Weeki Wachee

Saturday, January 24, 2009, I spent the paddling the Weeki Wachee River. It has been cold, not just cool, temps 32 or just below the last several mornings. Today was warmer, I'd say low forties when I shoved off from Rodgers Park at 7:20 am. ( Sunday, Weather.com reports it was 30 in nearby Spring Hill at 7:05. 32 at 8:05 )No other cars in the lot. The boat ramp is closed. Why, I don't know. And don't care. Canoes and kayaks can still be launched from a ramp dedicated to that purpose.









I assumed that manatees would be gathered in Hospital Hole, an in-River sinkhole a short paddle upstream from Rogers Park. They were. Five or six. I joined them. Photos did not turn out, probably due to lack of light. Lots of snapper. A sheepshead or two. I got back in the yak and headed upstream through the mist. Cool air meeting warm water kept the steam rising until 10:00 am when it finally burned off.









I paddled Weeki Wachee this same weekend last year. Saw 6 deer along the banks then, hoped to see some today. None on the way up. Of course, they could have been hidden in the mist. Saw a fishing boat early, before Hospital Hole, one kayaker, in the first two hours of paddling. Well past halfway, people began coming downstream. No big crowd, groups of 2 to 5 paddlers,
maybe 20 in all. Several asked if I saw manatees. As the take out for renters launching from the Weeki Wachee Canoe and Kayak Rental is upstream of Hospital Hole, they may not have seen any sea elephants.









I reached the end of the upstream paddle, the "No Vessels Beyond This Point" sign, about10:15. After chatting with some ladies at the nearby pontoon tour dock, I began the down stream trip.

I did not see many birds today. Mottled ducks above.

Lots of great non avian scenery.

I took a lunch break on a small, wet, sandbar on the right bank. It was full of raccoon tracks, robins flew about the trees. Back in the yak, saw a raccoon, turtles,

and a manatee. The latter at the tree climbing gator, for those of you familiar with the Weeki Wachee. Soon after that, I saw a group of paddlers looking to their right. Manatee ? I heard noise in the woods, then saw the deer. Three, nibbling on trees and shrubs.

I returned to Hospital Hole, the manatees were still there. As were 2 fishing boats and a family of idiots in two rental canoes. One moron, in the water seemed to be holding on to a manatee. The criminals left. I'm mad at myself for not saying anything. Next time I'll speak up- Hey dumb a@@ ! don't you know that is illegal, harmful, ignorant and just fu&*ing stupid ? Or should I be more tactful ?

I moved on, paddled past Rodgers Park, under the Shoal Line Road bridge, then beneath the low bridge on the right that takes one to the less developed section of the built up part of the Weeki Wachee. Homes on the left bank only. Tall grass and palms to the right. A shallow creek flows through the grass. I had never paddled its entire length. I thought it may empty into Mud Creek. It does. A nice detour. I'd guess it enters Mud Creek a half mile upstream of the confluence with the Weeki Wachee. I paddled to the confluence, and beyond, until the fishing pier at Bayport, on the Gulf was in view. I turned around, taking advantage of the incoming tide, which was nice afer a long day as I paddled up the Weeki Wachee.

On the way back, I saw the two fishing boats that had been at Hospital Hole. As it is just a short paddle from Rodgers Park, I went back. Another fishing boat was there, a canoe and 4 kayaks. All l well behaved. I got in.

No snapper or manatee was harmed during this photos. I did not touch, chase, separate, or otherwise harass the creatures. So far as I know. I was in the water twenty minutes. It was neat to dive down through the cool surface water into the warm water coming through the Hole, coming back up, telling a kayaker- "There's a school of snapper and three manatee under your kayak" Then go below again, and surface with a new count, "five".

Another great Saturday paddle. Topped off with a burger at the Upper Deck, watching the end of the Marquette win over DePaul. Also saw the start of the Badger game. I'm sure they came back.

DeLeon Springs

I went to Deleon Springs State Park today, Sunday, January 18, 2009 for the first time since September 14, 2008. I have so many great places to go, this spot, where I see alligators,

Manatee,

and bald eagles, I can go four monthe between visits. Unable to get a photo of two bald eagles, one not yet white headed, that flew overhead. The manatee was the only one I saw, the gator the only live one.

The Spring Garden Creek vultures need to get on the ball. I passed this carcass on the way to Lake Woodruff, and again on the way back.

If my memory is correct, which is no sure thing, I've seen glossy ibis at two places, Spring Garden Lake and Creek, and the Myakka River. Spotted several today.

There are a lot of coots on this paddle. Not folks my age, these white beaked fowl.

Here are more birds seen as I paddled across Spring Garden Creek, down Spring Garden Creek to Lake Woodruff.

Snowy egret, tri colored heron, great blue heron, another tri color, black crowned night heron. Saw about 5 black crowned in an old canal marked by an old tree about halfway down the Creek.

I did not go all the way to Lake Woodruff, about 3.5 miles, but turned around just before entering the big water, where it was windy and choppy. Made the usual stop at Pontoon Landing. Still called that, although the pontoon has been at Hontoon Island State Park for the last few years. Got out for a walk.

Signs of fire. I wonder if it was natural, or a prescribed burn, set by the Refuge personnel to clear out fuel to prevent a greater conflagration.

Back in September, I did not make it all the way down Creek. A massive mat of vegetation blocked the channel. No problem today. Here are the return trip photos.

American bittern, ibis with great egret, blue heron with alligator, female anhinga, ibis with tri colored heron.

I returned to the Spring area about 1:30, the paddle began at 10. I looked for, and found one manatee. Good deal for it, having the place to itself, while south on the St Johns system probably 100 or so sea elephants are crowding Blue Spring.

Of course manatees can't enter the actual Spring at DeLeon.

Back in September, the waterfall was a trickle, after Tropical Storm Fay's floods.

I landed, got the yak on the car, then snorkeled. DeLeon Spring was as clear as I have ever seen it. Only two other people in the water. A lot more fish then on a crowded summer Sunday.

Small panfish, bigger ones can't fit through the grate where the water flows out over the waterfall.

I've seen otters in the Spring, but they come over the concrete walkway.

I finished my visit with a late pancake lunch. Cooked myself. On a tabletop griddle at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill. I have not done this since the first time I kayked at DeLeon Springs State Park, in a rental in February, 2005. That was the first time I saw a manatee from a yak. Here are my stone ground mix flapjacks.

With pecans and blueberries. The pancakes looked as you see them for quite some time. My griddle wasn't working. The staff changed the thermostat. It began to smell like an electrical fire. I moved to the next table. Eventually, I ate.

The griddles get heavy use. When I arrived at the Park, a sign at the entrance station indicated an hour and a half wait. So people wander the grounds, swim, and wait until they hear "Jones, party of 4". I had no wait, and told the hostess I was kind of disappointed that I could not leave my name as "Oxymoron". She gave me a confused look. The waitress who led me to my table said she got it. I'm sure you do to.

Here's the view.

Hillsborough River

I changed by mind about beginning to make up for Friday's "Snow Day" today, Saturday, January 17, 2009. I'll work next Saturday. Today, I headed to Tampa and the Hillsborough River. I'm glad I did. A fantastic day for wildlife.

I put in at Trout Creek Park just past 10 am. Still cool, I'd guess low fifties. No cars in the dirt parking lot. The day got off to a fine start, this is the first picture as I paddled upstream.

Great egret, reflection, cypress roots.

Woodstork feeding.

Rosette spoonbill takes off.

It soon landed.

Two otters ran along the right bank, disappearing into the woods. Then a deer. I raised the camera, it bounded off. Not to far, joining two others. I just got one in the frame.

Next, a raccoon. Note the stringy fur from being in the water.

With the cool weather I was not expecting to see many alligators. Of course, as soon as the thought formed, I saw this one.

The first of four seen during the day.

Remember being a kid, and drawing pictures of Thanksgiving turkeys ? Using a red crayon for the wattle/ beard ?

It really is bright red.

Another great egret.

Noise on the left bank, two piglets. This was proving to be a good day of mammals. Another deer bounded through the woods on the right bank. I did not see the first humans until I was almost at Morris Bridge Park, four miles into the paddle. A gentleman in a canoe said, "You're holding the paddle wrong, put it in at an angle, its better" " Yeah, right" "I'm serious". He and his partner headed downstream. I thought about what he said, and he was right. The blade was not entering the water properly. I need to cock my wrists so the edge enters the water. On the chance that canoer is reading this, thank you.

I took a break at an overlook at the end of a hiking/biking trail. The site of an old bridge, for those of you familiar with the Hillsborough. A kayaker, headed upstream went by, a runner ran up, and turned back, it is the trail end. I got back in the kayak. People were coming downstream, but not to many. I recognized a spot where I saw about 6 baby gators my last visit. One small gator. The sole survivor ? I told a couple coming downstream to look for it.

I then came to the area where I took the picture of the rosette spoonbill and tri colored heron that open this Tale. Also in the area, great egret and great blue heron, and an otter.

I would not want to get my fingers near an otter's mouth. The crunching sounds they make when eating shellfish makes me think a bone would be no problem.

Another view of the spoonbill.

I arrived at Sargeant Park, my turn around. It is also the launch spot for renters. A trio of red rental Canoe Escape canoes were headed up the Flint River. Sargeant Park is at the confluence of the Flint and Hillsborough Rivers. Knowing the renters would soon turn around, I continued up the Hillsborough. Not for long. Unlike the eight mile section I had just paddled, the Hills borough above the Flint River is not cleared. A few trees are removed, but most remain where they fell. I paddled until a large tree blocked the channel. I turned back. Saw a blue heron, nothing else, which I attributed to a guy on the bank with his doberman. But, when I passed them for the second time, downstream, twenty yards away, stood a deer.

Later, at Sargeant Park, I asked the guy if his dog was tempted to chase the deer, which bounded off in his direction after I took the picture. "No, it was more interested in sniffing out the hog tracks". Before I landed, I paddled up the Flint, looking for alligators. That's why the renters had gone that way, I've been on the shuttle bus. I saw several my last visit, none today.

Did get a nice shot of a great blue heron, breeding plumage flowing.

I landed at Sargeant Park, finishing the lunch I had begun on the overlook near Morris Bridge, on the fishing pier/boardwalk. The 2:00 pm and last rental shuttle came with 2 kayakers. Perfect, no crowds on the downstream voyage. I was back in the water at 2:30. The wildlife continued.

I passed four or so renters between Sargent and Morris Bridge. Once past Morris Bridge, nobody until two fishing boats near Trout Creek.

Anhinga. Another great blue heron, fully fluffed feathers.

Something moved in the forest, unseen, to my left. The same noise on the other bank, accompanied by grunts. Pigs. Several, big and small, brown and black.

Great egret.

Limpkin.

Not shown, a flock of robins.

The Hillsborough is a fantastic place for birds, here wood stork with vulture, red shouldered hawk, and another great blue heron ready for the ladies.

Sometimes, two spectacular birds share the same tree.

Here are closeups of the black crowned night heron and rosette spoonbill.

I shortchanged a great egret when I wrote "three spectacular birds". Couldn't get all of them in the frame.

I returned to Trout Creek Park, and having time left before sunset, paddled up Trout Creek. A barred owl flew over head, landing on a branch twenty yards in the woods. Tow far, and dark for a good photo. Other birds seen, but not on this Tale, ibis, belted kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, osprey and blue herons. I paddled up Trout, to a sulphur spring, and just beyond where the Grandmother of all alligators lay on the bank.

The photo does not do it justice. It was taken at a distance of 20 yards or so. I saw it, my first thought, "Holy crap !" Had to be twelve feet, and wide. Bigger than the two big gators that hang out on a bend of the Econlochatchee River. I tried to get a better photo, but as it slid off the bank, I decided it was a good time to turn around.