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.

Lakes Maitland, Osecola, and Nina

The need to sleep overcame my desire to paddle Rock Springs Run before work today. So, this Wednesday, July 21, 2010, I paddled part of the Winter Park Chain.





Mallards and a blue heron at the Fort Maitland launch. I joined them in the waters of Lake Maitland at 8:40. I made my way east, then north across Lake Maitland.

As usual, lots of anhingas as I made my way to Kraft Azalea Gardens on the south side of Lake Maitland.

Into the Venetian Canal to Lake Osceola.

Across Lake Osceola to the Albin Polasek Sculpture Gardens.


I now had a decision to make. Enter the Fern Canal and make a quick visit to Lake Virgina, or paddle back, and time permitting, go into the Lake Maitland- Lake Minnehaha Canal. I decided the later would make for less time pressure, so I turned around.

The Venetian Canal presents pleasing photo opportunities.






Anhingas and cormorants in the cypress trees marking the Maitland/ Winter Park border.

Plenty of time left to go to the Lake Maitland-Minnehaha Canal and Lake Nina.












Re-entering Lake Maitland, above. The osprey pic turned out well. Three others were deleted. Gotta love digital cameras. It has a fish. See the tail?


A pair of wood ducks and a mallard. About four other boats on the lakes, 3 speed boats and a sculler. I landed just before 11:00. Fort Maitland Park is so close to home that the bottom of the kayak had a few wet spots when I took it off the roof in the garage.