As a fairly novice kayaker, I was happy to stumble upon this on-line resource published weekly by Kevin McCharen. I had mentioned to Hope one day that I was headed out kayaking, and she motioned me into the church office where she pulled up Kevin’s site on the internet and showed me some of his amazing pictures. They had recently encountered a Bald Eagle and were lucky enough to observe him up close and personal for an exclusive photo shoot of about half an hour. Once introduced to the site, I really enjoyed going through and reading Kevin’s accounts of his (and Hope’s) exploits on their kayaks. Kevin is a great, descriptive writer and I can almost picture being alongside when reading some of the journals. He gets great pictures as well. Also, the site is very helpful with tide information, weather forecasts, camping tips and other useful stuff for kayakers. Best of all is Kevin’s obvious passion for nature as he paddles his way around the local waters documenting his journeys in a way that makes you wish you could be out there too. Thanks to Kevin for allowing me to share his journal on our site as I know we have many nature lovers and kayakers out there! For more stuff, visit Kevin’s site (see link below) or better yet, sign up for your own personal copy of his weekly e-newsletter. Enjoy 
http://paddlethetimucuan.net
11/1/09
Put-In : Horseshoe Creek
Destination : Cedar Point Creek
Time : 8:00 am
Trip Length : 4 hrs (6.7 miles)
Temp : 55
Weather : clear, calm
Water : smooth
Tide : outgoing
Wildlife of Note : Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, King Fishers, Northern Harriers, Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, Wood Storks, Ibis, Tri-Colored Herons and White Pelicans
White Pelicans back in their winter home along the ICW
Early this morning, the clocks rolled back to standard time as the long awaited cold front blew through the area cooling things down considerably. After some debate, I decided to head to Horseshoe Creek and paddle south towards Cedar Point so that I could check on my Pelican Pals and confirm their arrival from their summer home.
Dolphin on the ICW
There was a chill in the air, but I opted to leave my fleece in the truck as I set out from the ramp just after peak high tide. I could see that it was another extremely high tide that is normal this time of the year, especially with the moon nearly full. I remembered the trip five years ago when the water was so high that I was able to actually paddle into the pool where my big white friends stay for the winter. Once I reached the waterway, I headed south as three or four Dolphins began surfacing nearby.
When I reached Cedar Point Creek, I pulled into the mudflat on the north side of the island that lies on the western bank of the ICW, just north of the Pelican Pool. I found that the water was indeed over the shell bank but not high enough to reach the pool so I paddled down to the south end of the island and started walking. I could see a mass of white to my left which confirmed what I already knew – the flock was back and the morning groom was well underway in the bright morning sun. Directly in front of me lay the smaller pool where the shorebirds usually hang out but I could also see the large, leathery heads of a dozen or so Wood Storks popping up above the grass.
Storks and Spoonbills
As I approached, I could also see, among the Storks, about five or six of their pink cousins, the straggler Spoonbills who have yet to pack their bags and head south for their winter homes. I walked slowly through the flooded grass as the Storks began to shift nervously and move slowly away from the near bank. The grass was thick and the water deeper than it usually is and it made my approach across the flats noisy and awkward. As a result, by the time I got close to the Pelican Pool, they were well aware of my presence and one by one they began to waddle into the water and swim slowly to the other side.
Wood Storks at Cedar Point
I took several photos and then walked back toward the waterway, pausing to shoot the Storks and Spoonies once again before getting back in my boat. As I did, I could see that the Pelicans had begun their slow, methodical departure from the pool – a dozen or so at a time as they circled and let the wind carry them to the southeast. The parade of Snowbirds (the hoomin variety) was well underway so I had to time my departure between passing of the huge yachts heading south for the winter. I decided to head into Cedar Point Creek and check out the island where I camped on that trip in 2004. I got out and looked around – pleased to find that it was relatively un-trashed but well used with several clearings to camp at.
I continued upstream against the strong outgoing current – crisscrossing the stream to stay out of the swiftest water. I could see Wood Storks perching in the trees on the south side of the point so I paddled into the little stream that runs along that part of the point. After shooting them, I let the current carry me back out to the waterway where I made my return to the put-in.
