Rock Springs Run

I was able to get a paddle in this morning, Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Wekiwa Springs State Park, the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run.

This way to the launch. One of at least six gobblers.

A gator swam across the open lagoon .

A green heron and a limpkin watched me enter the water at 8:10. This green heron was in the Wekiva, downstream of the lagoon.






As was this blue heron.














Into Rock Springs Run, where a great blue heron looked for breakfast. 8:30, and as you can tell by the dark pictures, the sun was not yet over the tree line.

Twenty minutes later, the sun, and a deer, were out.

Time for a barred owl to retire for the day ?

I turned around at a series of wood posts poking above the surface. The remnants of an old logging road. Upstream of Indian Mound, not quite to Big Buck. I had been out for 90 minutes.

Saw another deer the one in the first photo,on the way back. In the same general area. Same one ? I think not, the one in the first photo has pointer ears.

I spotted several solitary limpkins, and gregarious groups of ibis.

Over the years, I've learned the names of large birds, little ones, I have no clue.

Probably because the little ones are harder to photograph, unless they decide to perch on the confluence sign.

I followed the arrow back to Wekiwa Springs.

Back in the lagoon, an anhinga and turtles shared a log, as an alligator floated just out of the frame.

I landed at 11:10. A three hour tour. Saw one other craft, a canoe from Wekiva Marina.

The usual swim in the Spring, which substituted for the shower I omitted in order to get out on the water.

I had it almost to myself, two college age kids were in the water, as the rest of the boisterous group played football on the lawn.

A great way to start the day.

Programming note. I am going to Washington, DC, this weekend, for the wedding of Steve R. , whose marriage to the lovely Irene T., may eclipse the privilege of being featured in Dave's Yak Tales.

http://davesyaktales.blogspot.com/2008/02/deleon-springs.html

But, I've found a rental place, Jack's Boat House, on the Potomac, 2 miles away from the wedding activities, so maybe I'll get a chance to paddle and take some monumental pictures.

Postscript. Here are moving pictures of the deer in the first picture. A reader informs me the bird on the confluence sign is an eastern phoebe. (Nice to know I have readers)