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Summer time! Trips this month: 10
6/1/08
I turned 51 sometime during the previous night and as has been my habit of late I made plans to do a paddle in honor of the occasion. Our experience on Cumberland last week where we saw so many babies made me wonder if the Stilt chicks at Guana were out so I headed in that direction. The water levels have been extremely low at Guana this spring, but I was unprepared for what I was confronted with when I pulled up to the ramp. It had fallen another six inches at least and I could see deep foot prints in the muddy shoreline well away from the ramp where people had obviously been pulling their boats out to deeper water. There were three vehicles already parked with empty kayak racks so I knew that a launch was at least possible and went ahead and unloaded. I pushed off backwards from the ramp and found it impossible to turn myself around so I paddled, or rather poled myself backward through the muddy soup until I found a place wide enough to turn. After struggling to pull myself forward for a few yards I began to feel a hard surface under the mud and decided to get out and drag my boat forward. I did this until my boat started to float free which was about the same time that the hard surface disappeared so I got back in. My weight, of course, displaced any water so I had to struggle for several more yards until I reached the main channel.
Once there, I found enough water to paddle in but just barely. I decided to head north even though I was sure the shallow water would keep me from going too far. I figured that it was the best area to see the Stilt babies if they were indeed out. The first thing that caught my eye wasn't a baby, however, but another Least Bittern whom the low water was forcing out in the open to hunt. He was perched motionless on some stubble as he prepared to launch himself into the water after his prey but I drifted too close and he flew a few yards upstream where he continued to hunt. As usual, I spent several minutes shooting him before I headed on. From the moment I hit the water I had heard the Stilts calling which gave me hope that the babies were out driving their parents crazy as they attempted to herd them together. A few yards ahead of where I saw the Bittern, I spotted a pair of adults who were calling excitedly as I approached. It took me a while to pick them out but soon I saw the tiniest little fuzz balls on pale pink legs running about. These fellas must have hatched within the last week and were by far the smallest Stilt chicks that I have seen since I began observing them here.
The bird guides refer to the Stilt young as "precocial" which means that literally hours after they are hatched they are running around getting into trouble. Obviously, this causes mom and dad some problems especially when you consider how aggressively territorial these birds are even without tiny chicks running every which direction. As I sat there watching and shooting the adults would occasionally fly across to the opposite side of the channel in an effort to draw me away. Every time mom and dad deserted them, the chicks would huddle together at the water's edge and chirp plaintively as they gazed across the water. Once mom and dad flew back, the chicks would continue their exploration of their brave new world, pecking away at the ground and sipping the water as their parents tried vainly to herd their "winged kitties" together.
As I paddled on the day, I would see many cases where the parents were being less than successful in their attempt to keep everyone on the same piece of real estate. I would hear the urgent call of an adult Stilt and look to see their four chicks scattered over a wide area off on their own. One of the problems with Stilt society is that all too often two families would be occupying the same spit of dry ground, separated perhaps by a partial wall of cat tails but more often than not this barrier was absent. This precipitated a vicious aerial battle the likes of which I had witnessed before the nesting period actually began. Both parents would participate in these noisy, violent battles while the kids, meanwhile, ran amuck. On one occasion, a parent returning from battle actually landed on top of one of the chicks, smushing it into the mud where it struggled to free itself. Hey - sometimes there's collateral damage but at least the kids aren't playing with those "bad" neighbor kids next door! As I paddled north, I also would on occasion see some tiny black fuzz balls with red spots on their heads which were the Moorhen offspring. We had seen these last year at Silver Springs back in September so I guess they are on a different breeding cycle here. Like their parents, they wouldn't stay in the open for long before scampering back to the safety of their cat tail fortress.
I didn't see many Gators on the day and the ones I saw were floating in the water. I was amazed when I was looking at my pictures a few days later to see that directly behind a Stilt that I was shooting was probably the biggest Gator I saw on the day laying on the mud a few feet behind the bird. I was so focused on the Stilt that I didn't see the behemoth. It was ultimately a Gator that caused me to cut my trip to the north a little short. The water kept getting shallower and ahead of me I spotted an enormous guy floating in the surface of what I knew was only a few inches of mostly soupy mud. He submerged but I knew he was only inches beneath the surface and didn't feel like getting the crap scared out of me on my birthday so I turned around. I decided to head in the general direction of the Eagle's nest even though I knew that it would most likely be empty this late in the day. I had hoped that the water levels would increase as I got closer to the open end of the lake but this proved to not be the case. I passed another Bittern and was able to get one shot of him plunging his head into the water to snag a minnow. I watched as about six White Pelicans began rising on the thermals above the lake to begin their day's activities.
I got close enough to the nest to check with my binoculars and confirm that no one was home so I headed back to the ramp. I passed an area where a couple of Moorhen chicks were scampering about by themselves but a Stilt who was protecting his still nesting mate confronted them and sent them into hiding. On the day, I saw many Stilts still sitting on nests which confirms my feelings that the chicks I was seeing were brand new to this world. I reached the branch that leads from the main channel to the ramp and began the long arduous "paddle" back - made even more difficult by the now sweltering mid-day heat and the fact that I was four hours into my journey. I finally reached the place where I could feel hard ground and exited my boat but once I was within 10 feet of the ramp, the bottom fell out and I had to go along the muddy flats. I loaded up and was heading out of the parking area when an FDEP officer pulled in and flagged me down. Usually this is not a good thing but since my boat was on the rack I took a chance and rolled down my window. He wanted to let me know that the water levels were in the process of being raised and that in a week they should be back to normal. I thanked him for the info and he laughed when I told him that it was indeed getting to be a little too much work.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/2/08
Hope had a free day so we decided to spend the final day of our vacation together on the water. She had a blood test at Mayo first thing so we planned to catch the outgoing tide at Simpson Creek and spend the day on the Nassau Sound swimming and soaking up the sun.
We arrived at the A1A bridge at 10 and carried our stuff down the path to the slippery ramp and were on our way with the outgoing tide in short order. It was a beautiful day with a lack of the wind that has been ubiquitous this spring so we could tell that it was going to be a "hot one". We didn't see much in the way of wildlife on the way down due to the tide still being well up. Once we reached Half Moon Bluff, we saw some Great Egrets perching, sporting the beautiful pin feathers of their breeding plumage that caused them to be hunted to near extinction at the turn of the 19th century. As we floated by the downed trees beneath the bluffs, Hope pointed at a bird perching on a branch that at first appeared to be a Tri-Colored Heron. As I floated closer, I realized that it was instead a brave little Green Heron who raised his crest in alarm and tried to make himself look as scary as possible as I shot him. As we floated out into the sound I spotted a White Egret dancing in the shallows at the mouth that I felt sure was actually a Reddish Egret in it's white phase but he flew away before I could confirm it. We floated along the big oyster beds to the west of the mouth of Simpsons and could see that a couple of people were already along the stretch of beach where I usually hang out. We decided to beach our boats and set up on the very end of the Little Talbot beach and proceeded to enjoy the beautiful day. We spent the next three hours swimming, reading and dozing as the thunderheads began to organize to the west. Thunderstorms were supposed to threaten in the afternoon but I knew we would be heading back with the turn of the tide and felt confident that they would hold off until then. A fisherman decided to hike all of the way down the deserted Big Talbot beach until he was directly across from us so we decided that it was time to go.
It was 2 pm and time for the tide to turn so I knew it would be an easy paddle in but just as we pushed off, the drops began to fall. It was a light rain for the most part but enough to keep my camera stowed as we entered Simpsons and headed in. Just as we passed the entrance to Myrtle creek a loud crack split the sky and although we didn't see the lightning, it was obviously quite close and a few seconds later the skies opened up and turned the surface of the water white. We paddled steadily as the downpour drenched us but it let up as we passed by the same Green Heron perching in very nearly the same spot where we had seen him earlier. The rain held off for the rest of the trip but it was interesting to hear a new sound as we floated with the tide - the sound of water rushing out of the marsh that until a few minutes earlier had been mostly drained but now gushed forth with the deluge that had fallen. It was like someone had added a "waterfall feature" to our amusement park water ride and it was a wonderful sound.
Finally, we reached the edge of the ramp which, as I had feared, was a good two feet above us and very slick. We sat there for a few minutes debating what to do and after conversing with a fisherman who had come down from the road I decided to go ahead and brave it. I had done the exit here before so I was prepared and got out without much of a problem and them was able to assist Hopey up the slick slope. All in all it was not too bad and although we were both a muddy mess we were loaded up and headed home a few minutes later. We passed under another front on the way home and the trees were swaying when we pulled into our driveway but surprisingly, we didn't get a drop of rain at the house on the whole day.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/8/08
I got up early this morning and headed toward Pumpkin Hill, arriving there after the sun was well up over Black Hammock. There was a patchy ground fog lifting as I drove down Pumpkin Hill road but the water was clear as I set out with the outgoing current. As I rounded the first bend, however I could see a thick cloud of fog above the trees glowing pink in the morning sun. Rather than lifting, it appeared as if the fog was moving in and dropping as it crept through the woods. The the fingers of the leading edge of the fog drifted through the trees and began reaching for the water but never quite got there. When I reached the point several minutes later, the fog was still hanging heavy above the trees but appeared to be finally lifting for good. The point was empty but as I paddled up Edwards Creek a lone Spoonbill flew in from Pumpkin Hill and disappeared around the bend. I turned around and once back out in Pumpkin Hill I headed north toward the big cove along the western bank. Once I arrived there, I paddled behind the big oyster beds where a young Great Blue and some Great Egrets had gathered. There was a young Spoonbill along with a Tri-Colored and Snowy Egret off to the side and I could see a Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the bank well out of camera range. I spent the next several minutes following the birds around the muddy shallows before heading back along the eastern shoreline. As I passed by the oyster beds there, I saw a pair of Oyster Catchers and watched as one of them pried loose one of the morsels from which they derive their name. The tide began to turn and so I made my way back toward the put-in. I spotted some more Spoonbills and another Yellow Crown but not the masses of birds that I had hoped for. It was a still, hot morning but a nice day to be out.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/11/08
An evening paddle in the Timucuan Preserve sure beats the summer re-runs! I've been wanting to do just that for the last couple of weeks but it always seemed like the afternoon thunderstorms would hang just a little too close to the ICW for just a little too long and frustrate my plans. As they have often done in the 20 plus years we have lived on Heckscher, they would seem to stall just to the west and then dissipate dropping nary a drop of rain or slinging a bolt of lightning toward the ground but by the time I realized this it was either too late or I was too tired to head out. Today, the storms hit a around noon and by the time I got home they had moved slightly to the west. Since I had promised Hope help with supper I held off until around six and after checking the radar to verify the worst ones were indeed drifting inland I headed out. With high tide peaking at 5, I knew that if I put in at Hannah Mills I would have at least two hours of high water which would correspond with sufficient light to shoot. When I arrived at the put-in beside Heckscher opposite White Shell Fish Camp I was greeted by clear blue skies to the east, glassy waters and a gentle, cool breeze coming from the SE.
I set out and cruised by the grove of trees where the Night Herons perch. I didn't see any there but shot a Great Blue before I headed out to the ICW, choosing to do my usual curcuit from the counterclockwise direction. There wasn't anything to shoot but I was enjoying the trip immensely as the current carried me swiftly toward the waterway while the cool breeze wafted over the marsh grass. Once at the old marina, I checked with my binoculars to see if anyone interesting was perched on the pilings. I was about to say no and head north when I spotted some activity on Marker 85 located opposite the mouth of Hannah Mills. I could see that there was a new Osprey nest that was full of occupants so I decided to head in that direction. I pulled over to the shore behind the pilings to change my batteries and as I did I was greeted by the loud chirp of an Osprey whom I could see in the cedars at the park. I could see that there were four occupants in the nest and since Ospreys usually only have two chicks I had assumed that both adults were in the nest. As I got closer I could see that instead there were three youngsters along with their mom who was chirping angrily at me as I approached. Apparently, there was not nearly enough room for Dad to spend any time on the nest so he was content to stay where he was and voice his disapproval at my visit. I cruised past the marker and of course Mom had to leave and fly low around the area until I reached the opposite side of the waterway. Two of chicks obeyed her urgent command to hunker down in the nest but the third sat defiantly at the edge of the nest giving me his best "Angry Osprey Go Away Stupid Boat Person" stare.
Mom returned to the nest and I decided that she was having enough trouble feeding the extra bundle of joy so I departed. I'm not sure if this is the same pair who used to nest at the Manatee Zone sign or not but this is the first time I have seen a nest at this marker. As soon as I turned to the north and began paddling along the eastern shore, a large object flew out of the water ahead of me. At first, I assumed it was a Dolphin but as I watched I realized that it was a huge Sting Ray who leapt at least four feet above the surface of the water and did a complete flip in the air before landing. I have seen big ones do this at Huegenot but never this far inland.
I headed toward the entrance to Shad Creek and as I approached the island there I could see the Egrets gathering in the trees to say farewell to the sun as they always do. There was an Osprey in the cedars below them who flushed and flew to the island on the western shoreline and perched a few yards down from another Osprey. I crossed over and shot the pair and then entered Hannah Mills where it rejoins the ICW. The current by this time was flowing swiftly out so I had to work hard to paddle against it. As soon as I came in sight of the old cedar where I often eat breakfast I could see that it was full of birds. It looked as though most of the birds were Great Egrets but there were three birds perched together who were smaller and darker in shade. A check with my binoculars confirmed what I already suspected - that they were Roseate Spoonbills.
I worked my way upstream on the opposite side of the creek so that I could let the current carry me toward them without spooking them. I was sure that the Egrets would spook and carry the Spoonies away with them but by the time the last Egret flew away the three pink birds remained undisturbed. I let the outgoing tide carry me over and as I got close they began to get fidgety. Just as I was sure they were about to flush, a fourth Spoonbill came flying in and a jostling ensued as they fought for the prime perches. Finally, they flew off together but merely flew in a circuit and landed a few feet away on a now exposed oyster bed.
The sight of oyster beds above the water reminded me that I couldn't stay out too much longer as did the rapidly diminishing light. It was apparent by now that the sun was not going to make a spectacular show as I had hoped since the western horizon stayed a dark purple as the last of the storms petered out. I entered the branch that runs south back toward the road and as I did I spotted a pair of delicate fins rising and falling in unison as another, slightly smaller Sting Ray made his way through the shallows. I tried to shoot him but found it nearly impossible and wound up directly in his path. As he came steadily towards me I realized that he was going to pass directly under me and most likely bump my boat. Not wanting to be the next Steve Irwin with a frightened Ray in my kayak I stuck my paddle in front of him prompting him to make a 90 degree turn and skim swiftly over the surface of the water as he kept his "wing" tips erect. I continued on until I reached the sea daisy island near the entrance to the big pool where I have shot many a bird over the years. As I got closer I could see a mass of birds gathered and even in the dimming light I could see their pinkish hue. Close to a dozen Spoonbills were gathered there waiting for the tide to go the rest of the way out so they could begin feeding. It was far too dim to shoot but I managed a few good shots and then decided that I should make haste to get back to the put-in before it got too shallow. Yes indeed - this is the best way I know to spend a summer evening in Florida!
See the pictures from
this trip
6/13/08
After a day of running errands Hope and I packed up and headed to Alimacani for one of our patented "Paddle Picnics". With the tide peaking out at 5:30, we decided to let it carry us inland toward one of our many sandbars where we have picnicked in the past. Once we arrived at the Ribault ramp we surveyed the area and decided to head on west to our original spot - the sandbar located just beyond the last docks on the east side of Ft. George Island. Once we arrived, we found just enough dry sand to set up and we spent the next hour or so cooling off in the crystal clear water. At one point Hope screamed when she was bumped by a jellyfish that she mistook for me. I told her that I wasn't sure how to take being mistaken for a jellyfish but I let it go. I set up my grill top and got the coals going while we munched on raw veggies and hummus and drank beer. Once the steaks were done we chowed down, enjoying them with a nice Merlot. At one point a large bird circled high above us that looked a lot like an immature Bald Eagle but I couldn't get a positive ID. The tide started to head out and so we made our way back with a gentle current carrying us against a mild breeze. We passed by yet another couple getting their wedding photos taken at the water's edge at the Ribault. Hopefully, they'll be able to crop me out of their shots - that's no way to start a marriage. As we approached Alimancani, I spotted a Great Blue along the banks near Haulover Creek and paused to shoot him and then finished the short but sweet outing.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/15/08
After my trip on Wednesday evening, I figured the tides would be about right for another trip on Hannah Mills Creek and could think of no better place to spend Fathers Day than on the creek with same name as my eldest child. I managed to get my creaky body out the door and was at the put-in a few minutes after the tides had turned which gave me at least three hours to spend on the water. As I was loading up my boat, I spotted a pair of Black Crowned Night Herons flying in from the marsh and heading for the grove east of the put-in. I cruised by it and managed to spook several of them but only got a couple of shots before they squawked and flew away. As I was shooting one of them I heard the distinct "Keeyah" of a Red Shouldered Hawk but never saw him.
I decided to make my goal the Pelican Pool since I had seen so many Spoonbills on my previous trip I was sure they were back subletting it from the pool's winter occupants. I headed directly north from the big pool by the road and soon was approaching the sea daisy island where I had seen several of the pink birds on Wednesday. Sure enough, as soon as I got in sight of it, I could see pinkish blobs at the water's edge and was soon drifting toward the dozing birds on the outgoing tide. As I got closer, they began to stir and start to walk around on the old oyster bed until finally they flew off toward Heckscher Drive.
I continued on up to the old cedar and after shooting a Great Egret and Tri-Color who were perching there I took a break to eat my breakfast. As I sat there, I looked toward the east and saw a pair of enormous cargo cranes floating in on the river. The two cranes towered over everything else and I am certain they must be part of the new port facility that is opening up at Dames Point. I left the cedar tree and took the feeder streams that parallel the waterway and then headed north until I reached the islands that the Pelican pool lies behind.
I exited my boat and began walking across the mudflat toward the two pools. In the first pool, I saw a couple of dozen Wood Storks standing calmly in the shallow water. There were only a few Spoonbills in the pool with them and as soon as I could see the larger pool I could only see a couple of more. When I walked back to the big pool I was surprised to see a lone White Pelican sitting there on the little peninsula where they usually gather. Perhaps he's the landlord and he's waiting for the summer residents to arrive so that he can hand them the keys to the place and head on to join his buddies.
I walked back to my boat and crossed over to the east side and headed south. The traffic on the waterway was starting to heat up so I decided to cut back into Hannah Mills opposite Shad Creek. I had an uneventful paddle back into the big pool and was about to pull up to the put-in when a Yellow Crowned Night Heron caught my eye. He was in the company of an immature bird so I spent some time shooting them and followed them to the opposite shoreline when they flushed. I still had plenty of water but I couldn't delay too much longer and pulled up to my truck to head home.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/16/08
Hope and I and the Puppehs had plans today to head to a dog park to let the girls "socialize" with other dogs and with the weather forecast calling for 60% probability of showers I pretty much discounted paddling as a possibility. After we got home, however, I kept looking out the window to see the sky get clearer and clearer and bluer and bluer so after watching most of the U.S. Open playoff (yes, that's right - and I HATE golf and swore I would never, ever watch it on T.V. and yet - Tiger vs Rocco.....I HAD to watch it) I decided that the day was just too nice to ignore and headed out as Tiger and Rocco were about to finish the 19th hole.
What a glorious afternoon! It was hot, to be sure, but the dark blue skies behind the puffy white clouds meant that the humidity was relatively low for a mid-June afternoon in NE Florida - i.e somewhat less than 100%. There was a gentle sea breeze coming in which was keeping any of the thunderstorms to the west at bay and I pulled up to the Cedar Point put-in just as the tide got high enough to launch. Across the way from the put-in I could see a pair of the gentle white giants cruising in front of a lone Spoonbill on the bank so I headed over and shot the trio before heading on.
As I began paddling south toward the big bend, I kept seeing lone Spoonbills rising from behind the grass and flying around but never saw any gathered in great numbers. For the most part, the trip up to the confluence point was easy and uneventful and I had just about resigned myself to not having many photos to show on the day. Once at the sea daisy island, I decided to circumnavigate it before heading back. After shooting some shorebirds, I spotted an Osprey who was perching on an oyster bed along the east side of of the island. He was hunkered down as if ot protect something which I knew was his dinner. I floated toward him until he finally flushed and he struggled to get airborne with what turned out to be a pretty good size flounder. There aren't any trees in that part of the marsh and his oyster bed perch was about to be covered up so I didn't feel too bad about making him find a new eating spot. From there I headed directly back to the put-in seeing very little on the return trip. A good day out though!
See the pictures from
this trip
6/22/08
It was foggy when I got up this morning and since it had been a while since I have paddled in fog I packed up and headed for my normal Sunday morning spot - Pumpkin Hill. I was in the water at 7 - about 30 minutes before low tide so there was still a slight current to carry me toward the point.
The fog wasn't very heavy but it was still nice to float down the creek with the gray stuff hovering above the water. I spotted a Clapper Rail at the water's edge but he turned and ran back to the safety of the grass before I got close enough to shoot. He peeked his head out briefly before disappearing for good. I was a little disappointed in the lack of birdlife at low tide and I took very few shots on the trip down to the point. Once there, I cruised past the empty trees thinking that I would make one pass before turning around and heading out to the big cove further down the creek. As I was floating on the now incoming tide into the entrance of Edwards Creek, I heard the unmistakable huff of a Dolphin exhaling and soon saw three or four surface near me. As I followed them up Edwards Creek, I soon realized that there was a shape in the water ahead of me that was also unmistakable - an Alligator. It has been nearly a year since I last saw the Gators that suddenly appeared in Pumpkin Hill last summer but there was no doubt that at least one of them was still here. He looked to be five or six feet by now and he appeared to be floating along a few feet from the bank checking things out. At one point he surfaced within about 10 feet of me before disappearing for good.
I realized that I was now further up Edwards Creek than I had intended and so I decided to make my destination the big, shallow pool that lies south of the Broward Islands. I shot several Great Blue Herons along the way and in about an hour found myself entering the shallow pool. There was a large area in the center where there was no water and it was ringed by at least seven Great Blues with one perched in the middle. Gradually they all flushed and at one point were gathered together on one side of the muddy circle. After briefly considering heading north to the small stream that runs along the south side of the islands and circumnavigating the Edwards Flats I decided to head to the western side of the pool where Edwards Creek comes in from the Nassau River and explore that area for the first time. After doing so, I headed back along the sourthern edge of the pool and found that it appeared to have a hard clay surface much like the area where I shrimp at in Pumpkin Hill so I marked it on my GPS and headed back.
As I got close to Tiger Point, the Dolphins began surfacing around me once again and I spotted the Alligator in nearly the same spot as before but on the opposite shoreline. After taking a brief break near the point I headed back into Pumpkin Hill and cruised on the incoming tide back to the put-in.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/24/08
Since I'm getting off an hour early this week while I attend a school I decided to take advantage and head toward Pumpkin Hill Creek. As soon as I turned north from the plant I ran into a heavy rainstorm which stayed with me as I turned down Cedar Point Road until I was about a mile east. I considered turning around but I knew from past experiences that an afternoon thunderstorm was likely to be very isolated and there was a good chance the sea breeze would keep it west of the ICW so I continued on. The tide had been going out for a little over an hour by the time I got in the water so there was plenty of water for me to explore some of the areas as I headed toward the point. At the trails, I spotted an Osprey in the trees that I spent some time shooting before heading on. It started to thunder but I could tell that the storms were staying well away from where I was. Even when I spotted some lightning later in the trip it was several seconds before I heard the thunder which confirmed that the storm was moving away. When I reached my shrimping spot I saw something slither away from the shore and then saw the silhouette of an Alligator appear briefly before it disappeared. I floated with the current out to the point where three or four Dolphins were swimming about. There wasn't too much activity in the trees at the point so after spending a little time there I headed on out to the cove north of there. It was empty of wildlife so I began the long journey back against the outgoing tide. There was nothing to shoot along the way but just as I arrived at the put-in I spotted a Yellow Crowned Night Heron perched on the bank and spent several minutes following him around the area. I could see a little further upstream was another mature Night Heron in the company of an Immature but it was too shallow by this time so I packed up and headed home.
See the pictures from
this trip
6/27/08
My school ended early today so I headed out to Hannah Mills about 3 hours after low tide. I cruised past the Night Heron Grove but didn't get any shots of the many Black Crowned Night Herons who were sleeping there. Since I was kind of tired, I decided to keep it low key and just do a quick circuit of the area heading up to the Old Cedar first and then down to the Kingfish Park.
I saw and shot very little until I reached the ICW where I used my binoculars to check out the Osprey nest I had seen a few weeks ago with the three chicks. I was pretty sure that they would be gone by now and sure enough the nest on Marker 85 was empty but on the opposite shore of the waterway I could see a lot of activity happening on another sign. As I got closer I could see that it was four Ospreys who were gathered on the small Manatee Zone sign located at the entrance to Hannah Mills near the old marina. Once I was close enough, I could tell that it was indeed the young Ospreys I had seen on the nearby channel Marker nest and they were in the company of one of the adults who flew off when I got close. It flew past me and then swooped down to drag it's claws in the water to clean them off before it headed across the waterway to perch on a nearby island.
I worked my way toward the sign and began shooting and I could tell that one of them was working feverishly on a fish that no doubt mom had deposited. It's two siblings watched while it continued to tear the fish apart. The three of them glared at me from over the top of the sign as I floated by and then tow of them flew off while the one who had the fish merely stared at me while I floated by. I paddled into the area behind the shell bank at the entrance to the creek and watched as the two birds who had left came back and perched on either side of the one who stayed put. I climbed out of my kayak and sat on the bank about 20 yards away from the sign and shot the trio as they perched. At one point, one of the Ospreys re-positioned itself so that it was directly above the one with the fish so that each time it raised its head it would be staring right at it's butt. It reminded me a lot of what one of our two dogs does to the other when we are paying it too much attention. I stuck around for several minutes shooting hoping that one of the two Ospreys who didn't have the fish would try to confront their sibling but they seemed content to watch and hope. I let the current carry me back to the main pool and once there I spent some time trying once again to shoot the Night Herons but was mostly unsuccessful. The thunder to the west started to get closer as the sky grew darker so I packed up and headed home.
See the pictures from
this trip
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