Rock Springs Run

After a difficult paddle up Juniper Creek Saturday, I wanted an easy place to kayak Sunday, November 8, 2009. But with rough seas forecast on the Intra Coastal Waterway, and a lake wind advisory, I headed to my old reliable, Rock Springs Run, launching from Wekiwa Springs State Park around 8:30. Down the Wekiva less than 2o minutes to Rock Springs Run.

The above belted kingfisher, green and blue heron were along the Wekiva River. This great blue heron, Rock Springs Run.

Twenty minutes later, as I paddled up the Run, a flash of white. Egret ? Ibis ? I considered what I saw. Deer tail. I peer in the tall grass, spotted an ear, then the head.
Five minutes more paddling, 4 gators on a log.
Five more minutes, the deer in the opening picture. Here is a closeup.
Rock Springs Run and Juniper Creek, which I paddled Saturday have similar environments. Areas of thick forest intermingled with open marshy areas, bisected by a clear spring run. Rock Springs Run has more wildlife. My ability to capture little birds is improving, or maybe its just more opportunity as they migrate.

Here is my turnaround point, two hours after I began. I saw campers a Otter Camp. Indian Mound was unoccupied. No boats at Big Buck, but that campsite is not visible from the water. Three canoes coming down the Run. To the first I said, "Bet you were at the gate when they opened" 'They' being Kings Landing. "We were !"

I saw this great blue heron, and thought, here's a good picture.

Then, I saw this tricolored heron on the same tree.
Here are both.I stopped at Big Buck to get out of the yak for a moment, refill the water bottle, get some sausage sticks and a nut bar from the cooler and was on my way.






Imagine what Monet, Cezanne and that crowd could do if they lived in Florida and had digital cameras.

More avian variety.

As usual, traffic picked up as I neared the Wekiva, but a lot less paddle craft then on a summer day Despite, the wind, which was blowing at 20 mph, it was a beautiful high 70 degree morning. One canoe caught my eye. Beached on the small sandbar just up Run of the confluence, the paddlers appeared to be rearranging their load.



I landed about 12:45, after capturing this gator in the lagoon.

As I landed, a concession worker, asked me where I went, how my pictures were. A nice guy, always with a friendly hello. He then asked if I saw anyone with camping gear. In a faded blue canoe? Yes. I told him I saw them on the sandbar. He wondered if they would make it to Big Buck, their destination. I made it to my destination, Wekiwa Spring.

I think I could have taken out the exotic sail fin catfish without hitting one of the other four people in the Spring with a spear gun.


Out of the water, I strolled the brief Wet to Dry Boardwalk trail, them went back to the car. Drove down the Park Road to Sand Lake, a spot where I've seen a lot of deer lately. But all those times were at dusk. I walked around the small lake, than grabbed a trail map. A few weeks ago, I was surprised to see a couple kids who had walked to Big Buck Camp. Quite a trek for kids in sandals, at least 4 miles round trip. Only, now I saw they had not walked four miles from the trail head at the Spring, but maybe half that from Sand Lake. I set out on the trail, thinking, I see deer on Rock Springs Run, I see deer at Sand Lake, the trail between the two has to be full of them. It took about an hour to reach Big Buck. Occupied, I asked the two campers if they minded if I walked past to the Run. No problem.

Back at the campsite, with a faded blue canoe, I told the father son pair I had seen them before. They had done this before, so the concern of the concession guy was unwarranted. They had to walk the canoe through some of the shallow parts of Rock Springs Run, and told me they only saw one bird, a blue woodpecker looking thing. I showed them my belted kingfisher photo. That is what they saw. I hope they saw more, and am sure they did, the rest of their stay.

I began the return hike.

There could have been 50 deer, and a bear or two, in the thick vegetation, but I saw none, as I scanned the horizon for a tail, or ear, or antlers. The trail widens a bit where the hiking, white blaze, horse, green blaze and bike, red blaze, trails share the trail. Mill Creek. Back to Sand Lake. I had visited a part of Wekiva Springs State Park I had not seen before. Considering I'm here 2, 3, 4, 5 or more times a month, that says a lot for what this expanse of wildness, 12 miles from home, has to offer. Walked around Sand Lake again, checking out the view from the three benches on the shore. Photos from two.

Alligator off the spot with the picnic table.

Back to the Spring area, I continued the "deer hunt', this time from the trail head on the hill above the Spring. At dusk, the area where the main hiking trail meets the Wet to Dry Boardwalk is a proven deer hangout. None that I saw, so I continued, planning to turn back where the trail widens. And just before I got there, a flash of whitetail. I turned back here, as planned.
Taken at 5:15 the above is last pic of the day. More deer, though. As I walked back, I stopped to tie my shoe. That put my line of site with a deer that must have been bedded down, as I saw a sudden flash of tail as it dashed down the slope.

Back to the car, I decided to make one last visit to Sand Lake in the twilight. Where I saw the best wildlife moment of the day. A small herd, five or six deer, of all sizes, running through the open area on th e right of the road. I matched their pace, wishing I had a camera man perched on the edge of Land Rover (Nissan Versa) as we fimed a docmentary for PBS or National Geographic. It was the classic view of a herd bounding across the savanna. Nice way to end the day.