Wekiva River and Blackwater Creek

This gator is famous.  Cover girl in the Facebook group, Church of the Double Bladed Paddle     By the time I post this Tale, some other beautiful pic will have the honor.

 Launched from Katie's Landing at  9:15

Downstream

To the delight of this great blue heron.

 

Shy turkey.  Put its head down each time I pressed the shutter.

 

 

 

 

 More camera shy birds. Great blue heron, above, anhinga, below.

 

 

 

 

 

pileated woodpecker

 

Entering Blackwater Creek, 11:16

 Saw a deer, unable to get a picture

Another version of the opening photo

 

 

 

I like the River Reeves memorial better.

 

 Photo by Stephanie S.

Usual break spot.  I kept going.

 Nice to see the fallen log just up Creek has been cleared.

Turned back at 12:10

 

 

 

 

This alligator is ganormous.  Not gi, ga, as in gator.  I was far off, this is maximum zoom.  I went into the water before I got close. Which is one reason it is so big.  Little alligators like the one in the opening photo do not get this big.  The ones that plop into the water, do.

 

Tempting fate

 

Back to the Wekiva

 On the way down River, I wondered why a vulture was on this tree.  Then I saw the gar

This is the tree that is full of beer cans.  People suck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Returning via the back way. Go right at the island.

 

 

 

 

 Landed at 3. I saw no kakyers as I paddled.  The ones on the bank had come down stream from Wekiwa Springs.  A group of paddle boarders were getting ready to go out when I launched.  Two jet skis on the right.  Engine problem.  One of the young men asked if I had a knife.  Only if he promised to always slow down for kayakers.

Went for a short walk.

Came to a fork, and took it

 Right choice.  Saw something I had never seen before.  A baby gopher tortoise.

Looks just like an adult, but a quarter of the size.

 

 

Walked about a little more than mile and a quarter. I know from a map in the kiosk that has distances between trail markers. That's far enough on a day when the high at the Orlando Airport was 96.