Lakes Maitland, Nina, and Minnehaha

Got the mid week yak in this morning, Wednesday, April 14, 2010. A slight variation on the Lake Maitland, Lake Minnehaha paddle. Instead of going right to the canal, I paddled out to Dog Island from the Fort Maitland Park launch. Figured it was better to be on the bigger Lale Maitland first, before the wind kicked up.
- Arriving at Dog Island, I decided I may as well paddle to the Isle of Sicily, and arriving there thought, well I may as well check out Kraft Azalea Gardens.







Isle of Sicily Bridge.







Back into the open part of Lake Maitland, the wind did pick up. It was good to enter the shelter of the canal to Lake Minnehaha. The first pic is from the canal. I thought the moss drapped tree looked nice. The bald eagle that flew by seconds later must have thought so too.

Wood ducks, cormorant, moorhen.

Lake Minehaha was a choppy as I've ever seen it while paddling. I'd say the wind was a steady 15 with higher gusts. Once again, the canal offered a respite.

Back to a wavy Lake Maitland.

The bird numbers seemed to be down. A combination of approaching summer and the wind, I think. Saw great egrets in flight and a green heron in addition to what's pictured here. I don't have a heron pic of any kind. Until this great blue obliged.
During my 2 hours 15 minutes on the water I saw more scullers, 3, than motorboats, 2.