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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Deer Lower Wekiva River

Lower Wekiva River Deer


A incredibly hot day, add that a late start and it made it worst. But there is not a way to paddle the Lower Wekiva River and go back home dissapointed. Did not want to kayak Lower Wekiva River today. Wanted to go to Canaveral Seashore and see manatees and dolphins. But the forecast was a high of 95F with a 105F heat index. I was under the Sun last Saturday under similar conditions and decided against being in the same situation for this paddle. So made it to Katie's Landings at around 9:30AM. Started paddling near 9:50.

Osprey

Put In / Take Out: Katie's Landings, located at Wekiva Park Dr in Sanford. If you are coming from I4, turn right just before the SR46 bridge over the Wekiva River. Katie's will be to your left hand after maybe a mire or a mile and a half. There is a sign so you will not miss it. The fee is $3 and is an honor system. Talking about it, there were no envelopes to pay this time. Not knowing if the fee was being waved, there is a day in the year when you do not have to pay at the Florida State Parks, of it was just that somebody did not do the job, did wrap three dollars in a napkin, wrote my minivan's car tag and did deposit the payment. Peace of mind is more important than $3.

Gator

This was another solo paddle. Team Views From Our Kayak may not be in the water together for a while because our tandem kayak is not reliable anymore. Makes too much water on every trip and there is no money in the budget to buy another one in the near future. That being said started this one as we always do, exploring the lagoon in front of Katie's. Maybe because of the heat, there was not the usual variety of wildlife I was expecting. Or maybe because the water level is high and that does not give too much room for the wading birds. After 15 minutes there tried to find my way North thru the area West of the small island near Katie's but it was impassable. Vegetation grew too high and now is blocking the way, so paddled along the East side of the island with the residential zone to my right side, the east bank of the Wekiva River. The current was faster than usual and the wind was coming from the South. Not good for the return paddle but crossed my fingers and hoped for a shift in the wind for the trip back to the put in. Did not happen.

Great Egret

Did not see too many people in the river. A large group were int he put in when I started but they headed South. Saw two guys fishing from their kayaks, then a couple with their kid. Three motor boats, two of them going down river pretty fast while I was taking a break in the high ground area, and a pontoon boat on my way up. That was it. Did explore the island West of the put in paddling from the North. Usually see lots of wildlife there but not this time. Saw a Black Crowned Night Heron and a Green Heron but both of them flying away from me in a hurry.

Anhinga

Cattle Egret
Did You Know That? The subject of this section is a small white heron that is more at home foraging in the grass than in the water. As a matter of fact, cannot remember seeing this one too often in this section of the river. The Cattle Egret is more comfortable following cattle, horses, and tractors feeding on the insects they stir up. They will also be attracted from smoke and will travel long distances to feed on insects trying to escape fires. Cattle Egret can also add birds to their diet. In the Dry Tortugas, off the coast of Florida, they have being seen trying to catch migrating warblers. This bird is non native to America and came from Africa and Asia. Was first found in USA in 1941 and started nesting by 1953. It is now one of the most abundant herons in North America, also found in Alaska and Newfoundland. Did You Know That? Other than they following cattle I had no idea.


Great Blue Heron

Thought about taking a break at the high ground area at noon but decided to keep going for thirty more minutes. Am glad I did that because 5 minutes later found the deer in the opening pic. She was close to the bank but I was paddling with the current and my momentum took me way ahead of where it was. When I turned around to where I saw it, went deeper into the forest followed by not one, but two little ones. Refused to give up and finally found a spot from where I was able to shoot pics but did not have a clear shot. The sound of the shutter made the doe curious and came close to me, giving me an open line for a pic. As soon as she saw what this was about ran away but at least got one nice pic. I wonder if they are the same ones Master Dave, from Dave's Yak Tales, saw during his last trip. I do not see deer too often and have seen a female with a single fawn a few times. Never a female with two little ones, until this paddle.

Deer














Turned around at 12:30. At that time was near the mouth of Blackwater Creek and thought about exploring it for a few minutes but I know myself and those few minutes could have been easily one hour. So started paddling back against the current and an occasional strong breeze. Took a break at the high grounds, where stopped for 30 minutes, and then kept going up river. Made good time on my way up regardless the fast current and the wind, maybe because did not make many pic stops. Here are more pics of what I saw during this paddle...

Great Blue Heron

Turtle

Duck

Duck

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Little Blue Heron

Soft Shell Turtle

Ibis

Turtle

Gator

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Great Egret

Juvenile Tri-Colored Heron

Juvenile Tri-Colored Heron

Deer

White Tail Deer

Gator

Turtle

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Turtle

Ibis

This is it for this one. Thanks for reading, in case you really read the whole post, and see you next week. We will share more Views From Our Kayak.

Lower Wekiva River


Saturday, July 14, 2012

Canaveral Seashore - Eddy Creek

Dolphin

Today found a way to be able to have a short paddle trip and then spent time with the family.  Did kayak the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, at  Canaveral Seashore, a place called Eddy Creek, to be exact. It was my first time there and did not know what to expect so when three dolphins swam no too far from where I was, it was a welcome sighting.


Tri-Colored Heron


Put In/ Take Out: The following link, Canaveral National Seashore, will take you to a map of the park. Eddy Creek is locates at the west side of the road to Playalinda, after parking area #7, if my memory does not fail me now. Anyways there is a sign so you cannot miss it.  It is really a sandy boat ramp but it is very easy to put in your kayak or canoe. The fee to the park is $5 per vehicle.


Royal Tern and Laughing Gulls


I started my paddling at 11:30AM, after leaving my family at Playalinda. Did not plan to be in the water for more than 4 hours regardless. But did not have an idea where to go. Looking at a map saw some small islands west of the put in so that is what I had in mind and that is what was done first. I had no clue why this is called a creek. A recent reading clarified the point for me. It seems like the mangroves and the islands around it are part of an old inlet that connected the Mosquito Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean. Check this link for the whole story: Canoeing Eddy Creek.


Great Egrets flying


Ibis
Did not do something spectacular. If you follow the map in the link previously provided, kayaked out of Eddy Creek to the first small island  west of it. It was in that canal where saw the dolphins, three of them to be exact. It seems that canal is the only area deep enough for the dolphins to swim by. Did not find any area deeper than that one. Most of the route I took was in shallow waters, between a lot of sea grass and jumpy fishes. As the dolphins left heading north noticed something in the water. It was a gator swimming south but the reptile did not give me a good pic chance. Made me think about getting a YDT, Yak Dave Trifecta: Gator, dolphin, and manatee in the same trip. The YDT did not happen but had another chance to obtain a pic of a gator, which I eventually got. In case you are new to kayaking or maybe you are coming from Mars, here is a link to Dave's Yak Tales and another one to Green Wave Forum. Both sites are my main sources of information for kayak trips.


Osprey


There were moments I wished was paddling the Haulover Canal area. It has more variety of wildlife. Out of Eddy Creek, this section of the Mosquito Lagoon, this is where you are really paddling, had plenty of Ospreys, Tri-Colored Herons, Little Blue Herons, Brown Pelicans, and Cormorants rule. Nothing similar to Mullet Head Island. Maybe another trip is in order to explore the area north of the put in. For this one kept going west until reached the other bank of the Mosquito Lagoon, which is close to the Bio Lab Road if you check the map. There I rested for a few minutes while taking pics of a Black Necked Stilt and their chicks. Have seen these birds before but never had a chance to see or take pics of the chicks.




Black Necked Stilts'chicks


After the break in the west side of the Mosquito Lagoon paddled back to the put in. A strong breeze made this paddle miserable but at least it was not too bumpy. Made it back to the put in area at 3PM. Other than a couple of motor boats and some people fishing from the banks saw one more kayaker in 3 hours and 30 minutes. Here are more pics of what I saw today...


Killdeer

Killdeer

Tri-Colored Heron

Osprey

Little Blue Heron

Launch Pads at Kennedy Space Center

Dolphin

Dolphin

Space Shuttle Assembly Building

Cormorants

Cormorant flying away from a Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey

Cormorant

Brown Pelican

Great Egret got lunch

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt chicks

Black Necked Stilt chick

Spotted Sandpiper

Black Necked Stilt

Great Blue Heron

Sea Gulls

Laughing Gull

Great Blue Heron caught a fish for lunch

Gator

Green Heron

Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron


And that is all folks. Thanks for reading and hope you come back next week, when we will be sharing more Views From Our Kayak.


Mosquito Lagoon