Rock Springs Run

I was able to get a three hour fifteen minute kayak trip in this morning, Wednesday, April 21, 2010, on the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run. I kept my eyes open for a bear as I wheeled the kayak to the launch site in Wekiwa Springs State Park. On Tuesday, a friend posted a photo of a bear foot print on Facebook. As soon as I saw it, I though, this has to be near the kayak/canoe launch at Wekiwa Springs. It was. This morning, I did not notice any bear evidence as I launched at 7:40 am.

As usual, I went down the Wekiva (the only way you can go as the River begins in the springs just before the launch) to Rock Springs Run and up the Run.

Saw one deer on the way up, a big one, on my left, after I passed Indian Mound. It looked at me from a distance, I hoped as I came around a corner it would stay where it was so I could get a photo, but it ran into the woods. I paddled almost to where the forest closes in again before turning back. The blue heron is perched on a post from a long abandoned logging road.




Down Run from the old logging road, but not quite to Indian Mound, a bush was moving. With no wind. Something has to be causing that.

Something was a hungry deer.

I may have bothered an alligator as I moved close to take the above flower picture. A deep rumble, like an extended throat clearing, hmmrrrmmmm, sounded behind me.
Back to the Wekiva. Non-pictured birds include wood ducks, pileated wood peckers, belted kingfisher (which after seeing none Sunday on the Econ, thought they may have all gone north) swallow tail kites, and tri colored heron. Oh, what the heck, I'll post the headless heron. After all, the neck has to be where "tri color" comes from.

This youngster is not yet a growler.

This one was a hisser.
I can go months without hearing alligators. I see them, just don't hear them. I think they are more vocal now as it is mating season. I may have to go back and edit some of my early Tales. For a long time I thought I was hearing alligators. Turned out it was pig frogs calling. I learned that from a kiosk at Myakka River State Park that has buttons you can press to hear various calls. I'm thinking of paddling the Myakka, Saturday. Back to today. Only one canoer on the Wekiva as I landed at 10:55. Less then 10 people in the Spring as I cooled of before heading to work.