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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Haulover Canal

Spoonie feeds a young one

Only at Haulover Canal you can have your day ruined by the rain and still come out happy. It happened to me today. Two weeks ago I wanted to bring my friends to kayak here but the weather conditions were not the best ones to do so. Friday night the forecast was "light chop" for the intra coastal waters. That is not a deal breaker so to Haulover Canal I went. Was int the waters of the Indian River at 8:20 AM.

Indian River Osprey

Put In / Take Out: End of the dirt road North and West from the draw bridge over Haulover Canal. Here are the coordinates for you to plug them in your GPS: 28°43'50.5"N 80°45'40.3"W


Great Blue Heron

The conditions were perfect as I started the trip heading to Mullet Head Island, as always do when kayaking here. Mullet Head Island is a bird sanctuary and is like a mile away from the end of the Put In. The Indian River was flat and there was just a light breeze. Those conditions were not going to last too long. Here are some pics from the beginning of the trip...

Mullet Head Island ahead on the Indian River


Osprey. This one did meet me at the Put In

Roseate Spoonbill (Spoonie)

Spoonie

White Pelican at the South East tip of Mullet Head Island.

White Pelicans

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican

White Pelican

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Mullet Head Island Scene. This one should have been the opening. We have a Spoonie, a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron and a Reddish Egret.

Spoonie

Reddish Egret & Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Spoonie

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

That most recent times kayaking here I did circle Mullet Head Island clockwise trying to take advantage of the sunlight. This time, tracking the spot where I saw some Spoonies flying to, did go counter clockwise. Entering to the North side of Mullet Head spotted a gator patrolling the area. It was then when thought that maybe was going to come back home with a Florida Trifecta, as my mentor (Dave's Yak Tales) calls when a gator, manatee, and dolphins are seeing during a trip. Got the first, and the hardest one to see here, member of the Florida Trifecta...two to go. (Gator- Manatee - Dolphin) 


Gator in the Indian River

Gator...Two to go for the Florida Trifecta

Spoonie chick

Brown Pelicans' nest

Spoonie

Spoonie

Great Egret in breeding plumage

Brown Pelican chicks

Spoonie and chick

Spoonie chick being fed by a parent

I was taking the pictures above when heard the sound of an chainsaw behind me, only that it was not a chainsaw. The gator was bellowing and it looked awesome. Head and tail lifted, open mouth. But I was not in a position to take a picture as it was exactly behind me. As soon as I got into a position and lifted the camera, of course it stopped doing that. Am 0 for 2 in that department but will keep trying to get a pic of a bellowing gator. Back to our regular programming. More pics of the scenes around Mullet Head Island...

Gator at the Indian River

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret and chicks
Cattle Egret chicks


Cormorants

Cormorants

Cattle Egret

Brown Pelican

Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Osprey

Brown Pelican

Cormorants' huddle. It seems like a drill Sargent inspecting the platoon 

Spoonies in flight

Reddish Egret

That is a new one for me. Any idea what is that?

Brown Pelican

Sea Gull

Reddish Egret and chick begging for food

Reddish Egret

Brown Pelican

Osprey

Osprey
Brown Pelicans in flight

It was then when saw dark clouds and rain coming down South and West of my position at the time. I even felt some water droplets in my face. The wind suddenly picked up too so decided to start paddling back to the canal area. Was on my way there when saw a trio of dolphins. Great...Now have two of the three members of the Florida Trifecta...(Gator- Manatee - Dolphin). I was 100% sure to get the Trifecta on this trip...

Do not worry. The boat came out unharmed

Dolphins in the Indian River

Dolphins

Dolphins Trio

Dolphin

Dolphins

Dolphin

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphin

Dolphin...Two down...One to go for the Florida Trifecta...

A Storm is coming

It got really bad on my way to Haulover Canal. So bad that I skipped the usual entrance through an alternate channel South of Haulover Canal and got in directly there. As soon as I made it to Bairs Cove the rain finally came in, giving me time for just one pic...a manatee...and with that got my Florida Trifecta for this trip...(Gator- Manatee - Dolphin)

Manatee at Bairs Cove

I put my camera deep inside the cockpit of the kayak and waited patiently for almost 40 minutes. The rain was not going away and I was soak and wet at the time. So decided to go back to the Put In, look for a towel in the mini van, dry myself, wait for the rain to go away, and then go back to Bairs Cove, which I did...

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Manatee at Bairs Cove...Florida Trifecta accomplished!!!

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatee

Haulover Canal Bridge at the far end in the center...Put In / Take Out area to the left.

Raccoon at the Take Out area... 

And finally this is it for this one. Already posted a short video on our Facebook Page so you are more than welcome to take a look. Thanks for coming and hope you return for our next post, when will be sharing more Views From Our Kayak.

Mullet Head Island view