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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Lower Wekiva River From Katie's Landings

Black Crowned Night Heron

Memorial Day Week-end. A wise man once said "Never go to a State Park on a Holiday". I will have to add "...or Katie's Landings". Wow!!!! It was as busy as I have never seen this place. The humans, in kayaks, canoes, motor boats, and paddle boards, out numbered the wildlife seen. That is a lot to say. A rare paddle on this location...for me. Came back home with only 120 something pics. That is nothing compared with other trips. But the wildlife was scarce and skittish.


Little Blue Heron

Put In / Take Out: Katie's Landings. Please check previous posts about this location for location. The charge is $3 per vehicle, $2 per pedestrian. Honor system Arrived at Katie's just before 8 AM. Only one car in the parking area. Weird. I expected more cars for a Saturday of a long weekend. That changed in a blink of an eye. As I prepared my kayak a gentleman came to download his multiple kayaks. He was expecting a group.


Katie's Landings

Was in the water around 8:15. Did what I usually do every time at this place: explored the lagoon in front of Katie's and after I was done started my down river paddle through the West side of the small island near the Put In. Went all the way to the mouth of Blackwater Creek. Here is what I saw, well...No...what I was able to shoot pics at....

Black Crowned Night Heron playing hide and seek

Great Egret

Great Egret

Little Blue Heron - Juvenile

Moorhen

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Little Blue Heron

Gator...the only one that did not jump into the water as it sensed me.

Lady Wood Duck. Her partner left her alone when saw me.

Pileated Woodpecker. Many of them in the forest. Too deep for a decent pic.

Tri-Colored Heron

Swallow-Tailed Kite

Got to the mouth of Blackwater Creek in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I am a slow paddler. At that point let the current take me down river while I had a sandwich. Started my paddle up river, with the wind on my back (FINALLY!!!!) 5 minutes later. Up to that point the river was not too busy. It changed and how did it change. I stopped counting motor boats when reached 8, more than 25 kayakers in three different groups, and n paddle boarders. Two different groups of them. The Wekiva is running high and in the morning was not as clear as it usually is but was clear. In the afternoon was not able to see my paddle under the water. Debris all over the place because the motor boats. It was ugly. Seemed like it was another river. Only took a few pics on my way up. Here are them...


Memorial Day Celebration in the Wekiva River. Let us remember who are we honoring...

Great Blue Heron

Black Crowned Night Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Made it to Katie's Landings while another group was getting ready to go. Decided to keep going South. Was not much better as two motor boats came storming from up river. Here are the pics I was able to get...

Black Crowned Night Heron

Cormorant

Osprey

Osprey

Swallow Tailed Kite. I know the pic is not the best one but want to point at the difference in the tails on the one on the first pic and this one, which is a juvenile. The Kites will leave us soon since their chicks are out!!!

Female Anhinga...

...and her dark knight ( no pun intended)

This is it for this one. Not too much to show in an unusual slow day in the Lower Wekiva River, if you talk about wildlife. Saw Green Herons, Red Shouldered Hawks, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, a Great Crested Flycatcher, a Summer Tanager, a Raccoon, and an Ibis here and there. Not able to get in position for a pic. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook - Views From Our Kayak, and thanks for reading. See you soon from another location to share more Views From Our Kayak.

Katie's Landings



Saturday, May 18, 2013

Silver River

Motherly Care

Had a very good day at the Silver River. For the first time had company in my trip. Lisa Krakosky and Jeff Higbee are visiting from Michigan and showed them the beautiful Silver River. I think they liked it. Had a bad start(that is a different story), but ended up having a nice one in the river.

Lisa and Jeff

Put In / Take Out: Ray's Wayside (aka Ocala Boat Club). Check previous posts about Silver River for details. Cost per vehicle is $5.


Turtle

I do not have too many comments for this one so will leave the details to the minimum. For you to know, the river was busy with motor boats and kayakers. It picked up after 11AM. Silver River is not a tough paddle and the water is running crystal clear, improving as you approach the head spring. Prothonotary Warblers are ruling the river, being very active and vocal.

Prothonotary Warbler having a good day. Cannot say the same about the spider.

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

There were also the usual suspects and a new one, a Summer Tanager, which I first thought it was a Cardinal...

Summer Tanager
Even the gators were in the shade
 
Great Egret

Juvenile Ibis

Wood Ducks. Female on the left

Mr. Wood Duck

Great Blue Heron close up

Great Blue Heron

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Cormorant

Cormorant

Gator...all the ones we saw were little ones

Gator

Maybe the biggest gator of the day. 5 to 6 feet

Moorhen

 
Gator mat

Green Heron

Green Heron

We made it to the head spring area and stayed there for maybe 10 minutes before starting our trip back to Ray's Wayside, this time with the help of the current. Heard someone saying that it is 5.33 miles from Ray's Wayside to the sping. I always thought it was only 4. Anyways, took a few pics of the bottom...

Silver Spring Head Spring area

Silver Spring Head Spring area

Had a quick stop at a rockery down river. Cormorants, Anhingas, and Little Blue Heron nesting there. For all the Little Blue Herons I have seen from the yak, never saw a nesting pair before. Did it on this trip...

Cormorant chicks

Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heorn

Anhinga chick

Sibling rivalry. Anhinga chicks

Nesting Little Blue Heron

Nesting Little Blue Heron

Cormorant nest to the left, Anhinga nest to the right.

Nesting Little Blue Heron

Just after leaving the rockery saw a shape in the forest to the left. Not being sure what it was decided to take a closer look. It was a Yellow Crowned Night Heron. Too deep into the area for a good pic so bear with me on that one.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron
 
Wood Duck duckling

Silver River scene

Did not see any monkeys on our way up river. Honestly I was disappointed since really wanted my friends to see monkeys. That is exactly what would have happened if I did not hear a different sound coming from the forest. It was like a begging sound, a long huuuuuu I have heard before. Did not see the monkey first, back paddled to the area and looked for the origin of the sound. There it was, a lonely female monkey(How do I know?...Trust me...you will see). More females with babies joined her at the area in a time span of 5 minutes...


Silver River Rhesus Monkey

Rhesus Monkey

Rhesus Monkey

Silver River Little Monkey

Rhesus Monkey

Can this be classified as a two for one? Told you. Now you know how I knew it was a female.

Mama Monkey and her little one. These are the stars of the opening pic.

That is it for this one. Long but great day at the Silver River. Is there any other kind of day at this place? Props to Lisa and Jeff for not getting their shoes wet during the whole trip and enduring the whole 10.8 miles trip. Jeff brought to my attention that there are some signs on the river indicating the distances from point to point. I have never seen them. But during our break in the State Park ramp saw a map. It is 5.4 miles from Ray's to the Head Spring indeed. Do not forget to check and follow us on Views From Our Kayak - Facebook. Thanks for reading and hope you come back for the next Views From Our Kayak.


Silver River Head Spring area