Lakes Maitland, Nina, and Minnehaha

On Lake Maitland at 8:51. The first photo of the morning is the opener.

 

 

 

 

 Into the canal

 

 Wood ducks

Lake Nina wood duck

 

Water levels all over Central Florida are very high.  A front has been stalled overhead for the past two weeks.  Daily deluges.   The photo above is under the Horatio Ave. Bridge.  Usually, that little opening is two feet by two feet.  The water pipe at the entrance to Lake Nina is completely underwater.

Muscovy duck and chicks

 

 Approaching Lake Minnehaha

 

 

 

 First pied billed grebe of the season.

Red winged black birds

 

 

 

 

 Belted kingfisher

 

 

 Kingfisher taking flight.

Kind of wish this blue heron was not here.  Took my attention away from a dock.  Where a big otter was laying.   Only saw it for a moment, before it slid into the water.  First one I've seen in a while.

 

 Anhinga takes off.  Rare form.  They usually go down, and run on the surface. This one pushed hard off the post a went up at a sharp angle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Back on Lake Maitland.  Clouds coming in, so no paddle to Dog Island.

 Paddled  along the shore, hoping to see another otter on a dock.  Just another anhinga.

 

 

 

Landed at 10:30.

My next Tale will come from the Seminole State Forest.  Or rather, from home after camping Saturday night. My favorite site, Moccasin Spring, is under water. Lucky for me, one of the other two sites, Oaks, is available.  Away from Blackwater Creek.  So, more chances to see deer and bear on land as I drive to the launch site.    I also won't have to dig a hole, Sunday morning.  The Oaks site has an outhouse.

 More to come