July 30, 2023
Another banner day. One dolphin, he was longer than my kayak! I got a video of the waves he left behind when he surfaced 15 feet beside me. But the GoPro was pointed ahead.Â
I still am having problems with the GoPro reading the SD card, so I brought a second one with me. I was moving the card in and out trying to get a good connection when zing, the card hit my elbow on its way to the bottom of the creek. I reached for it under the water and it bumped my hand but sank to the bottom. Some archaeologist a thousand years from now may be digging up the creek and come up with it. I put a piece of thin plastic on the back of the SD card I have left to hopefully push it closed to the contacts.
I met Nature John out today – he had seen the dolphin as well. I also met a new person, Stefane on her inflatable board.
July 29, 2023
Another great day! No dolphin, but one manatee! I was trying to get the GoPro to record and so missed photographs of the manatee, he was 1/3 the way across the bay which surprised me, I had never seen them out here in the shallow water. Nature John and I waited at the dam for them but they did not show today.
I finally got the GoPro to save to the SD card, I will not take the card out again if it continues to work.
July 28, 2023
Another beautiful day, the surprise today was the Nanday Conures who had found the birdfeeder at Alan’s place! Seven of them flew in and chowed down.Â
The lady who lives by the dam said the manatees had been there yesterday, but not so far today.
July 26, 2023
A beautiful day, lots of birds! Another brood of tiny ducklings! I thought that the ducks were done for the year, but here were six itty bitty ducklings with their mother! I tried eight times to get a video, and I thought that finally I got one, but upon looking at the files, three of them had zero bytes, and the others did not register at all! The GoPro kept saying SD card error. At least I did get stills.
July 24, 2023
No dolphins, manatees or sharks (never sharks or alligators!). A few more videos of the birds, you can see how small they are in the videos, but my camera brings them closer.
July 22. 2023
Pleasant day out, no surprises. I learned afterward that 4k was not turned on on my GoPro, but an uneventful day.
July 21, 2023
No dolphins, manatees or sharks (never sharks or alligators!). A few more videos of the birds, you can see how small they are in the videos, but my camers brings them closer.
July 20, 2023
A great day, a dolphin and lots of birds!
I was taking photos of the dolphin when it was far away, then when it got closer I should have turned on the GoPro, it would have made a good video as the dolphin passed within 5 feet of my bow! I got great photos as he stayed on the surface for a long time.
I did take new videos with the GoPro (link is above).
July 19, 2023
I have been busy with lights and projector for the theater.Â
https://gulfportcommunityplayers.org/
Today was very nice, Allan spotted a manatee covered in barnacles, I paddled out to where he was, the manatee circled around and put his nose up to my kayak! So I petted him! Then a second manatee (with no barnacles) was spotted ahead. I paddled to catch up, but never saw them again. When the one which was beside my kayak I tried to take photos with the GoPro, but it had an error message, SD card error. My big camera said no battery! I reinserted the SD card and it continued to work, then I reinserted the battery and that one continued to work. But in the heat of the moment, I had neither camera and a manatee right beside me!
Some birds today, but not many.
Friday July 14, 2023
No manatees today, but a dolphin or two. Lots of birds today, including the baby Little Green Heron out again!
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Dolphin sightings again! Ann went with me today, I tried out the GoPro, unfortunately I had only a 2 GB chip in it, so it only recorded for 9 minutes, not much scenery during that time, just the mangroves and the sunrise. I have a 16 GB in the GoPro now.
The Little Green Heron baby was out, looking for food from momma!
Tuesday, happy Forth of July, 2023!
Dolphin sightings! A very nice day, the sea was like glass again, with a light breeze to keep us somewhat cool.Â
Monday, July 3, 2023
Lots of fireworks last night, it may have scared off my birds! Also, no manatees anywhere today, but four dolphins!
Sunday July 2, 2023
Today made up for yesterday, five adult manatees and a baby! Lady Four Scars was at the dam and I played with her for quite a while, still as playful as ever. Then on the way back I saw one adult manatee under a bridge, then across from Bob’s there were three adults and a baby! The baby and one adult were tugging on the prop roots of the mangroves, another adult was munching on the leaves and the last adult had its nose in the grass on the side of the creek. I must confess, I was stationary for about five minutes – splashing with my right hand to get the manatees to come. No one came, they were all out of sight. So I decided to move on. I put my left paddle in and pulled, then put my right paddle in. I had been looking to my left. When I put the right paddle in I hit something. An adult manatee surfaced right beside me! I had not seen him and touched him with the paddle! He continued north, but it was funny that he was there all the time! Five adults, one baby, a record!
I also got some good shots of a Pelican fishing.
Saturday July 1, 2023
For three days John and I played with the manatees. Today Noa and I went out and – no manatees. It was a nice day and we saw a few birds.
One thing you may notice, I used a different camera, my Coolpix P900. I also did not crop or edit any of the photos at all. I usually lighten or darken them a bit and crop them, not today.
