Dave's Yak Tales: Memorial Day Mill Dam Lake Weekend. Day 2. Silver River and Juniper Creek

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Memorial Day Mill Dam Lake Weekend. Day 2. Silver River and Juniper Creek

Photos from the deck, 7:20 am. Not the monkey, that came later.

I was up when, rumor has it, the sun rose. But, it was foggy at 6:30 am. Fixed my usual hearty steak and potato breakfast and headed to Ray's Wayside.

On the canal to the Silver River at 7:58

On the River, paddling up stream, 8:03

Another 13 minutes before the first animal photo. Things soon picked up

Prothonotary warbler

Deer. One of two. I moved in for a better view, they ran off..

Pig

The pig family was just up River from the deer, on the opposite bank. In my experience, pigs usually run when they sense people. Or, at least this people. Not this family.

I think the sow was too intent on feeding herself, and her piglets.

An excellent morning for wood duck viewing

Just before the Silver River State Park launch, two guys coming down River in a canoe told me they saw monkeys about a half hour up stream. On the left. I did not ask the essential questions. Whose left? Whose pace? I figured if the monkeys stayed where they were, they might be near the Park overlook.

If not for three canoes in to emergent vegetation just past the overlook, I may have missed the monkeys. Th e paddlers left as I arrived. I went in for a closer look. At first, all I saw was the little guy above

Soon, more monkeys became visible

A dozen, or so rhesus monkeys

Good to see them after a monkeyless last visit to the Silver River

All her ducks in a row

Over one of the many springs, It is Silver Springs, not Silver Spring.

Rookery island just down stream of the main spring

Floating over a spring

Park overlook. New sign. From the launch? The only mile marker I saw.

The pig family had eaten their way up the river bank. This time, they were not as visible. The monkeys I had seen had moved on. I was impressed by a young girl, looked to be 10-12, who told her dad, "See that tree ahead? That's where the monkeys were" I did not recognise the double trunk tree see was referring to, but she was right. Future River Guide.

I wanted to see what the great blue heron did with is catch. Seems to me one this big needs to be mounted over the fireplace It did what I've seen shore birds do with smaller fish. Dunk it in the water a few times. Which strikes me as odd. Won't it die quicker out of the water. I could see the fish's mouth moving, still breathing, despite being impaled.

The heron strode back into the brush to finish the job.

A woman said "a gator as big as your kayak is on the bank up ahead"

Must have been another one.;)

Landed at 1:10. The near empty parking lot of the morning was full. I stopped at Winn-Dixie for charcoal and beer.

Dinner served at 5:30

Thursday night, talking to my Mom, describing Mill Dam Lake, I told her it was a lot like Little Lake Tomahawk. The mobile home park is the American Legion cottages, the Forest Rec area is the American Legion retirement facility, and Camp Kiwanis is the McNaughton State Camp. The latter you could only leave when your sentence ran out. My Mom said she was thinking the same thing.