Lakes Maitland, Nina, and Minnehaha

Another Wedenesday morning paddle on the Maitland portion of the Winter Park Chains.  I'm sleeping to late to wake up to get to Wekiwa Springs State Park.  Where I have not been all month. That could be a record.  Was thinking of going Friday, after work.  But a nasty storm blew threw this afternoon.  Lots of branches, and a tree, on the drive home from work.  I have a feeling Rock Springs Run could be full of debris.

It was overcast, and breezy at 9:00 am when I shoved off at Fort Maitland Park.

I came to the end of the narrow bay that extends east from the Park, and found a vast collection of cormorants, great egrets and great blue herons.

Maybe they all wanted to see the above fish.

Or, they enjoyed the lack of construction.  A house on the point is being remodeled.  Must be almost done, no work going on, but the Port-o-Let is still there.  I like what they are doing, new windows, inuslation, new siding-keeping the wood house looking the same.  Unlike across the bay where a concrete monstrosity is going up where the Jetson house used to be.

Another sucessful angler. Belted kingfisher on Lake Nina.

In Lake Minehaha.

Saw an otter, briefly.  Quickly ran into the Lake from a lawn.  I waited for it to surface, it outlasted me, or was quiet in the reeds.

A good morning for wood duck photos. On wild rivers, they fly away in a heartbeat. On the suburban lakes, even I can get photos.

I saw one boat.

The mass collection of birds was gone.  Earlier, I wondered why no woodstorks. Looks like it arrived late to the party.

This may be the same anhinga I saw on the way out. Third photo. Landed at 10:40.