An Early Morning Kayak Trip - Friday - July 8, 2011

Nancy and I looked at the weather forecast last night and decided that if we wanted to kayak today, we had to do it early.  We left the house by 6:30am and went to Enterprise Landing not far away.  We were on the water by 7am.

Map of our trip. “X” marks our start and finish spot.

Both of us were anticipating a little breeze with the weather front coming our way. However, we had virtually no wind so conditions were perfect!! 
We crossed the Intercoastal Waterway to a creek that connects to the Waccamaw River.

Looking back to the Enterprise Boat Landing.

This fisherman was trying his luck and enjoying the quiet out on the creek.

Once across the Intercoastal, you enter a National Wildlife Refuge.

Early morning light made for some interesting pictures.

Just before we reached the Waccamaw River, we were passed by this boat and got to ride its wake:o))Once he was out of sight, we never saw another person all morning.  It was so peaceful.

We thought by getting out early, we would see a lot of wildlife.  There were Osprey everywhere and we did get some great views!!

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

This guy had his head down and was letting us know he didn’t want us around.  But as we moved on, he calmed down and quieted down.

Earlier this year, we had paddled this way and saw several Osprey nests.  Here is one and it was empty;o((

A little further up the river, we came upon this stack of sticks.  Not sure if it is the remnants of an old nest or the beginning of a new nest.

We paddled a little over 2 miles up the Waccamaw River and then took the loop around and headed back.  On our trip back, we saw this Mother Osprey with 3 chicks in the nest.
Getting a little closer…

We paddled back into this cove to try and get a closer picture of the Osprey chicks.

However, we couldn’t see them very well because of the tree limbs.  Here are a few shots….
Momma standing guard!!

Chick checking us out!!

Momma letting us know it was time for us to go!!

Once we got back to the river, we could see the bad weather heading our way.  So we picked up the pace and headed towards the landing. But of course there were still sights to be seen along the way.

We paddled by these Cypress Knees.

In the distance, we spotted another Osprey and another nest!!Can you see her high in the tree??

We paddled toward the channel market and were able to get a couple closer pictures.

There appears to be 2 chicks in this nest.

We took a right, around the island, at the channel marker.  This route will bring us back to the landing from the south.  But before we got there, we still had more to see.
This tree looks like its roots are in the air ;o))

This tree has a huge bump on its trunk.  Not sure what caused that to happen.  Here is a closer look.

When we were almost back to the Intercoastal Waterway, we saw this cormorant perched in the tree.

 

We paddled closer and expected it to fly away, but it didn’t!!

Finally, we were right underneath it.  Close enough that I could have touched it and it did not fly.

Once we had passed, it flew a very short distance and landed in the water.  I realize now, that it was trying to dry its feathers so it could fly.  Cormorants are not like other water birds that have feathers that shed water.  Their feathers soak up the water and make it very difficult for them to fly until they dry out.

Approaching the Intercoastal Waterway.
The Captain!!

Approaching the boat landing from the south.  You can see the rain clouds gathering. We got the Sea Eagle deflated and put all the gear in the car when the first of many thunderstorms hit.  GOOD TIMING!!

We have not had rain for so long, that we are now in drought conditions. We got our paddle done, so we will be thrilled to have a rainy day or two!! It was a very peaceful and enjoyable day. 

After this week, Nancy will not be able to kayak or bike until her shoulder heals following surgery.  We’re not sure what to expect from the removal of the titanium rod and screws in her shoulder. Hopefully, she will get some improved range of motion and the pins and needles will stop!!  How long will she be “out of commission?” We know she will be out of work for two weeks. But how long will it be until she’s comfortable using that arm? Knowing Nancy, it won’t be any longer than absolutely necessary!!

Well, we had a great day and the only thing that could have made it better would have been OFFER on the house :o))