there - filled in by Fay and the
successive Nor'Easters that we have been having lately. That meant that
there was nothing to prevent the occupants of the main beach from driving
right on top of us and technically the fact that we were having a fire and
alcohol on the beach meant that we were, once again, scofflaws.
We didn't worry about it too much since the breezy conditions meant that
there were few people in the park and we placed our chairs so that no one
could see our fire from the beach. While we waited for the coals to get
ready we took one last dip in the cool water before the weather was due to
turn chilly this weekend. Our steaks cooked and we then spent the next couple of
hours relaxing with a bottle of wine and some good food. As the sun
started to fall behind the trees on Little Talbot we packed up and headed in
for the night.
See the pictures from this trip
10/19/08
Clapper Rail on Pumpkin Hill Creek
After seeing the shrimp jump in my boat last Wednesday evening I decided to head
back to Pumpkin Hill this morning to try my luck at what is apparently a
second shrimping season. When I got up and realized that the temperatures
were in the low 50's with winds forecast in the 15-20 mph range I almost
reconsidered and headed west to the Okefenokee.
I decided to brave the winds and head that way anyway although as I stood at
the water's edge a few minutes before sunrise I almost chickened out again.
With low tide at 8 I decided that I would be out of the wind for the most
part and I could at least make a quick trip out to the point. Almost as an
after thought, I grabbed my cast net and threw it in my boat thinking there
was very little chance that I would feel like getting wet and muddy on such
a blustery day. Muddy faces
I could feel the heat emanating from the water as I paddled and I knew that
water temperature would not be an issue but the cold wind forced me to don
my fleece for only the second time this fall. The sun rose slowly behind a
bank of clouds out on the ocean as I made my way uneventfully around the first
couple of bends. As I approached the little stream near my shrimping spot I
detected no activity in the water that encouraged me to try my luck. As I
turned into the creek, however, I did see the tiny "popcorn" new born shrimp
leap from the water followed soon after by the larger ones.
Clapper Rail in the morning sun
As I had paddled toward the bend at my shrimping spot I had seen several
dozen Ibis dropping into the grass behind it and as I paddled up the stream
I began to hear the croaking and groaning of dozens of birds coming from a
small branch ahead. There were several dozen Ibis, Wood Storks and a variety
of Herons and Egrets fighting over a feeding spot and they rose in a flurry
as I drifted toward them. There was barely enough water for me to enter that
stream but I worked my way up flushing the remaining crowd from the grass. I
couldn't go any further and it was too narrow to turn around so I began
backing my way out. As I turned to my left to push my paddle against the mud
I was surprised to see a very muddy Clapper Rail staring at me just four
feet away.
He was as surprised as I was and apparently too scared to run away since he
simply stood there watching me as I grabbed my camera and began shooting him
in the dim light.
Undoubtedly, he had been annoyed by the huge, noisy crowd that had just left
and was determined to make his way to the water for his morning ritual
of grooming but now he found a hairy kayaker in his way. He tried to go to my
left and then back to my right to get to the water but I was blocking the
only open area so he finally gave up and went around the next bend where I
couldn't go. Wood Storks
I returned to the larger stream and headed back toward Pumpkin Hill shooting
another Clapper who was getting ready to leave his grassy home for his dawn
ritual. I paddled on down to the point where I was confronted by a stretch
of rough water that I had to cross to get into Edward Creek. The wind was
whipping in from the NE between Black Hammock and Amelia Islands and
churning the water greatly. I passed by Tiger Point and floated with the
incoming current to the area where I had experienced moderate success
shrimping during the summer. A few large ones jumped out of the water so I
decided to give it at least one throw to say that I had done it before
heading home. Young Bald Eagle
My first toss hauled in a "keeper" and that was followed by two more on
consecutive throws. It wasn't much, but it was enough to encourage me to keep
trying and the area where I was throwing from was one I could do while
staying relatively dry so I kept going. The haul wasn't great - never more
than four at a time but they were all good size and I never went more than a
few tosses without catching at least one. Some crabbers came by and asked if
I was catching shrimp and when I replied that I was "getting a few" they
said there was plenty further up Edwards Creek. I stayed put for the next
hour or so and wound up with just over three dozen shrimp and decided that
it would be enough for a meal.
I headed back to Pumpkin Hill and since the tide had now turned and quickly
brought the levels back to high tide, I took some time to explore the point
beyond the trails which was full of Wood Storks and Egrets. As I was leaving
the area I spotted a hawk flying along the tree line and paddled over to try
to get some pictures of what looked to be a Red Tail. As I left the area
again a young Eagle flew by and perched in a big pine tree near the trails
and as I was heading back to the put-in an adult Eagle flew high overhead.
See the pictures from this trip
10/20/08
Immature Bald Eagle near Cooter Lake
I decided to head up to the Okefenokee Swamp this morning to renew my annual
pass and enjoy the fall weather. I got going early and was in the water with
my new pass a little after 8 am. The breezy conditions that I left back on
the coast were present here as well but, as always, the water on the Suwannee
Canal was like glass as the the wind whipped the pine trees and cypress above. The
cypress trees were starting to show just the first hint of the coming change
of seasons but, for the most part, the swamp was still lush and green with
more of the wild flowers in bloom than when I was here a month ago. Crisp fall skies over the swamp
There was little or no activity in the water or in the sky above as I paddled
toward the split, but occasionally I would here the whistle of Wood Ducks
rising from the other side of the trees along the banks. The water level
being still high meant that the usual sunning places that the Gators would
be occupying on a chilly, sunny day like this were covered up and I figured
there would be little chance of seeing many Gators today. I decided to head
south and once I reached the path to the Grand Prairies I
turned in. Not long after making my way toward the first turn I heard the sound
of Sand Hill Cranes behind me and saw a couple of them drop in from the sky
to the area where I had just been. Eastern Phoebe
I decided against back tracking figuring that I would probably see many more
on the day considering how frequently I was hearing their distinct call
coming from all points of the compass. When I reached the first turn I
decided to head due south toward Cooter Lake where I had gone last November.
On that trip, the trail cutter had just made it through which left a lot of
loose vegetation floating in the water but today most of that was gone and
my trip down to the tiny pool was easy. I headed west toward the
intersection with the path that would either take me down to Monkey Lake or back
the canal. Ahead of me I spotted a large bird perching on one of the cypress
islands and it took me a few minutes to realize that it was a young Eagle.
His plumage was more of a grayish brown rather than chocolate brown but it's
large beak and distinct eyebrow gave him away. Monarch
Once I arrived at the intersection I made the decision to turn south toward
Monkey Lake. I had no intention of going all of the way there but I decided
to head in that direction and see what presented itself. It was both beautiful
and peaceful and this has quickly become of my favorite sections of the swamp
as the
path meanders through a series of islands covered in large pines, cypress
and live oaks. I saw one Gator and very little birdlife and would have taken
few pictures but for the flowers and butterflies that I spotted along the
way. I finally turned around when I was about two miles from the lake and
headed back toward the canal. Just before reaching the intersection in the
trail I heard a Red Shouldered Hawk call out and one flew from a tree ahead
of me where he had been perching just a few feet above the water. Zebra Longwing
As I headed up the trail back to the canal, an odd looking bird suddenly flew
up to a tree in the middle of one the islands. It had a prominent dark patch
on it's speckled chest and looked a lot like a Flicker. It turned out
to be a Northern Flicker which is the first time I have ever seen one. Once
back in the canal I paddled west and rounded the bend as it headed back to
the cutoff. I saw a couple of more Gators as I paddled toward the
intersection with the cut off and I began to hear the unmistakable growl of
several more coming from the flooded woodlands on either side of the
channel. I never saw the growlers but it was obvious that they were aware of
me and would begin to vocalize as I paddled through their area only to be
answered by more in succession. It was as if they were singing in a round to
serenade me - "paddle, paddle crunchy kayaker - paddle over here - merrily,
merrily merrily, merrily - you'd taste good with beer" One of the few Gators I saw
Or something like that - anyway, I never saw the buggers and even when I
peeked through one of the breaks in the trees there was no mass of Gators
gathered around a keg waiting for me and it seemed as though they suddenly
got quiet when I did so. I reached the cut off and headed east through the
dark woods overhanging the water. I could see and hear a lot of activity
coming from the Pileated Woodpeckers and I witnessed a protracted battle
between a pair of Kingfishers who chased each other up the channel ahead of
me making noises that I had never heard before.
I reached the canal and, of course, by now I was pretty well exhausted but had
an easy trip back. I was rewarded when I reached Kingsland, Ga. on my trip
back to find that gas at my favorite station had dropped 8 cents a gallon
since that morning and was now down to $2.28 - the cheapest I've seen in a
year!
See the pictures from this trip
10/27/08
I wanted to get in three more trips this month and as I left work this
afternoon it looked like I was going to have terrific weather. As I stood at
the water's edge, however, I was blasted in the face by what felt like a
20 mph wind pushing whitecaps up the channel towards me. A smarter man would
have headed back to the warmth and safety of home but I figured that I would
at least give it a try.
I struggled against the wind and current until I reached the first bend and
once I arrived I was being sheltered somewhat by the dredge pile located there
and the water became a little calmer. I paddled toward the place where the
creek turns to the west and I began seeing some ducks flying overhead. At
first, I thought that they might be Hooded Mergansers coming back into the
area for the winter but after flushing some more back in a small stream that
I tuned into I began thinking that they might be Black Bellied Whistling
Ducks. I also scared up several Coots which I almost never see in this area.
After exploring the little stream for a while I headed back to the main
channel and let the wind blow me back toward the put-in. I explored one the
streams near there for a while and discovered that the old platform that
used to be there was now gone. As I pulled up to the put-in a young Eagle
flew in from the river and headed into the marsh.
I only took a few shots and kept my camera stowed due to the rough water for
most of the trip. It was nice to get out in spite of the conditions.
10/29/08
Great Blue Heron on Pumpkin Hill
With low tide at 5:30 I decided to head to Pumpkin Hill after work and I
brought along some ice and my cast net in case I felt brave enough to shrimp
again. It was still a bit breezy but I knew that for most of my trip that I
would be down in the channel and protected from the worst of it.
I couldn't ask for a better day - the overnight temperatures have been in
the 30's this week rising to the mid-60's by the afternoon and the cloudless
sky was a pure autumns blue. There were several birds gathered near the
put-in feeding in the shallows as I rounded the first bend. I spotted a
squat fat bird sitting at the water's edge and as I got closer I was
surprised to find that it was another Coot like I had seen at Cedar Point on
Monday. After shooting him I rounded the bend by the trails and headed
toward my shrimping spot. I had been seeing shrimp jumping on the way down
but things were calm at the bend where I normally shrimp so I headed up the
little creek that empties into Pumpkin Hill near there.
The baby shrimp were leaping straight up in the water as I floated in but I
didn't see many large ones. I could tell that the youngsters had already
grown considerably in size. There wasn't much bird activity going on back in
there so I headed back out to the main channel and made my way toward the
point into a stiff wind and white caps. Once I reached the point I was
sheltered from the wind so I headed up Edwards Creek and paddled toward my
new shrimping spot to check it out. The sun was only an half hour away from
setting and with no moon due to rise I decided that I should make my way
back.
On the return trip I ran across another Coot but other than that it was a
peaceful, pleasant trip on a cool fall evening. Next week the sun will be
setting an hour earlier so this was probably the last significant evening
paddle until the spring.
See the pictures from this trip
10/31/08
Sand Hill Cranes on the Day Use
Canoe Trail in the Okefenokee
I convinced the Church Lady to blow off a meeting and head west to the swamp
with me today and we were at the ramp a little after 9 am. It was crowded
with kayakers who were obviously loading up to go camping but we managed to
squeeze in and launch ahead of the group who told us that they were headed
to Monkey Lake to camp at the day use shelter. The lady at the check-in told
me that the day use canoe trail that I had taken back on my September trip
was indeed open and she recommended it as a route saying that there were
baby gators and lots of flowers blooming. She cleared up my confusion about
the signage and assured me that I was not a scofflaw by taking the route
last month - darn! Great Blue Heron along the trail
Anyway - we entered the trail and began paddling west. It was beautiful
and peaceful and we were glad to be there instead on on the canal with the
large group of noisy campers who we could hear talking just a few yards
north of us. We passed a Great Blue perching in the burned out trees that
lie south of the trail and large gator who was resting just a few feet away
as we passed. We scared up a few Wood Ducks who flew up from the flooded
woods but were never able to get any clear shots.
We stopped about halfway down the trail to eat breakfast and then headed on
until we reached the place where the trail connected with the canal just
past the split. We paddled back east a few yards and entered the Cedar
Hammock trail. We hadn't seen or heard any Sand Hill Cranes on the day but
as we got close to the picnic shelter I spotted a pair walking through the
prairies. As we pulled into the pool in front of the shelter four more flew
off to the north along with several Ibis. We took a nice lunch break at the
platform and enjoyed laying in the warm sun before getting back in our
boats. Red Shouldered Hawk along the Cedar
Hammock Trail
Just before leaving we had spotted a Red Shouldered Hawk perching on a small
cypress ahead of us along the trail and as we headed north we were able to
get to within about 20 yards of him before he flew off. We continued on
until I was sure that we had reached the area where I had seen the baby
gators on my previous trip and so we turned around. When I downloaded my GPS
later I realized that we were actually about a half mile shy of that spot
but we were getting tired and we knew we had to get back.
Once back at the canal we decided to paddle up it part of the way and
then find the entrance to the day use trail that I had taken on my trip in
September. We found it and began paddling to the east again. About a mile up
the trail I looked ahead of me and saw a pair of Sand Hills along the side
of the trail just a few yards ahead much as I had on my last trip here. We
sat there together watching the cranes peck furiously at the ground in search
of food. One of them would occasionally fly up suddenly reminding me of the
wild mating displays that I have seen videos of these birds doing. Finally,
they flew off trumpeting as they did and we headed back to the put-in and
headed home.
See the pictures from this trip
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