Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run

Its not the Rapture, just the Wekiva River, Wednesday, May 19, 2010. My usual weekday morning Rock Springs Run paddle, but with such an opening I had to give the short stretch of the Wekiva from Wekiwa Springs to Rock Springs Run equal billing.

I was in the water just past 7:30.
I should have picked up that cup behind the tri colored heron. I did pick up a four pack- not six pack- ring near my car.

I did not realize this ibis had a beak full when I took the photo on Rock Springs Run.


A paddling friend told me the bugs were out when she paddled Rock Springs Run, Tuesday. They weren't bad as I began, but once I got into the first open area, there was a constant buzz around my Cutter covered head. Lots of dragonflies. A good thing, they feed on mosquitoes. Plenty of what I call deer flies. Brown, triangular wings. Bloodsuckers. They are slow, so are easy to swat. Especially when bloated with blood.

Speaking of deer, saw one on the right bank, just down Run of the S-curves. Another, up Run of Indian Mound.
Birds, in addition to those pictured, blue heron, wood ducks, anhinga, vultures and swallow tail kites.
Heard another deer, maybe two, just past Big Buck. Usually on these weekday morning paddles I turn back in the vicinity of Big Buck. Today with an early start, I went beyond the tall pine that has been the apex of these workday yaks. I saw a clump of bushes and told myself, "I'll turn back there". Nice for a deer to not run from the turn around spot.

More than likely this is the same great blue heron shown earlier.

A few examples of why the Wekiva River, including Rock Springs Run, is Wild and Scenic.

Wild and Scenic is capitalized as it is a designation granted to very few Rivers.

http://www.rivers.gov/wsr-wekiva.html

Now I'm thinking of getting a permit to paddle the third part of the Wild and Scenic Wekiva system this weekend, Blackwater Creek. Back to today. No one at the campsites. Two canoes on the lower part of Rock Springs Run. Another half-dozen on the Wekiva. I saw on alligator, a few turtles, on logs and swimming, and a huge snapper in Rock Springs Run. The black crowned night heron nest is still occupied above the Wekiva.

I landed at 10:50, and had a nice cooling snorkel before heading off to work.