Pellicer Creek (Faver-Dykes State Park)

Swallow-Tailed Kite

When you have a good paddle, as the one we had this past weekend at Blue Spring, it is hard to go for the next one and not being excited. Your expectations are high and you just wish for it to be as good or maybe better than your previous. That was the mood today when we left home towards Faver-Dykes State Park to kayak on Pellicer Creek. This was a place I spotted  not too long ago while driving to St. Augustine. Saw the sign on I-95, Pellicier Creek, and did a research. My two sources of information, Green Wave Forum and Dave's Yak Tales, did not have too many posts about so I was reluctant. Wanted to go alone first since it looked like the kind of place my wife would not enjoy too much. But she wanted to come and there we went.

Immature Little Blue Heron

Put In / Take Out: The put in for this trip was the Boat Ramp at Faver-Dykes State Park in St. Augustine. The entrance fee at the park is $5.00 but, watch out, they do not have to Park Ranger at gate. It is an honor system, like at Katie's Landing(See Lower Wekiva River post).You put your five in the envelope they provide and hang the receipt in your rear view mirror. It is that easy.  A dirt road will take you to the boat ramp. Just have to follow the signs. On the other hand, the ramp it is not designed for kayaks but for boats. Have to use your imagination to put in and not to scratch your yak in the concrete. It has a dock on the side which we used as the take out. The parking spots are not well defined so use common sense and try not to block the dirt road. It also has water and rest rooms, in case you need them.

Pellicer Creek

Great Egret

We were in the water by 9:20AM. Pellicer Creek is influenced by the tides and it was going out when we started our paddle. The plan was to go up the creek to the US Hwy 1 bridge and turn around. As you can see from the previous pic it is a marshy environment and the water is brackish. There are a few areas with residences and trees but it stay with that look almost all the time. After the I-95 bridge it is more a typical Florida forest. It does not have too many places where you can take cover from the Sun so be aware. Not too many places where you can take a break and stretch your legs. There was one in an area where FPL power transmission lines cross the creek but we did not use it.

Swallow-Tailed Kite

Adult Swallow-Tailed Kite

This paddle was not as good as our most recent paddle. As a matter of fact was not as good as many of our paddles but it had its moments. The best moment of this paddle was when three Swallow-Tailed Kites flew around us and preformed some acrobatics. Two of them flew between the trees with such elegance and incredible agility. It was cool to see that and to hear them. That is something you do not see too often. Unfortunately when the birds were near us they did fly into the Sun and wifey was not able to shoot the pics she wanted. But she was able to shoot some pics while they flew into the trees and also of one of them perched. Also we noticed that one of them had a shorter tail. We asked ourselves; Male and Female or Adult and Juvenile, so as soon as we arrived at home did a quick research and found that juveniles have a shorter tail. I know that the pics are not too clear but just want to show you the size of the tail on each bird.

Juvenile Swallow-Tailed Kite. See the shorter tail

Did You Know That?

Swallow-Tailed Kites are fiercely protective of their nest and will threat and attack any and all intruders. The pair only produce one brood per breeding season. If two eggs are laid the first chick to hatch will kill the younger chick(talk about bad timing). Florida harbors two of the North American greatest nesting population densities in the South West; Bug Cypress and Corkscrew Swamp.

I-95 Bridge over Pellicer Creek

We reached the US Hwy 1 bridge as planned. Did paddle a little more to the west after that and turned around. The heat was putting a number on us so we took advantage of the shade the two bridges provided on our way back to the State Park. Of course, on our trip back the tide was coming in and the wind too. We arrived at the take out around 1:00PM. That gave us about 3 hours and forty minutes in the water. Saw only a canoe and two small motor boats during that time. A father and a son were fishing at the dock. The kid was having a heck of  a fun. While I packed our stuff and put the yak in the van he caught no less than five fishes, some bigger than the others but small of all them. He put them back on the water. His Dad told me that they canoed all the way down to Princess Place, another option as Put In in this area, and that he was so tired. I believed him. We were as tired as he was.

US Hwy 1 Bridge over Pellicer Creek

Well, here are more pics of what we saw today...

Osprey flying over Pellicer Creek

Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Song Bird

Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron

Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron

Green Heron

Green Heron

Green Heron

Spotted Sandpiper (non breeding plumage)

Spotted Sandpiper (non breeding plumage)

Great Egret

Great Egret Flying at Pellicer Creek

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

That is all for this one. For more pics from this trip check our Photobucket slideshow Pellicer Creek. Still have to add more pics so give me a day or two if you want to see all of them.

Thanks for reading and see you soon for another Views From Our Kayak

Fiddler Crabs on the banks of Pellicer Creek