Rock Springs Run

I had a delightful three and a half hour paddle on the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run this morning, Wednesday, November 4, 2009. Saw my first deer of the morning in Wekiwa Spring State Park as I took the kayak off the car. Turkeys as I pulled it down the ramp.

In the water for the short paddle down the Wekiva River just before 7:30. Anhinga.


Blue heron breakfast.





Green heron.

Forty minutes into the paddle, headed up Rock Springs Run, the second deer of the morning, the buck in the first photo. Here, in profile. Very comfortable morning, low 70's I'd guess. Limpkin. Great blue heron.

Tri colored heron and ibis.
I've bee seeing more little birds lately. Migrants.

The little bird photo was taken after I turned around, where the tree canopy begins to form again upstream of Big Buck Camp. Speaking of deer, saw two on my right, near Big Buck, got a picture of one.
Fourteen minutes later, on my left, two more deer.

I can't figure out deer, Sometimes I'll be 40 yards away, they'll look up, raise a warning tail, and run off. Other times, I can almost touch them with my paddle.

Close enough to here the crunch as a deer chews a lily pad stalk, then licks it chops.
Less then ten minutes later, just past Indian Mound Camp, two more deer.
Into the tree canopied section down Run of Indian Mound and Otter Camps.

I was the only person on Rock Springs Run. Four boats, two kayaks, two canoes, 6 people on the short stretch of the Wekiva from the mouth of Rock Springs Run up to Wekiwa Springs State Park. Speaking of stretching, alligators did so on logs.

Green heron
This log, often gator occupied, was full.

One person in the Spring during my post paddle snorkel. Beats a shower before going to work.
On mornings when the Spring is empty, the Park should issue spear guns to snorkelers to take out some of the exotic sail fin catfish.

Turkeys began the morning, turkeys to end the morning.It is November, after all.