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| Deer |
To close 2013 was looking to go out with a bang. Weekie Wachee was the Plan A, Silver River Plan B. Wifey is reluctant to go back to Weekie Wachee unless we put in at the State Park. Not my favorite option. Still working on that so to Silver River for the last 2013 post...and it was awesome...take my word for that.
Put In / Take Out: Ray's Wayside, aka Ocala Boat Club. The fee is $5 and if there is no attendant you just leave your payment in a box using the envelopes they provide. For information about location please check previous posts from this location.
Was on my way to up river at 9AM. Took me 3 hours to reach it. I usually take my time when paddling, always looking for something to shoot pics at. It was a beautiful, but I mean really beautiful, day at the river. What a day to finish the year!!!! Saw monkeys, gators, and even deer. The river was busy, specially near the head spring area. Here are the pics taken on my way up river to the Silver Springs head spring...
Reached the head spring area, which was busy with stand up board paddlers, and wanted to paddle the newly open paddling trail but the signs at the entrance are confusing. It has an arrow pointing inside that says paddling trail but on the other hand there is another that says restricted. I was in doubt and also do not like to be called out so decided against going in. Started my paddling down river and stopped in an area where a gate used to be in the river. Decided to take a look to see what was there and it looks beautiful. A canal not too wide but not too narrow. I was admiring the view when a Park Ranger came in a very nice wooden kayak. She told me that the trail was open and that I was more than welcome to go and explore it. So I did starting right there. The canal takes you back to the head spring and there is only one restricted area, which has a sign. Here is what I saw there...
Left the paddling trail and kept paddling down river to Ray's Wayside. Thought that my streak of seeing monkeys at the Silver River was going to end when a boat occupant told me "There are monkeys" just in the marker 4.7, really close to the entrance of the canal to Ray's Wayside which is 5.1. And there they were, 100 meters up river from the canal entrance.
And this is it for this one, and for the year. Has been a fun one and am looking forward to 2014. Check our Facebook Page for more pics from this and past trips, there is a link on My Favorites section that will take you there. Thanks for reading and will see you next year to share more Views From Our Kayak.
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| Silver River Rhesus Monkey |
Put In / Take Out: Ray's Wayside, aka Ocala Boat Club. The fee is $5 and if there is no attendant you just leave your payment in a box using the envelopes they provide. For information about location please check previous posts from this location.
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| Gator |
Was on my way to up river at 9AM. Took me 3 hours to reach it. I usually take my time when paddling, always looking for something to shoot pics at. It was a beautiful, but I mean really beautiful, day at the river. What a day to finish the year!!!! Saw monkeys, gators, and even deer. The river was busy, specially near the head spring area. Here are the pics taken on my way up river to the Silver Springs head spring...
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
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| Ibis |
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
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| Pileated Woodpecker (female) |
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| Anhinga |
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| Great Egret |
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| Great Egret |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Little Blue Heron |
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| Little Blue Heron |
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| Limpkin |
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| Limpkin |
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| Turtles sunning in a beautiful day in the river |
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| Moorhen |
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| Moorhens |
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| Anhinga |
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| Snowy Egret |
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| Cormorant |
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| Belted Kingfisher |
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| Gator |
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| Tri-Colored Heron |
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| Tri-Colored Heron |
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| Tri-Colored Heron |
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| Pied-Billed Grebe |
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| Pied-Billed Grebe |
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| Black Crowned Night Heron |
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| Eastern Phoebe |
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| Red Shouldered Hawk |
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| Black Crowned Night Heron |
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| Deer |
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| Deer |
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| Deer |
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| Snowy Egret |
Reached the head spring area, which was busy with stand up board paddlers, and wanted to paddle the newly open paddling trail but the signs at the entrance are confusing. It has an arrow pointing inside that says paddling trail but on the other hand there is another that says restricted. I was in doubt and also do not like to be called out so decided against going in. Started my paddling down river and stopped in an area where a gate used to be in the river. Decided to take a look to see what was there and it looks beautiful. A canal not too wide but not too narrow. I was admiring the view when a Park Ranger came in a very nice wooden kayak. She told me that the trail was open and that I was more than welcome to go and explore it. So I did starting right there. The canal takes you back to the head spring and there is only one restricted area, which has a sign. Here is what I saw there...
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| Cormorant downs a fish in the new paddling trail at Silver Springs |
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| Add captionTurtles |
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| Soft Shelled Turtle |
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| Phyllis, in the nicest kayak I have ever seen |
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| Gator |
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| Little Gator |
Left the paddling trail and kept paddling down river to Ray's Wayside. Thought that my streak of seeing monkeys at the Silver River was going to end when a boat occupant told me "There are monkeys" just in the marker 4.7, really close to the entrance of the canal to Ray's Wayside which is 5.1. And there they were, 100 meters up river from the canal entrance.
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| Black Crowned Night Heron |
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| Mrs. Wood Duck |
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| Mr. Wood Duck |
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| Red Bellied Woodpecker |
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| Some kind of Woodpecker...Downy maybe... |
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| No idea what is this one...TBD |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Rhesus Monkeys |
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| Rhesus Monkeys |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkey |
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| Rhesus Monkeys |
And this is it for this one, and for the year. Has been a fun one and am looking forward to 2014. Check our Facebook Page for more pics from this and past trips, there is a link on My Favorites section that will take you there. Thanks for reading and will see you next year to share more Views From Our Kayak.
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| Sunken ship in the new paddling trail at Silver Springs |
HAPPY 2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great way to close 2013. Fantastic photos, as always.
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