Dave's Yak Tales

Cedar Key Sunset

Monday, March 10, 2014

Cedar Key, Monday, 3-10-14

Took advantage of the time change by getting on the water before sunrise, 7:34 EDT
 


Black skimmers

 

 

 












 
 Well, the sun rose. Over black skimmers. Time to see if the white pelicans are still near the wreck in the Number 2 Channel.
Put the Super Vivid setting back on for the spoonbills.

 
 Also colorful, oyster catchers
 






No white pelicans
 Cormorant leads me out of the Channel

 Not sure what the deal is with the streaking on the brown pelican.  Below, the white lights is the sun hitting windows.

 Landed at 8:29.  Breakfast, pasta with clams, red onion and summer squash, just a touch of tomato sauce, compose the Yak Tales, back in the kayak at 10:31



High tide means black skimmers find a new sandbar

 
Back to the Number 2 Channel. Great egret at the Old Fenimore Mill dock
 Spoonbills in the mangroves
Too shallow in the cove for a closer look. Egrets and night herons, too.



 Out of the cove
Into the Channel
 And, the Gulf

Paddling north northeast along the shore of unnamed keys, past Scale Key, and beyond
 



 





 
 
 
Bald eagle

Closer view

 Took the water proof case off, reaching forward as far as possible without the neck strap's constraint




 


 Crowds on the unnamed key where I planned to land.
 

This key, like Scale Key and others in the area, is part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.

 

 Little bird, big nest
 


 
 Landed on the ancient shell mound
 


 

 
 Back on the water
 I assume the markers are clam leases
Loon



Florida's secret.  Retractable dome.
 

 


 


 
 Back in the Number 2 Channel
 
 "Line up according to height"
 



 

 

Looks like one side failed to pay condo maintenance fees
 
 Clamers returning from their lease
 
 
 Coming into a crowded Cedar Key City Beach
For a Monday, this is a crowd. Damn the cold winter up north. The majority of license plates were out of state. Landed at 12:30
 Lunch, then on the bike at 2.

 

 
 Cemetery Point Park
Boat graveyard
 
 

 
 In the Cemetery
 

 



 The Cannons deserve a better view

 Out of the cemetery, for now.







Air strip on the left
 Water on the right.  I did not see the missing Malaysia Airlines plane
 
 

 

 


 

 

Snowy

 

 
 
 Love it when a sign is in the right place
 
Or, wrong if you're the lizard

 




History, another reason I love Cedar Key



 

 

My kayak on the beach makes an excellent final photo from the bike ride.
 Back to 330 for about an hour
Back on the water at 5:30

 





If you do not recognize I was back in the Number 2 Channel, welcome to Dave's Yak Tales






 


 Turned back at Cemetery Point

 

 

 

 

 
Freeloaders
 
 

 

 





Spoonbill in the Fenimore Mill cove

Going into the shallow cove to get the sun between the spoonbill and I.
 More spoonbills




 

 

 Black crowned night herons
 
 Out of the cove, could have gone into the Gulf, and paddled out to the sunset, but I was distracted.
 So, I paddled the other direction, back to the wreck
 


 



Ok, enough of the wading spoonbills.









Missed most of the colorful sunset by watching colorful birds

Day ending it began.  Black skimmers


 
Landed at 7:45
 Quality refreshment.  The water bottle in the background is one I have been refilling for the last month.  If only beer came from the tap. Instead of just on tap.
 
Black crowned night heron on a night time walk.

3 comments:

Joanne said...

You have no idea how much I enjoy your Cedar Key posts---can't wait to return on the 30th.

Dave said...

I'd offer 50 bucks to crash on the couch. But, its a weekday, and I have been told I snore like an airboat.

Luis said...

I second Joanne about the Cedar Key posts. Am not planning to go anytime soon though. :(