Spring Garden Creek

Swallow Tailed Kite

Finally!!!!! Got a Kite pic. Really thought I was going to go kite-less this season but it all changed in less than 60 seconds today. Kayaked the waters of Spring Garden Creek out of De Leon Springs. Not my finest day with the camera in a steamy hot day.

Limpkin Chicks

Put In / Take Out: De Leon Springs State Park. Check the link for information about this place.

Osprey and chick

The day started badly and did not get better. Misplaced my annual pass, good thing I had cash with me, the young lady did not give me the lock combination for the gate at the State Park, and my back is bothering me again. Was close to call it quit 5 minutes after starting the paddle but somehow found a comfortable position in the kayak. Did not take a single pic until one hour into the paddle. The Spring Garden Lagoon area and the creek were lacking wildlife but not motor boats. Did go to Lake Woodruff and returned to the State Park. Here are the pics...

Anhinga...First pic of the paddle one hour after the put in

Anhinga

Was thinking about turning around when a Swallow Tailed Kite flew across the creek in front of me. It was kind enough to circle the trees nearby before leaving the area. Gave me time to shoot a few pics...

Swallow Tailed Kite

Swallow Tailed Kite

Swallow Tailed Kite

That was the highlight of the trip. Continued to Lake Woodruff...

Osprey

Osprey

Gator

Spring Garden Creek gator

Osprey and her chick

Osprey

Explored the nearby edge of the lake for 20 minutes. Am not afraid of gators but the one in the following pic gave me the creeps as it kept following me and going down every time I turned the kayak to look at it. It came as close as 20 feet from me at one point. 

Curious gator

Returned to the State Park. No pics on my way up creek but stopped at the lagoon to take pics of a Limpkin family...

Limpkin

Limpkin

Limpkin

And this is it for today. Not too many pics so my apologies. It was that kind of day. Thanks for coming and considered yourself invited to check our next post. We will be sharing with you more Views From Our Kayak.

Spring Garden Lagoon gator

Memorial Day at the Lower Wekiva River

Young Buck at the Lower Wekiva River

A wise man once said: "Never go to a State Park on a Holiday". I have done it and it is not fun at all so this weekend was reluctant to go kayaking. The crowds and the motor boats can have the river and intra-coastal this day. Well, woke up today and needed to relax a bit so to my paradise close to home: The Lower Wekiva River from Katie's Landings.

Osprey

Do not have much to say about this one. Put in at Katie's Landing (check previous posts for information), explored the lagoon in front of it for several minutes (saw the Buck in a hidden corner just in front of the put in), paddled downstream using the "new" trail, turned around and went upstream to the Hwy 46 bridge and back to Katie's Landing. Here are the pics of what I saw today...

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Limpkin

Great Egret

Red Shouldered Hawk

Lower Wekiva River Turtles enjoying the Sun

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey

Tri-Colored Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Green Heron

Green Heron

Green Heron

Moorhen

Great Egret

Immature Little Blue Heron

Immature Little Blue Heron

Duckling

Duckling (Wood Duck???)

This is it for this one. Thanks for coming and hope you return for our next post. We will be sharing with you more Views From  Our Kayak.

Lower Wekiva River Buck

Orlando Wetlands Park (NKP)

Wood Stork

The forecast last night had a 40% chance rain for the whole Central Florida so decided not to go kayaking and do some work at home. Woke up to a beautiful day, a little breeze, but beautiful anyways. Stayed and worked at home in the morning but went for a walk at the Orlando Wetlands Park in the afternoon.

Roseate Spoonbill

The address for the Orlando Wetlands Park is 25155 Wheeler Rd, Christmas, FL. As I try to do with Non Kayaking Posts (NKP) let us go to the pics and keep the comments to the minimum, or zero...nada...

Duck (Mallard??)

Wood Stork

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret

Killdeer

Moorher

Anhinga (male)

Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Anhinga (female)

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Gator

Gators

Gators

Moorhen

Limpkin

Tri-Colored Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Black Necked Stilt

Cattle Egret

Wood Stork

Wood Stork

Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Great Egret

And this is it for this one. Thanks for coming and hoping to be back in the kayak for our next post, when will be sharing the Views From Our Kayak.

Orlando Wetlands Park