Cedar Key, Day 2, Memorial Day Weekend, 2012

A magnificent morning paddle.  One might even say friggin magnificent. The day began looking out the window at 6:30 am.

Nice to have the ability to monitor the City Beach parking lot from my balcony.  Still just the single truck when I arrived, after the traditional steak and potato breakfast, at 8.  After complimenting the concession owner on his helpful employee, I was paddling across the water to Astena Otie Key

It was high tide, so I could do something I've wanted to do for a long time  Paddle through the Key.  Unfortunately an airboat decided to do the same thing.   Wonder if that's why the above great egret is the only bird photo.  I saw the airboat back on the Gulf while I was in the interior, a flock of bird flying in front of it. Or fleeing.

Through an oyster bar, back in the Gulf.  Next stop, Seahorse Key.

Two miles or so across open water. Snake Key, above.

Wildlife opportunities a bit limited on the open Gulf.  Cormorants on a navigation post. You may see a sea turtle poke its head up once, twice, but not thrice as I held the camera. Not sure what kind, but the head seemed larger than the Kemp's Ridley turtles I've seen in the waters of Cedar Key before.

Seahorse Key, the highest natural spot on Florida's west coast. 52 feet above sea level.

Nesting sign

Nesting osprey

Both.

Time to make an entry in the condo log, which start s last June and has no kayaking comments.  Shame. Then pack, check out and hopefully not get to wet wherever  I put the yak in.

7:35 PM Monday. I'm home. Drat. Means I have to work.  I kayaked the Wacasassa and Wekiva.   Got drizzled on,but stopped it by putting a poncho on.  Got wet at the end, falling out of the yak on the ramp.  More about Monday when I finish Sunday's Tale.

Seahorse Key Lighthouse.

At a point on the Key, a vast flock of magnificent frigate birds.

It is rare to see these birds not in flight,  Seahorse Key is the only place I have seen them roost.  They do not nest here, but rest   I agree with the Fish and Wildlife Service. " provide a superb photographic subject"

My attention shifted to the water as a dolphin fed.  I did not get any pictures.

So, I continued looking up.

I left the MFB's behind, for the time being, and continued my circuit of Seahorse Key.

I saw the frigate birds again, on the other side of the Key.

Spotted a lone roseatte spoonbill. To far away for a good photo.

I was going to write how I saw a magnificent frigate bird chase a pelican away from its nest. I now know MFBs don't nest on Seahorse Key. Perhaps it was more of a harassment thing, like bald eagles chasing osprey for fish.  If you believe Wikipedia, MFBs do steal food from other birds.

10:45, time to head back.  A steak sandwich in the cooler would have to  wait, no landing on  Seahorse Key, as you saw from the signs.  I got another water bottle out of the cooler, along with a peanut bar, and began paddling back to Cedar Key.

 Into the wind and waves.  More of a cross wind, which I think is worse.  Made me paddle farther, in order to hit the waves at a better angle.

The only animal pic of the crossing, a cormorant.  I saw a dolphin, slapping the surface with its tail, leaping out out the water. It was headed back towards Seahorse Key.  I followed for a while, but stopped as I did not want to paddle twice against the wind blown waves.

Back to civilization

These waves are more wake than wave.  Power boaters come into the marina at full speed, slowing down at the last minute, Then waiting for the one lane ramp to clear.  I think gasoline fumes affect the brain.

Landed at 12:20.  Ate the steak sandwich, grilled on the condo stovetop, had an orange and a beer, composed part of Saturday's Tale.

2:30, on the bike.

Who wants to go in on some real estate?

My name is on other Cedar Key real estate.

The Cedar Key Cemetary is hilly, shady; historical, and on the water.  A great stop on a bike ride.  With a park next door.

Views from an overlook at the end of the boardwalk.

Boardwalk views

Back on the road.

To the airport.

One of these visits I'll get a photo of a plane landing or taking off over the water.

This sailboat, which I had seen when I was on the water looked to be having a hard time in the wind.

How the "Honeymoon Cottage" remains standing, I have no clue.

I'll call out jerks no matter what kind of boat they operate.   What kind of ahole blocks half the landing area by leaving his kayak parallel to the shore?  Land, and pull it out of the way. Perpendicular to the shore.  If you don't know common courtesy and common sense, stay off the water.

I got off the bike, after riding just over an hour.  Back to the condo, rested, added more photos to Saturday's Tale, had a beer, ready to get back in the kayak.  It rained.  The rained stopped, I decided to go to dinner, and hopefully,  get in the kayak after.

Magnificent frigate bird.

A kayaker.  Water did not look to bad, but the threat of rain remained.  I went to the Pickled Pelican for dinner.

In honor of Tropical Storm Beryl,  I choose the above beer.

Clam chowder for my Ceder Key clam fix.

Salad

Entree.  I took about a third of they shrimp and oysters and over half of the beans and rice "home"

View from my table. Astenia Otie in the background.  The outside dining area was closed, soaked from the rain shower.  Not that I would sit outside anyway.  I'm outdoors all day, give me AC when I eat.

I had not ate the the Pickled Pelican my last to visits.  It closes at 4 on Sunday.  Except holiday weekends.  But, my server told me they will now be open, I think she said to 8, all Sundays.

After dinner views, from the balcony.  Not a good time to be on Dog Island.

The lines are fishing line.  Seagull barrier.

The "L" in the Railroad president's name is Levy.  Cedar Key is in Levy County.  Mr. Yulee was Florida's first Senator.  And a traitor, became a Confederate Senator.  I doubt he returned any of the land grants he received from the Federal goevernment.  It's amazing to me how many Florida counties have names from Civil War figures and places from the losing side. Lee, Calhoun, Sumter, to name a few. I could go on, but I won't.

Blue sky!  Well a piece of it. In the water at 7:10. Thought I'd paddle into the Number 2 Channel and see it the spoonbills were where I saw them Saturday.

 Dog Island, no longer under a thundercloud

The gold spot isn't the sun, but a rainbow.  More of a rain circle, or dot. Looked better live.

I'm guessing TS Beryl, looming off Jacksonville, had a bit to do with the interesting cloud formations.

Just the prow of the sunken ship was out of the water.  The oyster bar was under water. No spoonbills.  But, the water was high enough so I could paddle to an area where I've seen spoonbills roosting.

Three spoonbills in a tree.  On Saturday, 3 spoonbills were on the oyster bar when I arrived.  The same trio? And where were the later arrivals?

I went to find out.  Paddled  a mangrove maze. I've done in before, so had some idea where I was going.  Also knew the tide was headed out, and did not want to get stuck.  I'll turn one more corner. Okay, one more.

There they are

I should charge people for this stuff

Some, but not all, left the roost.

Yellow crowned night heron on a neighboring tree.

The tree where the trio had been was empty.  I wonder where they went?

On the just emerging oyster bar, of course.

I paddled to the black crowned night heron rookery.  Deep enough tonight to paddle into the mangroves.  None around.  Ibis and great egret.

I wanted to get the sun behind the spoonies, but the angle wasn't right.

I asked a couple sitting on the Nature's Landing dock if they were there before the spoonbills arrived. They were.  I asked if they noticed how they arrived. "First two or three, than a big group, followed by others.. here come some more"   Had to be the three from the first tree first, and they must be the three I saw on the bar when I arrived Saturday.

 Out of the Number 2 Channel, back to the Gulf.

Landed at 8:30. A heck of a day, with one more of the 3 day weekend to come.