It has been cold for the past week in the Orlando area. Overnight lows in the low 30's highs only in the fifties, if that. I cannot recall such a long period of cold weather in my 22 Florida winters. I know 30 degree isn't all that cold, but it's been two decades since I dealt with such low temps on a daily basis. The weather had me forgo my usual midweek am paddle, so I was raring to go this morning, Saturday, January 9, 2009. I thought a spring fed river would be a good choice, paddling on 72 degree water. I chose the Silver River.
The weather forecast called for a chance of rain, sleet, and snow flurries. First time I've seen that. It was drizzling as I headed north out of Orlando. It got noisy. Sleet. I did not see any flakes. Arriving at Rays Wayside on the western edge of the Ocala National Forest about 9:00 am, the blacktop where I stopped to unload had a thin sheen of ice. As did my car.
Its hard to see in the picture above, but there was a white substance on the launch ramp. Snow?
Probably just frost, but still, this is supposed to be the Sunshine State. Sunday update. Weather.com reports there were snow flurries in the area at eight am Saturday. At 9, when I arrived the temperature was 32.
I pushed off about 9:20. And I do mean push, so I could keep shoes and socks on without getting my feet wet. T shirt, light sweatshirt, hooded sweatshirt, windbreaker. Baseball cap. Put the hood up, kept it up all day. Gloves. Nylon pants. These three, blue heron, great blue heron, great egret were at the end of the canal that leads from the launch to the Silver River.
I began paddling up the steamy Silver River. Past cormorants and ibis.
The day was excellent for bird watching. More than just the usual suspects. This red bellied woodpecker, for example.
Lots of great blue herons.
An otter swam by, I was unable to get picture. Did get one of a similar sized mammal.
- I wondered how the most famous mammals along the Silver River would handle the cold. Group hug
Some rhesus monkeys ate, getting calories needed to stay warm.
The troop consisted of at least two generations.
Back to birds. And a pair of raccoons.
Not the best green heron photo, above, but I wanted it for record keeping. So far, blue, great blue, and now a green heron. Next, black crowned night heron.
I don't know what the little diving duck is. Another black crowned heron and great egret.
Only two other craft on the water. People I think I've seen before. Hard paddling folks in racing canoes. I told them they were creating their own wind chill as they came down River.
A pileated woodpecker, pecking.
The cold caused a problem. My frozen water bottle stayed that way. I put it in the River, laid it on the floor of the yak, which was warm to the touch of my cold hand. I finally put it inside my PFD, where body heat melted enough so I could have a sip when I reached halfway. Add a tri colored to the heron list.
There were plenty of small, colorful birds.
One of two turtles I saw on logs. More in the water, where it was warmer.
A second rhesus troop.
Four for one.
Close ups of the great blue and egret, plus a wood stork.
Time for the down River journey.
I had never seen a bald eagle along the Silver River. Until today.
One of two, or perhaps the same one twice.
I saw two boats, two guys in a jonboat and one in a Silver Springs State Park canoe. That made 6 for the day, including two glass bottom tour boats. I stopped at the State Park, pushig the yak up the ramp far enough for a dry exit. Ate a sandwich as I walked a trail. Not to far. The temperature difference was obvious away from the River. Back in the yak. I conducted an experiment as I slowly paddled and drifted down River. Removed a second water bottle from the cooler. Put that frozen bottle on the floor of the yak. The first bottle, partially thawed, on the deck. The ice in the bottle on the floor, with the warm River water below, thawed. The other, after I finished what had melted, remained solid.
Another black crowned night heron, and add a yellow crowned night heron to the heron list.
The Silver River may be known for monkeys, but the bird life sure is speactacular.
As mentioned earlier, a great day for little birds.
Two more chilly monkeys. No others were around, but I heard noise across the River. Not monkeys. A large black pig, followed by a line of piglets.
A belted kingfisher adds color to the wintry landscape.
Four final bird fotos.
I landed at 3:20. Weatrher.co reports it was 36 degrees. There were puddles, not frozen, in the parking lot. When I left my car six hours earlier, it had a layer of ice on the lower half of the doors. That melted, only to refreeze as it dripped off.
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