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Paddling Journal September 2006 The end of summer - HOT! Trips this month: 8
Back to Journal Index
9/3/06
Spoonies on Cedar Point
For the first time in several weeks I chose to paddle somewhere besides
Pumpkin Hill on a Sunday morning. With high tides at just after 5 am I felt
like I could do a paddle in my neighborhood and eventually decided on Cedar
Point Creek.
It had been almost exactly 6 months since I had last put-in here and I got
in the water about 6:45 - about 15 minutes before sunrise. The tide had been
going out for over an hour by the time I got in the water but there was
little current as I made my way around the first bend and headed toward the
confluence point.
After pausing to shoot the sunrise I headed north - not seeing much on the
way up to the sea daisy island. Overheard was a different story, however, as
hundreds of Ibis were flying overheard in formations that ranged from four
or five birds to ones that contained several dozen. They were flying
continuously in the general direction of Pumpkin Hill for at least the first
hour that I was out there so I am sure that the Edwards Flats was the site
of thousands of grazing Ibis by mid-morning. Shortbilled Dowitcher on Cedar Point
I headed on from the confluence point passing by the sunken Crab Boat. I was
shooting some Short Billed Dowitchers on an Oyster Bed when I noticed that
there were several Roseate Spoonbills on the opposite side of the grassy
point. After shooting them for a while I continued north until I reached the
large sandbar near the point.
There were several more Spoonbills there along with several shorebirds and a
lone Great Blue Heron who seemed to be contemplating the morning with his
back turned to me. I shot the Spoonies, Dowitchers, Yellowlegs and Plovers
and then ate breakfast before deciding that I had better turn back before
the tide got too far out. When I reached the area near the Crab Boat I
spotted the Spoonies I had left there earlier and got some more good shots.
I made my way back to my truck without incident.
See the pictures from this trip
9/4/06 Spider on the St. Mary's River
It has been 8 months since I have made a trip in the St. Mary's River.
Mostly this has been due to the low water levels along most of the route but
I have also had good reasons to stay closer to home and explore the waters
in my backyard.
Over the weekend I received some information from one of my newsletter
subscribers that told me how to get to the ramp at Kings Ferry which is
located between US-1 and US-17. He informed me that there was a strong tidal
flow there which makes sense since there is a tide chart for that
location which showed that high tide for Labor Day was going to be around 10
am. I took I-295 to US-1 and then took 115A from Hilliard and was in the
water at close to 9 am - less than an hour after leaving Heckscher Dr. I was pleased to find that
the ramp was not crowded when I
got there and was on my way west a few minutes after arriving. Osprey near Kings Ferry
The current was visibly moving upstream carrying a lot of flotsam in the
middle of the river but I found that close to the shoreline that it
was either slack and possibly even moving in the opposite direction. Not far
from the ramp I spotted the first Osprey I have ever seen on this river and
within the first mile and a half I saw three or four more. I also came
across a Green Heron who played hide and seek with me before disappearing
into the hardwood swamps that line the banks of the river.
On the Georgia side of the river near the ramp is an aptly named community
called Flea Hill. It is an infestation of mostly Red Neck cottages packed as
densely as fleas on a dog's back. That only lasted for a mile or two and for
most of the trip there were very few houses. The shoreline was quite
different than the other parts of the river that I explored last summer and
fall. It was completely tree lined with none of the pure white beaches that
are so prevalent south of Folkston. The trees along the shore were mostly
pine and oaks although there were some cypress and tupelo. For most of the
journey I could see that the river extended past the banks into the woods
with very little high ground suitable for camping. This was probably why
there were few "No Trespassing" signs posted since for the most part that
was not a concern. Tiger Swallow
I explored a few of the streams that were visible on my Terraserver photo
but it was evident as I paddled that there were countless numbers of tiny
streams that went into the swamp on either side of the river. Most ended in
a tangle of fallen trees a few yards into the trees but I explored three or
four that went for a mile or so at least before a tree or large spider web
stopped me. One of these streams was on the Florida bank just past a sharp
90 degree turn. There was a large wooden sign in the water painted
fluorescent orange with black letters the said "The Stump" just before the
entrance to the creek. On the USGS maps the area about a mile further up on
the Georgia Side is called "Gum Stump Landing" and there was a small beach
there but in this section there were only trees and swamp. I heard gun shots
coming from this area not long after I had left it so it is probably some
kind of hunt camp.
I explored the aforementioned stream until I was blocked by fallen trees and
so returned to the main channel. I did manage to shoot some Swallow-tailed
Butterflies and some Banana Spiders. I was attracted to one spider but the
way the light was shining off his web. As I sat there trying to shoot him
while not tangling myself in his web a Mayfly was not as fortunate and the
spider quickly pounced on him and bundled him up and then carried him back
to his resting place where he seemed to cradle him like a baby - a very
juicy, yummy baby. Labor Day picnic on the St. Mary's
As I paddled on, the river traffic slowly began to come alive on this final
holiday of the summer - much as I had anticipated. Just before noon I
reached the largest of the streams I had seen on my photo and so decided to
make that my destination. I explored both branches of the stream which
according to USGS is called "St. Mary's Cut" - a hardwood swamp for most of
it's journey as it goes north of highway 40 and then returns to the river
near a place called "Cooney's Landing" about 10 miles west.
By the time I had returned to the river I could hear an almost constant
sound of motorized traffic and indeed as I made my way back there seemed to
always be at least one vessel on the water with me. I spotted a little
stretch of beach under some trees that had a small patch of dry ground above
it so I pulled over and strung my hammock to rest and eat lunch. After a
nice break I got back in the water and found that by now the tide was
definitely on its way out. I recognized some of the flotsam I had passed
earlier now heading back east in what I'm sure is an endless journey lasting
several weeks - several hours traveling east followed by another trip going
west. Flowers in the river
The sky was clouding up by now and at one point a brisk breeze came blowing
down the river from the east. It made the journey pleasant and with the
current moving at a good pace east it was an easy paddle back. There were
several party barges and jet skis out on the river by now but the river here
is wide and deep so I expected it to be that way. I was worried that the
ramp might be crowded but it is a tiny little ramp that only a small boat
could put in at and when I returned I found it much the same as I had left
it.
Kings Ferry won't ever be my favorite place to paddle on the St. Mary's but
its nice to know that it is there and on non-holiday, non-summer weekdays it
is probably a much better trip. The tidal conditions mean that it won't be
as affected by drought but it will also mean a bit of planning as well.
See the pictures from this trip
9/11/06
Immature Yellow Crowned Night Heron
on Browns Creek
We were pretty worn out after screaming for 3 hours at the Jaguar's season
opener so I decided to let Hopey off the hook on our paddling plans for the
day. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it out myself since some recent
dental work has made life in general a little painful. On the way up to a
brunch in Fernandina Sunday morning, however, I couldn't help but notice the
flood tide conditions that Hurricane Flo was producing so I really did want
to take advantage of the high water levels that allow me to explore areas I
usually can't access.
After considering Pumpkin Hill I decided to try Clapboard Creek but once I
crossed the bridge to the Palms Fish Camp I saw white caps rolling up the
creek as the incoming tide bucked the NE breeze coming across the marsh so I
turned around and headed for the opposite end of the island to try Browns
Creek. It has been four months since I have been able to put in at Browns
Creek - on weekends it is has been as packed as the Palms so I have been
avoiding it. Today, it was virtually empty probably due in large part to the
windy conditions. I knew that I could make my counterclockwise
circumnavigation and stay out of the wind while getting some good shots of
the birds that I was sure would be seeking shelter on the leeward side of
the islands.
I had been having problems recently with my camera powering down
unexpectedly so I figured I would be battling that all day long. When I
first pulled my camera out to begin shooting an Osprey I discovered a new
problem - or rather an old problem that had come back - moisture on my
lenses. I managed to get rid of it temporarily by taking my extender off and
letting the lenses dry in the sun but for the first couple of hours I was
constantly battling it and wound up missing several good shots.
After passing under the trees of the first island to the west I made my way
to the runoff pond and the high water levels allowed me to take a shortcut
directly there. As I expected the trees by the spillway were full of Night
Herons which I managed to shoot in between un-fogging my lenses. As I
departed what appeared to be a Red Tailed Hawk flew out from the trees and I
followed him into the cove south of the runoff.
Tri-Colored Heron
I didn't manage to find him there so I began my usual skirting of the
shoreline that runs along the western edge of the creek. I scared off
several Great Blues as well as smaller herons and on at least one occasion
what looked to be a Red Shouldered Hawk. At one point I looked up to see
what looked like an immature Red Tail Hawk directly in front of me but my
foggy lenses made me miss that shot as well.
I continued my travels along the shoreline until I reached the very
northwestern corner, Usually, I am unable to travel very far up this section
but the high water allowed me to go as far as possible and I managed some
good shots of a Great Blue and then an Osprey who were sitting in the same
tree although not at the same time.
As I was making my way to pick up the main channel and continue my trip I
spotted a culvert under Island Drive about a half mile west of the Shrimpers
Creek bridge. I wouldn't normally have noticed it but the high water levels
allowed me to see it and I was able to walk my boat over the grass to where
it was draining the Clapboard Creek side of the marsh into Browns Creek.
After some hesitation I realized that I should be able to duck my head and
ease my way through the rectangular culvert which was about six feet wide -
just wide enough for me to be able to use my paddles. Osprey with a snack
I popped out on the other side and realized that I was in an area of the
marsh that I had never explored before west of the small island that is on
the Clapboard Creek side of Shrimpers Creek. I was just under the large new
Osprey nest that I have been seeing when I paddle in the NW corner of Browns
Creek but until now haven't been able to get to. I paddled north of the
island and found myself in Shrimpers Creek so I headed toward the bridge to
see if the water was low enough to get under it. Its a very low bridge so
that even at low tide it is a tight squeeze so I am sure that if I had been
at the bridge an hour earlier there wouldn't have been any question about
trying it.
I surveyed the situation carefully before choosing which channel to try and
finally I ducked myself down as flat as possible and let the current carry
me through. I know from previous excursions that face down is a lot less
creepy to pass under the rafters of the bridge and I didn't feel anything
drop on my neck so I emerged on the other side unscathed.
By now the tide was well on its way out but the water levels were at the
usual high tide mark - perhaps even higher. I made my way south in the main
channel and was on my way toward bridge when I happened to look behind me
and spotted a large brown bird circling the pines in the center of the
island. There were a lot of vultures in the vicinity as usual but I spotted
a flash of white on the head and tail and realized that it was an adult
eagle. I watched as he appeared to land on one of the pines and so I paddled
over to see if I could get closer. I never could pick him up and since I was
approaching four hours out I decided to head on home.
See the pictures from this trip
9/15/06
Roseate Spoonbill at Tiger Point
It's been a few weeks since I have been in my favorite place - Pumpkin Hill
so with Hope out of town I grabbed some Wendy's and headed up the road after
work.
The flood tides are subsiding but the water levels are still well above
normal or I should say - normal for this time of the year. I've never put in
at PH during flood tide conditions however so I was curious to see what I
would find. High tide at the point was at around 5:30 so I knew it would be
pretty well peaked out by the time I got in the water.
The water at the put-in was nearly in the woods - the highest I've ever seen
it and there was still a bit of current coming in. There was a stiff sea
breeze blowing across Black Hammock so I made steady progress toward the
point. I explored some side streams to see if the high water was allowing
for any shortcuts across the marsh but did find much until I passed the
final trailhead near the little point. I cut in there and paddled across the
grass scaring up some large fish feeding there that appeared to be Croaker.
I paddled along the edge of the woods leading to the trees that I could see
were full of birds but a noisy Great Blue warned them of my approach and the
trees were empty by the time I arrived. Spoonies, Storks and friends
I decided to cut across the long grassy point there and I easily glided over
the grass and found myself heading toward the point. I expected to find the
point full of Spoonies and I was not disappointed as I rounded the bend. The
setting sun was glaring behind the trees and since I had forgotten my
sunglasses it was difficult to see but I couldn't mistake their distinctive
silhouettes and pinkish hue. They were joined in the trees by some Wood
Storks and herons but the whole group flushed as I glided past. They
resettled behind me so I paddled on past them toward the sound of an unseen
Osprey at the next outcropping of trees. There was a Wood Stork trying
desperately to balance on a dead tree and with the glare I couldn't make out
where the Osprey was until he flushed.
I wanted to make another pass at the Spoonies who were settled nearer the
point and whose plummage was glowing bright pink in the evening light but I
decided to check out the area behind the point knowing that it is often a
favorite place for Storks and Ibis. The Osprey I had flushed earlier was the
only occupant and since he was busy eating dinner he was in no mood to pose
so I returned to the point disappointed to find that the Spoonbills had
moved on. Spider at the point
I got out and hung my hammock and ate my dinner. After dinner I walked
around the point and nearly ran smack into a Spider who had spread his web
across the road. I decided to leave him be after shooting some nice shots of
him with the sun backlighting his web and then packed up to leave.
By now, the tide had turned but the current was manageable. As I made my way
down the long run away from the point I spotted a Green Heron flying across
the grass and he landed a few yards away. I pulled in and inched my way
toward him and I could tell that he was a young bird - very likely the same
one I have been shooting in this vicinity recently. His mannerisms were the
same as well since he seemed as curious about me as I was of him. He even
allowed me to change my batteries while I sitting less than 10 feet away. Sunset at the point
We finally parted company and I rounded the first point just as the sun was
disappearing behind Tiger Point. I finished the trip uneventfully and was
back at my truck at 8 pm. A very nice way to end the work week.
See the pictures from this trip
9/17/06
Bald Eagle at Tiger Point
I decided to head back to Pumpkin Hill on this non-football Sunday. High
tide was just after 7 this morning and I was in the water at close to 8. The
flood tides have pretty well subsided by now and I found the water level
just slightly above normal.
The tide was slack and not a breath of wind so the water was glassy as I
made my way north to the point. I took advantage of the high water and made
some side trips into the marsh as I headed down. I had few photo ops on the
way down but I was fairly certain that once I made the turn into Edwards
Creek I would see my goofy pink friends. I did hear the raucous honk of
Geese in the distance but never spotted them.
My disappointment in finding the point devoid not only of Spoonies but all
bird life was quickly changed to joy when I looked down the way and
spotted the unmistakable silhouette of a Bald Eagle sitting in a pine tree.
That inverted tear drop shape sitting straight up and down on the branch is
hard to mistake for anything else. This one was about four years old as near
as I could tell since he had just a hint of black on the back of his head. I inched my way against the strong current coming out of Edwards Creek,
pausing to shoot him as he sat there regally observing the area. Finally, he
had enough of me and silently departed and headed around the bend.
I followed and as I paddled past the grove of trees where he had been
sitting I looked to my left and saw that he had moved only a few yards
upstream and was perched again in another pine tree deeper in the same grove. There was a landing
just below his tree that allowed me to get out unobserved and I hoped that I
could sneak up on him to get some good shots. Spoonies at the point
"Sneaking" is not an easy thing to do when you are talking about getting
creaky 49 year old bones out of a kayak and through palmetto scrub infested
with spiders. I'm sure the Eagle was laughing himself silly watching me and
I'm quite sure that he didn't stick around too long. At any rate by the time
I got close to his tree he was long gone and so I headed back through the
spiders and Palmettos to my boat.
As I sat there eating breakfast I noticed that the Spoonbills were making
their way across the flats toward the point - coming in pairs a few
minutes apart until one of the trees was literally overflowing with the pink
fruit. Unfortunately, someone was fishing from the bank almost directly
beneath the Spoonies so I wasn't able to get many shots as I headed back
into Pumpkin Hill.
Little Blue Heron
Surprisingly, even though it was mid-tide I found the current to be still
nearly slack and so I made good progress back toward the put-in. Just as I
reached the bend near the trailheads a Little Blue Heron flew across the
creek and landed noisily on the bank near me. As he landed squawking he was
answered from deep within the grass by a chorus of angry Rails unhappy at
his intrusion. He had a splash of white streaked through his mostly blue
body and he may have been the same Heron I have seen camped out in this spot
through the summer. He began the summer mostly while and progressively
molted to a mostly solid blue plumage. I followed him around he bend until he entered a small inlet.
As I sat there shooting him I realized that someone was watching us and soon
a Rail appeared at the edge of the grass. I shot the pair for a few minutes
until the Heron flew off and the Rail retreated into the grass.
See the pictures from this trip
9/17/06
Gimmee that fishy dude!!
It was a rough week at work - a very late night Monday at an emotionally and
physically draining football game (we beat the Squealers 9-0 in case you
haven't heard) and then a tube leak and start-up that required me to come in
at 12:00 midnight last night and work off at 6 this morning.
That gave me the rest of the day off, however, and a cold front has given us
the first true taste of fall weather just in time for the autumn equinox so
after 4 hours of sleep I got myself going with the intention of having a "veg
out day" on the FGR.
I had turned down the island road and was already past the church when it hit me
that this would be an ideal day to head down Simpsons Creek so I turned
around and headed on up A1A and was in the water at 1 pm.
It was just past mid-tide which meant that there was plenty of current
heading toward the sound and I made good time - arriving at Half Moon Bluff
in about 30 minutes. There were few things to shoot on the way down but I
did see what I thought could be two or three Bald Eagles soaring over the
sound. As I approached the bluffs I spotted an Osprey and paused to shoot
him for a while. Osprey at Half Moon Bluff
As I reached the mouth of the creek I spotted a Reddish Egret dancing in
the shallows just to the east so I paddled over and positioned myself to
watch and shoot the show. I had just turned my camera to video mode thinking
that it would make a good addition to my
YouTube collection when a white
Egret about the same size came flying noisily over and proceeded to chase
the first Egret away. I wondered at first who this guy was since most other
herons and egrets give the Reddish a wide berth - kind of like me not making
eye contact with the crazy homeless guys. I noticed, however, that he was
exactly the same size - in between a Great White and a Snowy Egret and he
had a dark beak and unusually intense eyes.
Young Reddish on Nassau Sound.... ....White Morph Reddish
Well, He soon began to twirl around the shallows with his wings spread and I
knew that I was seeing a White Morphed Reddish Egret - something I had read
about but never seen. There was no mistaking him once I realized this - the
beak, the shaggy neck, the legs with the joint much lower down than most
herons or egrets. But really, aside from the obvious behavior traits it was
that half crazed expression on his face as he pranced through the water.
I was just about to leave him and I had seen a large group of Oyster
Catchers on the opposite bank of the mouth of the creek so I was going to
head over there. There were several Ospreys catching fish in the vicinity
and one of them had just flown low over the Oyster Catchers scaring them
away and I decided to watch him to see if he would take his catch to eat it
where I could shoot him. Suddenly, I noticed that he was joined in the air
by another brown and white bird which I assumed was another Osprey. I soon
realized my mistake as this bird was considerably larger and although he was
streaked with white throughout he had a mostly white head and large yellow
beak. Juvenile Bald Eagle harassing an Osprey over his fish
He was a young Bald Eagle, of course, and he proceeded to do what I have
seen the juvenile Eagles do before - he was going to steal the Osprey's fish. I
watched in fascination as the pair swooped directly over my head in an
aerial display that nearly caused me to fall out of my kayak as I shot it.
The pair continued this chase until they were well out over the sound and I
was amazed that the Eagle was able to match the Osprey move for move in
spite of being much larger. The Osprey was just a little better and more
determined to keep his catch and since it was rather small he was able to
out maneuver the Eagle until it gave up finally. In the past when I have seen
this happen the Eagles will usually surprise an Osprey with a large fish and
since the Osprey can't maneuver as well with a heavy catch it will usually
drop it and let the Eagle grab it in the air. As much as I love Bald Eagles
it is a little disturbing to see the youngsters (and it seems to only be the
youngsters) bully the other birds into giving up their hard earned food -
teenagers!! - Harrumph!! Immature Bald Eagle on Little Talbot
Island
I followed the Eagle and saw him land in a tree on the western edge of
Little Talbot Island near the mouth of Myrtle Creek so I decided to paddle
up and see if I could get close. I followed the creek past the campsite at
the end of Long Island. As I got close, he appeared to move to another tree
nearby and for a while I wasn't sure if the bird I now saw was him or not.
The bird I was now seeing was not sitting straight up and down like Eagle's
usually do but more at a 45 degree angle like an Osprey. I finally got close
enough to get a shot and reviewed it on my camera and could see that it was
indeed the same young Eagle.
There was a mudflat leading up to the base of the tree he as in so I got out
and began working my way toward him through the scratchy sea daisies. I got
several shots before he flew off and headed up Myrtle Creek and I returned
to my boat and headed back toward the sound.
There was another Reddish Egret at the entrance to Myrtle Creek so I stopped
and shot him for a while. I could detect just a hint of white on the
underneath of his chin so apparently he had just been through his white
morph stage himself. After shooting him I headed out into the sound and
paddled across to the beach extension of Little Talbot.
Oyster Catcher bathing in the sound
As I ate and swam I noticed a couple of things happening in the marsh. A
large flock of Great Blue Herons - about a dozen or so - flying in from the
ocean and following Simpsons Creek. They began to fly low and swoop and
circle as if they were looking for a place to land. I also began to see a
few flocks of smallish ducks begin to do the same thing - fly in from the
direction of the ocean into Simpsons. I couldn't identify them but they were
about the size of Mergansers or possibly Wood Ducks. I began to wonder if
these birds were migrating from the north and were following the coastline
until they recognized a particular feature they remembered like Simpsons and
recognized it as the entrance to the Timucuan.
This would explain a lot of things to me about what I see in the winter
here. Great Blue Herons are normally very solitary birds but on several
occasions during the winter I see huge numbers of them flocking together. I
know that Great Blues are spread across the country from Maine to California
and during the winter time the northern birds will migrate south while the
southern birds will stay put. I'm assuming that when I see the large groups
of birds like Great Blues or Oyster Catchers that are normally solitary I
must be seeing the migratory visitors and not the local birds. I'll have to
ask around and do some research on this to be sure. Visitors from up north
After eating lunch and taking a dip I decided to head back. There was a pair
of Oyster Catchers at the mouth (probably locals) and one of them was taking
a very vigorous bath. The current was fairly strong so I my trip back was
pretty easy. As I got close to the highway I made a turn and I could see at
the end of the next bend was where the large flock of Great Blues had
landed. There were three of four standing out in the open on the sandbar but
I could see the heads of five or six others peering warily above the tops of
the grass. Of course I couldn't get very close before they all flew off but
it was good to see them.
I also saw hundreds of Ibis and several dozen Wood Storks flying about and I
saw several more flocks of ducks racing about the marsh. Yes, it is the
change of seasons here in the preserve and you can see it and feel it on a
daily basis.
See the pictures from this trip
9/24/06
Peregrine Falcon on Cedar Point
Creek
I decided to stay much closer to home this morning so after bypassing an
already crowded Clapboard Creek I launched from the trashy Cedar Point
put-in just as the brilliant sun broke over the horizon. It was a cloudless
day with very low humidity which meant that the sun's full intensity was
felt early on. There was no breeze although I could see the plumes at work
bending over so I knew a breeze was out there somewhere.
I saw little on the way up to the confluence point. The huge flocks of Ibis
were back flying into the sun and I occasionally saw Spoonbills heading in
the opposite direction. As I made the first turn a lone Dolphin surfaced but
I never saw him again. Once at the sea daisy island I paused to shoot some
groups of Dowitchers, Yellowlegs and Immature Black Bellied Plovers. I also
got some shots of a Ruddy Turnstone tossing his "stones" up in the air. Dowitchers, Plovers and Yellowlegs
I headed north when I reached the point and after stopping to eat breakfast
there I continued up toward the road. I had paddled up to where the stream
bends sharply to the west as it goes around and island and I was attempting
to shoot a Tri-Colored and Snowy when I spotted a smallish hawk staring at
me from the top of a dead tree. At first I thought he might be a Red
Shouldered Hawk but after reviewing a few shots I noticed a distinctive eye
patch and realized that it was very likely a Peregrine Falcon. After I had
been there a while I heard the chirping of a songbird in the vicinity and
one suddenly flew up and attempted to land on the branch directly beneath
the Falcon. The Peregrine - who primarily eats other birds - gave a quick
glance and the songbird stopped in mid-air and quickly landed on an adjacent
tree and then made himself scarce. I sat there for several more
minutes shooting him until he finally moved on and I did the same.
After continuing north for a few more minutes I decided to turn back. As I
reached the main channel I head a loud splash and saw a pair of Dolphins
heading toward the ICW. By now the tide had slacked but the breeze I had
spotted at the power plant earlier had reached the marsh but it merely made
the paddle back pleasant.
See the pictures from this trip
9/25/06 Sun bathing Great Blues on Guana
The signs of migration that I saw late last week on the Nassau Sound got me
thinking about checking out Guana Lake again since that is a prime spot for
migratory birds. As I pulled into the parking lot, however, I was surprised
to see that there were seven or eight trucks and trailers already parked
there. I pulled around to the ramp and got ready to unload my boat but as I
did I noticed an old codger with a clipboard sitting next to the ramp
surrounded by Coleman lanterns and a cooler. He asked if I knew there was a
duck hunt in progress and of course since I was sure duck season didn't
start for several more weeks I expressed my surprise. When I asked if that
meant I shouldn't launch he chuckled and said that they hadn't had anybody
shot out there in all the years he had been managing the hunts and that as
long as I headed south I would be safe. Working on the tan
I chatted with him for a while since I have been curious about the hunting
season since I started paddling here a year ago. He said that what was going
on today was "Early Teal Season" - a five day hunt that would be over at
week's end and then real duck season would start in mid-November - at which
time they chain the gate when there wasn't a hunt scheduled. The season
would be over in late January or early February and after that it was open
to all. I told him that I was there to bird watch since it was migration
time and he told me that this was indeed a great time for that, He told me
that he had seen some Black Bellied Whistling Ducks every morning this week
- just like clockwork near the ramp. We parted company and I headed directly
south intending to work my way toward the Eagle's nest.
As I approached the open area of the lake I looked over to an island of
cattails and saw what at first I thought was a large piece of plywood leaned
up against the grass. I checked with my binoculars and saw that instead it
was a Great Blue Heron who was standing with his wings spread out low -
almost in a "Lotus" position facing the sun. He was obviously sunning
himself in the bright glare of the sun that was well up over the dunes along
A1A. I've seen Great Blues do this on occasion and it is an odd sight to
see. I was coming from the direction of the sun so he didn't see me for a
while and when he did he folded up his wings and began walking - then flying
away. Tri-Colored Heron
There were a considerable numbers of Tri-Colored Herons - all immature - who
were squawking about the wetlands as they fed. I also saw several Least
Bitterns but they always saw me first and clucked as they disappeared deep
into the Cattails. As I angled my way over to the western shoreline I could
see several Great Blues flying up to the pine trees there. When I reached
the shoreline I saw another odd sight. There were two Great Blues perched
near each other - one in a Oak and the other on top of a Palm stump. Both
were doing the same thing as the first Great Blue I had seen - wings spread
out low as they faced the sun in a worshipful pose. Perhaps these are
migratory Herons from up north who are trying to get their "Florida Tans"
while they are here visiting. Big Ole Gator
I turned to the south as I skirted the western shore staying about five or
six feet out from the grass. I was approaching an open area where a small
mudflat broke up the continuous wall of grass when I saw something large
moving ahead. A Gator of at least six feet in length was walking across the
flats as I approached and quickly slid into the water about 10 feet in front
of me. Instead of disappearing under the water he calmly stayed afloat as I
paused to shoot and then disappeared. I'm glad that he saw me before I had
gotten much closer - that probably would have been a surprise neither one of
us would have enjoyed.
I was now getting close to the Bald Eagle's nest but I assumed that it would
be empty since I knew the chicks should be long gone. As I glided past,
however, I saw a distinct shape sticking up from the middle of the nest and
a quick check with my binoculars confirmed that there was a fully mature
Bald Eagle sitting there. I shot him (or her) for a few minutes before
heading on. As I paddled along the shore I spotted another large gator ahead
of me that was heading away from the shore. I spotted the head of another
well out in the lake heading toward shore but when he saw me he stopped and
watched me from a distance. Bald Eagle on the nest in Guana
I think he knew what was about to happen because at that moment I heard a
loud crashing sound coming unseen from behind the grass as if something was
running through the underbrush. Suddenly a large Gator came flying through
the air crashing into the water about 10 feet from my boat. A large head
soon appeared and then disappeared and I never saw it again. A few minutes
later a similar thing happened and I waited to see if the head would appear.
It didn't but as I stuck my paddle in the water to leave there was a violent
splash and swirl directly under the stern of my boat which caused me to
squeal like a little girl and cuss like a sailor. I looked out in the lake
and saw that same Gator watching all of this and I have to believe that he
was laughing at me.
After all of this I looked above me and saw that there was an Eagle soaring
above me in the deep blue sky and that there was another one above him. I
never saw the Eagle leave the nest but it was most likely the same one.
I paddled into the pool that lay in front of the observation tower and
wondered again why they didn't make it available to boaters. After my recent
gator encounters I certainly didn't want to try to force my way through the
grass to find access so I turned around. A tiny Gator was sitting alone in
the pool and like most young Gators he showed little fear of me but kept
popping his head up and down to see where I was. Knowing that Gator young
stay close to mom for a few years I didn't want to get too close to him and
left him to play in his pool. Anhinga ready for takeoff
I headed over to the eastern shore and began working my way back toward the
ramp. After another Gator-torpedo encounter I passed an Osprey who was
standing on top of a Palm stump. He was staring intently at the hollow
interior of the tree as if he was fascinated by whatever he saw. He was so
intent at what he was doing that I was able to work my way through the
vegetation clogged shallows until I was 10 feet from the base of his tree.
He would occasionally look up at me but he never once chirped an alarm and
even when I turned around to leave he never flinched. Is there something in there?
Another Osprey was just up the shoreline but he acted more normally and flew
away as I approached. I reached the ramp after about 3 1/2 hours and saw
that the parking lot was empty so I decided to head north and do a loop
around the island that lies just north of the ramp. The water levels were
higher than I had ever seen them so I was able to easily circumnavigate the
island. I had hoped to see the "Teals" that they were hunting but evidently
those birds and just about everyone else had decided that the north end of
Guana Lake was not a safe place to be and were staying away or at least well
hidden so I headed back.
It's approximately six weeks until real Duck season gets underway so I plan
on making Guana a regular stopping place whenever I can for the next few
weeks.
See the pictures from this trip
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