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Saturday, March 30, 2013

De Leon Springs - Spring Garden Creek

Swallow-Tailed Kite

I am very excited about this paddle trip. 400 pics to choose from. This is the first one looked at. Given, most of the 400 are going to the trash bin but there have to be some good ones, like the one above. As a matter of fact, saw the three members of the Florida Air Force; Eagle, Osprey, and Red Shouldered Hawk. The eagle was a juvenile and too high for a good pic but will share with you what I got.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Put In & Take Out: Used the facilities of De Leon Springs State Park. It is a very nice one, besides a boat ramp, and the State now fixed the area putting a little more sand and widening the canoe & kayak lunch. Did pay $4 for the entrance since I was alone. Check with the park for fees.


Osprey

Had a late start hoping for my wife to come with me. She decided to stay at home yesterday so this was a solo. The kayak was in the waters of the Spring Garden lagoon, where the outflow from the De Leon Springs falls, at 10:08 AM. You have to be aware of where you are when kayaking in the area so it can be very shallow in some spots. The edges are very shallow and mucky. The smell of methane can be very strong in some areas. Did explore the waters of Spring Garden Lake before heading to the Spring Garden Creek, where spent most of the time. 

Red Shouldered Hawk

There is one reason because I do not like to kayak here during weekends and that is: Motor Boats. It is crazy. Lost count of how many motor boats I saw and how many times my little Perception Tribe was rocked by the wakes of the boats. But I knew that was going to happen and mentally prepared for it so did not take away anything from the paddle. At least all the boaters, but one...there is always one..., were polite and reduced speed near me.

Gator at Spring Garden Creek

It was a heck of a day for gator viewing. Big ones, little ones, medium ones, tiny little ones too, all soaking the Sun light. There was one in particular that was so big that I hesitated before approaching where it was. Unable to find an angle to take a picture that would show it completely had to settle to take two.





When started my paddle had no specific plan. Thought that maybe will paddle to Lake Woodruff and then back to the State Park. When I reached the area where the docks for a pontoon boat used to be decided to take a break. Had a sandwich there and talked to a guy that showed up out of no where. He said that came from the Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge. Bottom line is that after 30 something minutes decided to paddle back to the State Park instead. The breeze was coming strong from the South, actually negating the current so it was not too much of a struggle to decide to go back. Enough of blah...blah...Let us see the pics that I got. Out of the 400 I took less than 150 survived. That tells you how good I am with the camera. Anyways...Here we go...


Great Egret

Cormorant

Osprey

Moorhens

Juvenile Little Blue Heron
Juvenile Little Blue Heron with feathers starting to change colors

Snowy Egret

Coots taking off

Great Blue Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Great Blue Heron's nest

Spring Garden Creek Scene

Gator

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron flying
 
Defiant Gator tries to intimidate my 9.5 Tribe

Green Heron

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Wonder how is the view from up there.

Gator

Gator slides into the creek

Great Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Gator

Gator

Juvenile Ibis

Turtle

I think this is a Yellow Rumped Warbler

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Limpkin

Limpkin

Belted Kingfisher

Tri-Colored Heron

Little Blue Heron

Sunning Gator

Coot
 Was at the beginning of Spring Garden Creek, near the lake, when a Swallow-Tailed Kite decided to show up, actually two of them. It is amazing the way they fly and how elegant and graceful are their change of directions. Also saw one of them in a dive. Simply spectacular.

Swallow-Tailed Kite

Swallow-Tailed Kite

Swallow-Tailed Kite

Swallow-Tailed Kite

Swallow-Tailed Kite on a dive

And that is pretty much it for this one. See Views From Our Kayak on Facebook for more pics. Thanks for reading and hope you join us on the next Views From Our Kayak.

Spring Garden Creek