Rock Springs Run

I took a peak at the Yak Tales archives and saw I has not been to Wekiwa Springs State Park and Rock Springs Run since June 15. Over a month ! So, that's where I went today, Saturday, July 24, 2010
The time stamp on the first photo is 6:51 am. That's a young yellow crowned night heron. Chances are its the offspring of a pair that had a nest just a bit down the Wekiva this spring. Perched on something I predicted would be in the lagoon after my June 15 paddle. Boom to keep herbicide used on hydrilla on one side of the lagoon. I do not recall ever seeing so much of the weed.

Another juvi night heron, or maybe the earlier one flew over to Rock Springs Run.

I was thinking about paddling all the way up the Run, but it was hot, rain forecast for the afternoon, so I just paddled up the Run until 9:00. As Kings Landing opens at 8:30, I did not encounter anyone coming down the Run from that location.

The deer was just at the end of the second open section. I had not seen any, and was losing hope of doing so as I was just about to entered a heavily wooded section. I actually paddled past it, then saw it and drifted back for the photos.
The tree below is interesting. A maple, toppled into the Run, but its branches have adapted and shoot straight up, reaching for the sky.

Rock Springs Run is low and very clear. I should have got another deer photo at one of those low spots. I got stuck, was looking down as I pushed forward, looked right, saw the deer, it saw me, I reached for the camera, it disappeared into the brush. I stopped just down Run of the deer, a doe, at the Big Buck Camp site. Walked up to the site, which unlike the other two on Rock Springs Run, can't be seen from the water. It, like the other two, was unoccupied. Ate half a sandwich, some grapes, and got back into the yak. As I did, two hikers came down to the water. First people I saw all morning. It was 10 am.



I've posted pics of blue herons, great blue herons, tri colored heron, green heron, yellow crown night herons, and ibis. Also saw great egrets, osprey, pileated woodpeckers, cardinals and vultures. The stump below is a sign of the water level. Near the Otter camp site, it was underwater late winter,early spring. Which usually is the dry season.

Saw about 5 gators, just one good picture.

I saw the first paddlers at 10:45, 4 hours after I began. 15 minutes later, the Run began to fill with people, with many more on the Wekiva.

I returned to a crowded Wekiwa Springs State Park at 11:40. Pulled the yak up the hill, got it on the car, and drove to the quiet part of the Park, the Sand Lake parking lot trail head. Where the two guys I saw at Big Buck were just completing their hike. I walked to Big Buck and back, and hour walk.

Audience participation time. Any one know what kind of bird this is? Sorry I don't have better pics. Black head, white breast, orange on wings. Closest I could find is a redstart warbler, but I don't think that's it. Oriole? None I looked at seem to match. A bit more searching. I think its an Eastern towhee

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/id

Rock Springs Run from Big Buck. Saw three canoes from Kings Landing go by.

My shoes got wet in a muddy, wet section of the trail, above, but other than a few drops on the drive out of the Park, no rain today.