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| 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.
Put In / Take Out: Ray's Wayside (aka Ocala Boat Club). Check previous posts about Silver River for details. Cost per vehicle is $5.
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.
There were also the usual suspects and a new one, a Summer Tanager, which I first thought it was a Cardinal...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Prothonotary Warbler having a good day. Cannot say the same about the spider. |
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| Prothonotary Warbler |
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| Prothonotary Warbler |
There were also the usual suspects and a new one, a Summer Tanager, which I first thought it was a Cardinal...
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| Summer Tanager |
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| Even the gators were in the shade |
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| Great Egret |
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| Juvenile Ibis |
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| Wood Ducks. Female on the left |
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| Mr. Wood Duck |
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| Great Blue Heron close up |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Red Shouldered Hawk |
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| Red Shouldered Hawk |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Gator...all the ones we saw were little ones |
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| Gator |
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| Maybe the biggest gator of the day. 5 to 6 feet |
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| Moorhen |
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| Gator mat |
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| Green Heron |
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| 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...
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| Silver Spring Head Spring area |
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| 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...
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| Cormorant chicks |
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| Little Blue Heron |
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| Juvenile Little Blue Heorn |
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| Anhinga chick |
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| Sibling rivalry. Anhinga chicks |
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| Nesting Little Blue Heron |
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| Nesting Little Blue Heron |
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| Cormorant nest to the left, Anhinga nest to the right. |
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| 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.
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| Yellow Crowned Night Heron |
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| Wood Duck duckling |
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| 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...
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| Silver River Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Silver River Little Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Can this be classified as a two for one? Told you. Now you know how I knew it was a female. |
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| 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.
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| Silver River Head Spring area |
Still amazed by monkeys in Florida! Thanks for sharing..and the baby wood duck too..Wow.. As always, super post & pics!
ReplyDeleteLove those baby Anhingas. No snakes?
ReplyDeleteSaw one sunning but went to the water before I had a chance for a pic. The irony is that I was looking for them this time. Based on the pics you posted in Facebook did look for snakes in similar set ups. Close but no cigar.
ReplyDeleteCindy, You have to come here and paddle in CFL. You will enjoy it.
Fantastic fotos! Or is it Phantastic photos! It would appear the State is putting up mile markers in State Park waterways. They are also in the Weeki Wachee and Rock Springs Run. I did not notice them my last visit to the Silver, in April, so they must be new on the Silver. I'll be on the Silver this weekend, either Sat. or Sun. Depending on the Cedar Key Marine forecast.
ReplyDelete