Econlockhatchee River

Kayaked the Econlockhatchee today, Saturday, February 27, 2010. The St. Johns River too, as I launched at C.S. Lee Park, headed upstream to the Econ, then up the Econ. I worked in the morning, so only was on the water four hours. A new report on the Green Wave Forum about the Lower Econ put this paddle in my mind. The author saw bald eagles, white pelicans and alligators, Friday. It was sunny, low sixties. Today was not so nice. I watched rain come down as I made my calls at work, part of my mind thinking where to kayak. The rain was light, but steady, and a peak at the weather report showed it ending at 2:00. The rain, and cold might keep the air boats home, a lot of them frequent the St Johns and lower Econ. A little rain would not bother me. In the St Johns about 1:30, light rain. It stopped, replaced by a nasty southeast wind. In my face. I was right about the weather keeping the air boats away. And just about everyone else. Two trailers in the parking lot, and I likely saw one of the boats on the St. Johns, two guys in a square stern canoe with a motor. Only people I during my four hour trip.




I did see some distant white pelicans, and a bald eagle flying overhead as I paddled to the Econ. Once on the Econ, the wind was no longer a problem. Saw another bald eagle, or so I assume, as it came in the opposite direction than the earlier one. Wood storks. My first photo, a robin Robins were at the launch also. Yesterday, a large flock on the Winter Park Golf Course as I drove by on the way to work. In my pre-paddling days, I could go years without seeing a robin. Out in the wild so often, my chances are better, and this cold winter, I think there are more here, later in the season. May be a late spring Up North. I thought this one looked plump. Getting ready for the trip.
I saw a lot of great blue herons. A bit of blue sky appeared after about an hour, shown in the opening photo. Three minutes later, I paddled past the Cul Pepper Bend Shelter.

From the St Johns, the Econ flows through a castle mile for a mile or so. Not the greatest scenery. It gets better. This sand hill crane was more interested in food than in smiling for the camera.

I hoped to spot a bald eagle in the trees. No such luck, but the live oaks are beautiful just by themselves.

Today was the third time I've yaked this part of the Econ. My usual paddle is the 419 to Snowhill Road section, through the main section of the Little Big Econ State Forest. A second, non-contiguous section of the Forest, the Kilbee Tract, borders the St Johns River, north of the Econlockhatcee River. On all the maps I've seen, the Kilbee Tract is well north of the Econ. Yet, these signs appear along the north bank of the River

The yellow is "State Forest Boundary" Is the Forest getting bigger and maps not catching up?

Home on the range.

Cattle meant I was nearing the St Johns River. The wind picked up, but now it would be at my back.

Into the St. Johns, where, just upriver, south of the Econ, were white pelicans. Look at the above picture again. See the great blue heron, far left? Puny next to the pelicans.

A lot of white pelicans.

I may have seen more white pelicans at Sanibel, but add the swimming ones to the ones in flight, a line of huge birds from one bank to the other, and I think this was the most I've ever seen in one spot.

The pelican flock was a nice interlude, but now I had to turn the kayak into the wind and return to C.S. Lee Park. Yes, into the wind. It had done a 180. Thankfully, it was not howling as it was earlier.

I landed at 5:36, according to the time stamp on this snowy egret photo, taken just after I stepped out of the kayak and on shore.