Category: Daily Blog

Daily Blog

Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Happy Turkey Day to everyone tomorrow. This is my last kayaking for more than a week, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, then Eileen and I are headed to Lisbon, Portugal for 9 days.
Today was off and on clouds, then as I returned it started to rain. No manatees or dolphins today. 🙁

Monday November 20, 2023
Marian came with me, it was cool at first, but tee shirt weather soon. We saw birds, a dolphin and manatees, but did not get to interact with them.

Sunday, November 19, 2023
A picture perfect day. 68° and full sun, no wind.

Thursday, November 16, 2023
It has been some cooler (70’s) cloudy weather, even today not much sun (photos are not very sharp) and it is now raining.

Sunday, November 12, 2023
No manatees or dolphins today, just no wind, flat water and a few birds. First a video of me doing cleanup, then a video of a Snowy as I glided along beside him.

Saturday, November 11, 2023, Veterans Day
A quiet day, tee shirt weather, lots of birds and fish jumping.

Dolphin from yesterday (11-10-2023):

November 10. 2023, Friday
Weather is great, water up the Bear Creak is like a mirror.
No manatees or dolphin today.

November 9, 2023, Thursday
A wonderful day, temperature perfect, several birds and two dolphins running all around! They even splashed with their tales once!

November 5, 2023
Beautiful day, manatee and turtle! Wind brought me home quickly. A neighbor came out as I was returning, but I met Nature John out there.

Some say I should not play with manatees because “it is against the law”. But it is NOT, the law says that you cannot “harass” manatees. I do not harass manatees.
Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Sanctuary Act of 1978. “It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy, or molest manatees.”
I only pet them when they come up to my kayak.

November 4, 2023
Cool 63° to start out. Windy and sunny.
No manatees or dolphins today.
About an 18 inch mullet jumped not too far from my bow:

November 3, 2023
Still cool 70° and breezy. I saw a mother and her calf manatee, but did not get photos. They disappeared quickly.

November 2, 2023
Also cooler and windy. Noa came with me today.

Amy told me that the video of the dogs does not show up,
here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG1ezuo8G54

November 1, 2023
My 75th Birthday is today! Windy and cooler today.

Daily Blog

October 2023

Photos on GoDaddy
Index to main site
2021 photos
2022 Photos
Study of birds

GoPro Videos

October 30, 2023
Another nice day! No dolphin, nor manatee though.

October 29, 2023
Sixteen species of birds this morning
1.Snowy Egret
2. European Starling
3. Wood Stork
4. Cormorant
5. Kingfisher
6. Tricolored Heron
7. Great Egret
8. Yellow Crowned Night Heron
9. Black Crowned Night Heron
10. Osprey
11. Little Green Heron
12. Anhinga
13. Mockingbird
14. Mallard
15. Crow
16. Blue Jay

October 28, 2023
An AWESOME day! My manatee came over to play! I brought along the watertight case so I could get underwater video as well! He even turned on his side to let me scratch his belly.
Then upon my return the Osprey had a huge fish for breakfast to show me!!

We walked with the 1800 stray dogs in the jungles of Costa Rica:
https://www.territoriodezaguates.com

The word “zaguate” is used in Costa Rica to refer to a mixed breed dog, a mutt, a stray. Territorio de Zaguates is a “No-Kill Shelter,” a dog sanctuary for over 1,800 wagging tails, where we do not believe in euthanasia as a solution to the problem of abandoned dogs in Costa Rica. Our mission is to find a home for all the dogs that are in our care. We are a temporary home for hundreds of puppies looking for a second chance, and we are also the permanent home of many others who may never find their own family.

Territorio de Zaguates is a non-profit organization founded by the spouses Lya Battle and Alvaro Saumet, who since 2006 have been dedicated to promoting animal welfare and respect for animals.

Our Goals:

1. Rescue and improve the quality of life of street dogs.

2. Promote the adoption of animals rescued by the organization.

3. Reduce the number of stray dogs on the streets by spaying and neutering all dogs we have rescued, and raising awareness about responsible pet ownership and care.9

Thursday, October 26, 2023
Another beautiful day kayaking!

Wednesday. October 25, 2023
I am back from Costa Rica and out kayaking again. Costa Rica was nice, it was raining every afternoon, but the mornings were nice.
Today I saw several manatees, but they did not want to come and play.

Sunday, October 15, 2023
Another beautiful day. Sunny, mid 70’s. Nice time to be in Florida. Two Tri-Color Herons, many other birds today.

Saturday, October 14, 2023
Finally a day of sunshine! We had a front come through and sat on us for a few days with clouds, but little rain. Nice days for bicycling though.

Sunday, October 8, 2023
A nip of winter in the air, 72° out!
Nothing exciting today, just my birds.

October 6, 2023
Another fun day with manatees! Ten minutes of playing with one manatee while two others were close by. The one (I called him “Stinky Breath”) spent all ten minutes with me. He would roll over and I would scratch his belly! He would nudge the kayak, he would nibble on the kayak, he just came back again and again to have me scratch him all over. He grabbed my hand with his two flippers and held it. He just played with me! The skin on his body under his flippers is very soft, it felt like supple leather.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Manatees galore! A herd of manatees were playing just off of where Lady Pearl is moored! I spent more than 10 minutes with them! Three times they came up under my kayak and twice I was quite jostled! I was able to scratch the head of two of them!! An amazing day!

Daily Blog

September 2023

Photos on GoDaddy
Index to main site
2021 photos
2022 Photos
Study of birds

GoPro Videos

Monday, September 25, 2023
Still feels like fall is coming, but it was warm toward the end of my run. I got a great photo of the Brown Pelicans this morning.
I met Nature John, but we did not see any manatees. He went on to get some August bricks he found on the shore up the creek.

Sunday, September 24, 2023
Manatees! Two or more manatees were up near the dam. I first saw the head of one come up by the dam. Then I waited and two manatees showed up, just their backs on the surface. I paddled over to be beside them when one lifted his tail, then lifted it higher and bumped my kayak!
Osprey and Anhinga! Again an Anhinga was way up high, this time on top of a mast! The two Osprey decided to go together on top of the other mast! Two on one mast, wow!

Noa sent along her photos from today, 9-23-2023!!!

Noa came kayaking with me today, we stopped and talked to Allan and then stopped to talk with the two dogs, Elvis, and the little one Presley.
Such flat water! And fall is here, sliding glass doors and windows open!

Friday, September 22, 2023
Awesome day, on the water there is a nice breeze, a little hard going out, but a free ride going home. To start out there were several birds. The Kingfisher, two Osprey, two Pelicans, a Tern, Gulls, etc. Some I got photos of, others not. It just is such a peaceful ride up the creek and seeing birds. Allan said there was a manatee fifteen minutes ahead of me, but I never saw it.
The guy whose umbrella I rescued thanked me, he said that his brother gets this web site and really enjoys it. I hope all of you do as well.

Thursday, September 21, 2023
Another beautiful day. I thought that I saw manatees, but it was snook surfacing!

Monday, September 18, 2023
I only did half of my usual trip this morning, a thunderstorm kicked up. I got out of the kayak in time, but the sprinkles started as I carried the kayak up to the house. Then a few minutes later it poured. An hour later it was clear skys!

Sunday, September 17, 2023
Noa went with me this morning, weather was perfect. No manatees or dolphin, but a nice quiet ride. Met new people on Lady Pearl.

Saturday, September 16, 2023
Two Tri-colored Herons were the surprise visitors today, but they were in deep shade unfortunately.
I did see four manatees, they were under the bridge, thus not so good photos.
Also a surprise visitor, a Black Crowned Night Heron!

Friday, September 15, 2023
Osprey took the top spot today!

Thursday, September 14, 2023
Another great day! Marian was already on the water when I got out. No dolphin or manatees today, just a smooth beautiful day.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Another nice day. I spotted an Anhinga on the top of the light on the pinnacle of Lady Pearl, then saw an umbrella that had been blown into the water. I retrieved it for them. An hour later when I came back by, the umbrella was up by the building, they found it.

Monday September 11, 2023
We need to remember another September 11.
A beautiful day today, good for bird watching. Allan and I saw a mom manatee and two babies, but too far away for photos.
Here is a video of the start of my journey by my place, one Osprey, two Ibis and two Yellow Crowned Night Herons.

Sunday, September 10, 2023
Another beautiful day, a manatee and a dolphin! A lot of traffic today on the water, Nature John, another couple in their kayaks, and Chris, his wife and a friend all on their boards.
We watched a manatee going north and one dolphin chasing fish up in a draw. Lots of fun!!

September 7, 2023 Thursday
Friday I have a consultation with a diabetes doctor.
Saturday I am meeting in Tampa with my bridge breaking crew (balsa wood bridges)
Today Nature John and I paddled up the creek and back, We saw the swirls and evidence of manatees, but no manatees to photo.
I did see for the second time in quite a while the Kingfisher, this time I got photographs!

Wednesday. September 6, 2023
A nice day, the humidity is way down and the temperature is in the 70’s. So great!
Nature John and I went up and down the creek together. A dolphin went by us and Nature John decided to go after it. My video shows that the dolphin followed him!
We did not see any manatees today though.

September 4, 2023
Another cooler and beautiful day. I stopped by the Magnus family on their back lawn. We sighted both manatees and a dolphin!

Sunday, September 3, 2023
The temperature has gone down, only 74° this morning. Idalia took away our humidity and sent down cooler air. Still picking up some plastic and trash, but not too much. The tide was out this morning, and I had to take out at my alternative spot. An Osprey was eating its breakfast right over my usual take out spot as well. I did not want to disturb it.

September is here already. I spent September 1 cleaning up from the hurricane Idalia, I found a chair out in the bay and took it to Ann, and cleaned plastic out of the mangroves. I found one of the kayaks on the port side of Lady Pearl had come off and was half sunk. I got it back on deck.
I purchased a wedding gift for Stephanie and Jason and fed the poor on Friday as well.

September 2 was back to normal.

September 2nd photos below

Daily Blog

August 2023

Photos on GoDaddy
Index to main site
2021 photos
2022 Photos
Study of birds

GoPro Videos

Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Awaiting Hurricane Idalia, we have had two bands go by so far, just a short rainfall each time. I do not expect too much, some rain and a small surge. Hopefully not too much in my garage. I lifted everything up so if some water does get in nothing will be damaged.

I am in a High School opened as a shelter. Nice and Air Conditioned and good Internet. I have a nice teachers desk and chair – what more could I ask for!

It was such a nice sunrise this morning.

Sunday, August 27, 2023
The weather was awesome, lower humidity and slightly cooler. No manatees or dolphin today. I met up with three others on the water including one lady an a board, one lady in a kayak, and Nature John. Lots of birds though.

August 26, 2023
More manatees! Two dolphins and a pod of manatees today.

August 25, 2023
Back to America and kayaking. This morning Marian (freshly back from Vermont) rousted me out of bed to go kayaking, and we had a beautiful day to do it. 75° and low humidity ..full sun. Shortly we found that we were surrounded by manatees! At least six. Then up Bear Creek we spotted about six more! Manatee haven this morning!

August 23, 2023
We got up early and caught the first train from Bath to Reading, then another train from Reading to Gatwick. Every train we took (and we took 17) was on time or they notified us if it was going to be 2 minutes late. We only had one that we had planned to take, but it left early! Luckily we had planned to have two hours to spare at the airport, so waiting for an hour for the next train was ok. Next time I go to England I will save some money and go regular rather than First Class. The upgrade was not needed.

August 22, 2023
Our last full day we spent in Bath, England with a side trip to Stonehenge, Stonehenge was built at the same time as a Pyramids. An Englishman was showing his Egyptian girlfriend the Stonehenge. She said that his ancestors were rather puny and weak!

August 21, 2023
WE travelled by train from Glasgow to Oxford where we spent the afternoon at the University of Oxford.

Uploading Loch Ness photos, then today, August 20 photos.
So far sun every day, 70’s and very nice. Most days tee shirt weather.

August 19 2023
We spent the day in Edenburgh, they have the Fringe Festival going on and we stopped to se a lot of the events, we also walked down to Arthurs Seat, but did not climb it. It was a two hour walk (climbing almost 800 feet) but we had walked enough (three times my expected per my watch) so we passed.

August 18, 2023
Flash: NEWS: We did Not see the Loch Ness monster. 🙁
We did have fun on the boat and up to the castle though. No rain!! Just 19 degrees and nice. We have had exceptional weather – sun at least part of every day.

August 17, 2023
I got an email back from one of the swimmers in one of my photos in Dover, Lee wrote:
” I have swam the English Channel solo amongst other marathon swims UK & abroad. I have been involved with open water swimming at all levels for over 25 years; coaching, managing, regional development and organising races. I am currently coaching the young guy who was in the water with me to swim the English Channel. He is due to go on 22nd /23rd August and should complete the swim in under 11 hours which is considered fast. The average time is 15 hours and the world record is 6 hours 58 minutes.”
Amazing who you might meet traveling!

A very busy trip! August 15 we left Dover and went to Bradford where Eileen’s ancestors were from. We did a lot of hiking and went to a museum that was just like where her GGGrandfather may have worked. Then we took a train to Edinburgh (they pronounce it Edin-brh) and went to the castle there. The castle still has 400 soldiers living there!

August 14, 2023
We had a good flight over here to England, a long eight hours in the air but they fed us well. Then we got to Gatwick, found the train real quickly, hopped on the train down to Dover. We had found the bed and breakfast that we had reserved and just had to walk across the street to get there from the station so that was very convenient. We were really lucky when we arrived here in Dover that the lady who manages the bed and breakfast happened to be outside. She let us in and put our bags inside. We also were really lucky to have the beautiful sunshine, everything so far other than some bumps and bruises is going splendidly.

Then we climbed the mountain where the castle is and climbed up in the castle and checked out the King and Queen’s quarters and down in the basement checked out the kitchen. At the castle I was a little chilly so I bought a t-shirt and put it on over my shirt, two t-shirts, which was enough to keep me warm. The weather has been just wonderful sunshine for the most part we had a cloud come over and a few drips of precipitation but then it went away and there was a rainbow so we got to see beautiful sunshine. Both yesterday and this morning is sunny and about 59 degrees out there which is really refreshing and nice. and then hiked back down over the mountain and down to the beach where we found a seal had come ashore, he was still laying on the beach and took pictures of the three statues. The seal looked like it was fish out of water it was laying there and just moving its head a little bit it was waiting for the tide to come in apparently to pick it back up again and go back in the water.

We stopped in a bar and had that drinks but before then we stopped at a restaurant that was really good had a really good breakfast. A vegetarian breakfast no less, with vegetarian sausages that were absolutely delicious. The mushrooms that they use are delicious as well. best mushrooms I’ve had forever!

August 12, 2023
I am off to England starting tomorrow.
Today Noa came with me, and we met Nature John out there.
Noa and I saw a large dolphin, but no manatees.
We had a good time anyway and I got photos of birds.

August 11, 2023
Lots of manates! A pair of twins about a month old surfaced three feet from my kayak! The adults (I guess about three more) were having a good time thrashing about at times!
On the GoPro, I think I may be using the wrong SD cards. I have ordered a high speed card which should be here by the end of the month.

August 10, 2023
Mostly cloudy, but Allan and I saw a dolphin, and I saw two manatees up at the dam! The tide was high enough that I could go over the pipe and paddle to the dam. There were two manatees, taking turns with their noses over the dam taking in the cool fresh water.

August 9, 2023
Allan and I saw a mother and a calf manatee as they went by his place.
A very warm day toward the end.

August 7, 2023
Another BANNER day! A small herd of manatees were in front of Bob’s place! I played with then for 15 minutes and even got to pet one! At times there were three heads out of the water at a time! One came galloping toward me, up and down like a bucking horse, he went right under me!!
I met Java and family from Columbia and Jeff whose boat submerged but the electric motor seems to be OK.
I think tomorrow I will stop by where the mural is and ask who painted it. Scott has a nice mural of a pair of frogs on his wall. He was not around to ask who painted it though.
UPDATE on the murals:

St Pete’s finest… both were done by Vitale Bros. They have done most of the big commercial murals all over the city.

Vitale Brothers Art Studio

(727) 520-0969

https://g.co/kgs/Lb86wD

August 6, 2023
Another great day. Allan said he saw 3 dolphins, but 8 minutes before I got there

August 5, 2023
Another beautiful day like yesterday. Lots of birds.

August 4, 2023
A nice day, the lower humidity was nice, people were coming out on their back yards to enjoy the weather. I added two more videos.

August 3, 2023

A fine day, Noa went with me this morning. I saw one manatee surface, but we did not see him again. A nice breeze picked up which made it not so very hot. I added three videos to the video page.
Videos of Noa are on the NEW GoPro Videos

August 2, 2023
A beautiful day this morning, a day of Little Green Herons. They were out, young and old. No sense using the GoPro as it still has issues with the SD cards, and the Little Greens are too little to be seen on a video.

Daily Blog

June 2023

Post author By John
Post date June 26, 2023
5 Comments on June 2023

- Photos on GoDaddy
  Index to main site
  2021 photos
  2022 Photos

Third day in a row playing with manatees! I just park my kayak on the dam and they come to me. One sucked my hand right into his mouth! They have teeth like sting rays, just two hard plates, but a very soft pink tongue!
Nature John and I played with them for a while then decided to go over the dam and over the water goat and go up the creek. I had been only one other time and was stopped by a fallen tree, same this time but a fallen tree further north.
Nature John sent two videos of me and a manatee, and one he called Kayak Cleaner!

Thursday, June 29, 2023
Yesterday there were two manatees at the dam, this morning there were three! Again I rested my kayak on the dam and a manatee would come up to me! Nature John came up later and we both enjoyed the manatees for a while. Then NJ allowed me to use his guest bathroom, saved the day there!

Update:
Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy, or molest manatees.
The manatee is also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which states: “It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee.”

Others say molesting the manatees is considered if you have 2 hands on one of them.

One hand is not considered molesting them or they would have left!

So I am sure we are fine, the manatees come to us, we did not feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy, or molest them.
There are places here in Florida where you can swim with them and touch them all you want!

June 28, 2023
A day that will go down in history for me. Nature John and I were paddling up Bear Creek when we saw dolphins. Then as we got up further, about 8 AM we came across two manatees. Nothing unusual about that but we followed them up to the dam. One put his snout right up on the dam and was drinking (I think) the cool fresh water coming over the dam. It was about 2 inches deep and was really cold. The second manatee was swimming right nearby. So, for the next hour and 15 minutes Nature John and I reveled in playing with the manatees. State law says you cannot harass manatees, but we did no such thing. The manatees would come up right beside us again and again (where is my GoPro) and “sniff” at our hand in the water. Then they would swim around and take a “bite” out of the side of the kayak. Then they would clean off any algae that was on the kayak. Around and around they circled us. Twice I had one manatee on either side of me and was able to touch both at the same time. For more than an hour they played with us. Many years ago I was able to touch a manatee, but this was another level of amazing. They really were curious, coming up behind Nature John’s kayak and plying with his lifting handle, several times. What an experience. Obviously they were too close to photograph when I was touching them, but I got a few with Nature John accepting an advance from one!

Update Monday:
Out my back window is an Osprey eating his lunch.

Monday, June 26, 2023
Even more interaction with dolphins AND manatees!
A manatee lifted the stern of my kayak and turned me about 30° counterclockwise! He did not dump me, I think it may have been a mistake. It sounded like he had barnacles on his body that lifted my stern leaving little pin hole marks.
Also Jason and I watched two dolphin chasing fish, the larger dolphin caught a 12 inch fish!.

Sunday, June 25, 2023
Dolphins, manatees! A great day! First came the dolphins, I do not know how many but I saw several break the surface to take a breath, they were so quick. I only got one small dorsal fin photo, even though I saw at least 6. One was coming straight at me and rocked my kayak! At the same time a lady on shore said that there were several manatees right there! I only saw one nose, too quick to get a photo.

Saturday. June 24, 2023
A beautiful day!! A few high clouds, moderate temperature, NICE! Today there is no wind and the bay is like glass.

Thursday, June 22, 2023
A short day today, I almost made it home before a small thunderstorm hit! The thunder and lightning hit at the same time! Then pouring rain filled my kayak, I got home soaked!!

Monday, June 17, 2023 Juneteenth, a federal holiday.
It has been cloudy and rain the past few days, but today was clear and beautiful.
Manatees today! Several cavorting around in front of Bob and Di’s place!

(AI ) A beautiful bright red Cardinal perched on a wooden railing, fluffed his feathers and looked towards me. The remarkable bird was enjoying a peaceful moment in the yard, as he waited patiently to get the seeds from the bird feeder, which was hanging few feet away. As soon as he saw some action, he flew over, balancing himself with his sharp claws on the bird feeder, and started nibbling away at the seeds in the feeder. The Cardinal bird, with his distinctive red plumage and distinctive crest atop his head, appeared to be perfectly happy with his own company and the delicious seeds from the feeder. The natural scene was a wonder to behold, with the vibrant bird and his surroundings. It was a delightful moment of nature and beauty that filled the heart with peace and tranquility.

Thursday (Thor’s day) June 15, 2023
(I have a necklace with Thor’s hammer on it!)
The tide was in (Nature John called it what it was, a King Tide).
Another day for the GoPro. An Osprey landed right in front of me going after a fish. Too close to get a clear photo!! The two photos I did get off were way out of focus. He really surprised me landing so close!
Allan said that I missed the dolphin. All around a crazy day! The day started out solid clouds and windy, the clouds moved away and the wind picked up to 10 to 15 knots, a wave splashed right into my kayak – it made for hard to photograph anything it was so rough.

Monday June 12, 2023
Another nice day, I spotted one Skimmer, a Great Blue exposing himself, and lots of ducks.

In the quiet of the marina, a great blue heron perched on a powerboat with wings akimbo. Was it displaying looking for a mate? The bird's long, slender legs stretched out beneath its graceful body, balancing it delicately on the windshield. Its gray-blue feathers glinted in the sun, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to the tranquil surroundings. With a regal tilt of its head, and a slight squawking noise, the heron gazed out over the shimmering water, as if lost in thought. Perhaps it was pondering its next catch or simply enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. Whatever the case, its presence added a touch of wild wonder to the otherwise-manicured marina, a reminder of the natural world beyond the boats and docks.

Sunday, June 11, 2023
Sunshine with a few puffy clouds! 74° and nice. Slight breeze out of the south.
Two Black Skimmers came by! They are so fast it is hard to get a photo! Skimming along above the smooth water next to the marina!

Saturday, June 10, 2023
Another fabulous day, full sun after a bit of clouds on the horizon.

Friday, June 9, 2023
Beautiful weather, a dolphin encounter this morning! As usual, I cannot get photos of things closer than ten feet. This morning I had been watching a dolphin up in front of me. when all of a sudden to my left about 3-4 feet away, a dolphin came up! He was facing me. He looked at me for a second, then splashed me and submerged under my kayak! WOW! I took 4 photos of him, none are recognizable as anything but a blur. I have thought many times of getting a go-pro for times like this. It would have made a great video! They are $400 and only take video for 85 minutes, I am out for 3 hours and I have no idea when nature will suprize me.

Thursday, June 8, 2023
For the first time in almost two years I did not get a photo because my battery had died. The battery in my Nikon D300 lasts a long time, I do not have to charge it up for about a month. This morning a Black Skimmer came around fishing – I missed the shot. I have put a spare, fully charged, battery in my waterproof container that I take every day, so, if it ever happens again I am prepared.
No dolphins or manatees, but a Yellow Crowned Night Heron catching a crab!

Monday June 5, 2023
Two dolphins today, no photos of them though, they were too close! All nine plus mom ducks are doing well.

Sunday June 4, 2023
Another awesome day, three dolphins!

Friday, June 2, 2023

Another great day. Tuesday I volunteer at Gulfport, so no kayaking. Wednesday it was cloudy and in the afternoon we had a severe thunderstorm, dropping more than 5 inches of rain, my rain gage only goes to 5 inches, and it was overflowing! Thursday was a cloudy day. Today, sunshine, 70° and nice.

(AI ) The Snowy Egret is a beautiful bird that can be found along the seawall searching for food. With its bright white feathers. yellow feet, and contrasting black legs and beak, it stands out sharply against the grey concrete of the seawall. It is a skilled hunter, using its long, thin beak to catch small fish and crustaceans that live in the shallow waters and on the seawall. It is an agile bird, quickly darting its head into the water to snatch up its prey. Watching them hunt is a sight to behold, as they move gracefully through the water, at times their wings spread wide to maintain balance. The Snowy Egret is an essential part of the ecosystem, playing a crucial role in controlling the populations of small animals that they prey upon. It is always a joy to see these wading birds in action, as they work hard to survive in their natural habitat.

(AI ) The Snowy Egret is a small, white heron with a delicate appearance, often visible in wetlands and marshes. These birds are skilled at walking slowly and standing still, waiting for their prey to appear. Today, this Snowy Egret was seen walking along the dam in front of a "water goat," a device designed to remove debris and pollutants from water. As the egret strutted along, it suddenly caught sight of its next meal. With lightning-fast reflexes, it lowered its head and snatched a small fish from the water's surface. The egret's sharp beak and keen hunting instincts allowed it to find food even in an area altered by human activity. As the egret continued on its way, undisturbed by the water goat, it reminded us of the resilience and adaptability of nature in the face of human development.

(AI) The osprey is a magnificent bird of prey that is often found near bodies of water. It is a skilled hunter, using its sharp talons to catch fish from the water's surface. Once it has secured its meal, the osprey will often head to a nearby perch to eat and dry off. The bird's feathers are specially designed to repel water, but they can still become saturated after diving into the water. To dry off, the osprey will often spread its wings wide, exposing its feathers to the sun and wind. This helps to dry off the feathers and make them more manageable for flight. As the osprey dries its feathers, it provides a beautiful sight for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

(AI ) Juvenile Little Blue, just like any other young bird, was still in the process of growing and developing. Only a few blue feathers had started to come in, indicating that he was still quite young. As he matured, he would continue to gain more blue feathers, and his deep blue color would become more prominent. Despite his young age, Little Blue was already learning how to fly and navigate his surroundings. He would pursue insects and other small creatures to feed himself, honing his hunting skills. He would also socialize with his peers, learning the customs and behavior of his species. Although he had much to learn and still had a long way to go, Juvenile Little Blue was full of potential and promise, eager to explore the world and discover everything it had to offer.

Daily Blog

March 2023

Post author By John
Post date March 10, 2023
No Comments on March 2023

Friday, March 31, 2023
Beautiful weather, more dolphins. Yesterday one swam right under my kayak! Today there was a pod of them fishing up by the marina. I had not seen the Merganser for a couple of days, he was back today. My kayak was again dry as a bone! The wind had driven me into a few oysters, but it only scratched a little by the patch. I caught an Osprey diving and coming up with a fish! He was too fay away to figure out what the fish was though. More pet photos.

Thursday, March 30, 2023
Another nice day, a bit cooler (68°). My kayak for the past two years (since I last patched it) always had some water in it when I returned.. I used a towel to mop it up every day. Last week however a towel was not enough, I had to bail. My patch had sprung a huge leak. I sanded off the old patch and put on another (this was my fifth I think) and used another one of my kayaks for a few days. I do not like my yellow (Old Town) kayak as much for photography. It is fast, but tippy. It is very hard to get situated and still to take photos.
Yesterday and today I used my old green kayak. Both days, when I returned, the interior was stone dry. Not one drop of water in it.! My patch is holding!! I used Ace Hardware super adhesive, then let it dry. Painted over it, then applied two coats of varnish. I hope that it will hold another two years!

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

A very nice day, mother Mallard Duck and her 10 babies were out and in great shape. One duckling decided to come see me (I was about 20 feet away), he paddled out about half way, the turned and half flew back to where mom was!

Monday, March 27, 2023

Marian decided to come, it was a nice day, not too much sun though. I heard a dolphin and Marian saw other dolphins too far away for photos.

Friday, March 24, 2023

A dolphin, some nice birds!

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Sunny and warmer, only a light breeze. Tee shirt weather today!!
I saw Osprey, the Kingfisher, and several other birds, but no pictures. Someone said that there was a manatee behind me, but I did not see it.

Monday March 20, 2023

Sunny and windy. A flock of Merganser was awaiting me, and two up the creek. I saw and heard an Oyster Catcher but he flew away long before I got there. Low tide made me go a much longer route and the wind made me work harder! I worked up a sweat even though it was only 50° (wind chill 45°) when I started, it is 62° now. Tomorrow is supposed to be near 80°.

Friday, March 17, 2023

Again, sunny and windy and cool in the morning. Alan saw a dolphin, Scott saw a manatee, but I did not see either. Scott called me a chronicler of the birds which was nice.

Thursday, March 16, 2023
Sunny but windy today. Most of the birds seem to be tucked in keeping out of the cold (60°) wind.

Monday March 13, 2023

Pretty cloudy today but warm 75°. Windy too, 7 to 11 mph winds. Marian and I got our exercise getting back to my house!

Sunday March 12,2023
Another fine day.
I was asked if I would sell my photos, the answer is YES, JUST TELL ME WHICH PHOTO AND HOW LARGE.
I found this this morning, it is the same as what I found earlier, just reinforcement:
“There’s not much difference between the birds beyond their name; the word “dove” has Nordic origins, while “pigeon” comes from French. Both birds belong to the Columbidae family and are often categorized by size, but the use of the terms is often subjective.”

Friday March 10, 2023

And the great weather keeps on rolling along. Interesting confrontation between a Little Blue and two Snowy, they wanted the perch the Little Blue had.
I saw a manatee, but no photo, he popped up twice but too quickly.

Thursday March 9, 2023
More great days kayaking. Lots of Great Blue Herons and Cormorants!

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Another great day, I spotted three racoons, they pushed a Great Blue Heron aside while a Osprey looked down from his perch, they were directly under him!

Monday, March 6, 2023
Another great day.

Sunday March 5, 2023
Another nice day, lots of clouds, but still bright through the scattered ones. The humidity is down a bit. I got a photo of an Osprey with his breakfast flying by!

March 4, 2023
Met an attorney on the Lady Pearl, nice guy, listened to my ramblings.
A nice day in the 70’s. Sun in and out of fluffy white clouds. No manatees or dolphin today.
Remember to click above for more info on each bird.

March 2, 2023
Above I have added “Descriptions of Birds” where you can get more information on the birds I photograph.
Marian joined me today, we had a nice paddle, beautiful weather!. The sunrise was great! I went to get my camera and missed getting a photo though.

We saw a Great Blue Heron in the old nest that had been abandoned three years ago! It was poking around, adjusting a stick here and there!!!! 🙂

March 1, 2023
Another tee shirt day, partly fluffy white clouds passing by. 70° nice.

Daily Blog

February 2023

Tuesday February 28, 2023
I managed the gym and got in 20.3 miles of riding my bike. They are putting up the barricades for the Gran Prix and so I hade to find a way around them!
I went to the Tampa Bay Watch at the Pier and took photos of the Lionfish there.

The lionfish, a longstanding showstopper in home aquariums, is a flourishing invasive species in U.S. Southeast and Caribbean coastal waters. This invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because it is a top predator that competes for food and space with overfished native stocks such as snapper and grouper. Scientists fear that lionfish will also kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrotfish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs. In the U.S., the lionfish population is continuing to grow and increase its range. This is largely because lionfish have no known predators and reproduce all year long; a mature female releases roughly two million eggs a year.

February 27, 2023
A bit more fluffy white clouds, but a great day.
I saw two hawks (no photos) and was right over a dolphin (no photos), but a good day.

February 25, 2023
Another great day, met a lady with her two kids (about 2 and 4) who wanted to paddle their kayak to an island. Also two guys fishing in their canoe.

February 24, 2023
I was working on the slides for the upcoming play Crimson Sails last night then read the book! Amazing book! But I overslept this morning and did not kayak.

February 23, 2023
Sunshine, no clouds 70° light breeze.

February 20, 2023
Another spectacular day! 57° to 67° sun, full cloudless sky.

February 19, 2023
Beautiful, 57° to start 75° finish. Mostly cloudy, but some sun peaking out at times.`

February 18, 2023
Beautiful, 57° wind 7mph with gusts to 10. Cool but nice. I saw two dolphin and got a pretty good photo of the kingfisher.

February 17, 2023
Another beautiful day, 60’s, light breeze, 90% humidity.

February 16, 2023
A beautiful tee shirt day, Marian decided to come out – so she caught up with me.

February 15, 2023
Another beautiful day to kayak!

One beautiful Great Blue Heron.

February 13, 2023
A beautiful but cooler day (65 degrees). I saw a baby manatee! He was luxuriating in warm rainwater coming off of Gulfport Blvd.

February 11, 2023
Today was Bridge Breaking for 2023, I have done this program now for 46 years. We do it very differently now with electronic machines and computer programs to display the results. Chuck Henson (Former TV guy) was our MC, USF was our host (Eva Fernandez) and Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (Sarah Lesch) is our sponsor. Ralph Painter and I have held it together for many years, and the last two years the program has been handled by USF students (Isaac Washington is the lead).
The balsa bridges can be no more than 110 grams (about a quarter of a pound) and the winners bridge held 410 pounds!
Here is a video of the crowd.

February 10, 2023
More sun but the wind picked up, 8 to 10 mph, 71.4 degrees out as I left.

February 9, 2023
Another beautiful day, today I decided to take videos of where I go. So below are those videos. I should have done them horizontally!

February 8, 2023 Another day of adventures for the record books.
I have seen dolphin toss a fish ahead of itself a couple of times before swallowing it whole, but this morning I was paddling along and to my left about 100 feet away a dolphin appeared adjacent to the seawall. All of a sudden a fish flew, it was thrown by this huge dolphin all across the creek, more than 100 feet!! Thrown in an ark not 10 feet ahead of my bow all the way over to my right! Then he came over, throwing up water way over my head, grabbed it again and tossed it 15 feet in front of him! It was a substantial fish, about a foot long and heavy. Quite a feat for the dolphin, he threw it sideways, like one wood throw a frisbee.

The other day Marian told me about a feature the program Merlin had added, it will listen and identify the calls of birds!
She used it and it worked! I tried it this morning and it came up with a number of birds present!!

February 6, 2023 64 degrees, sunny, not a cloud in the sky, tee shirt weather!! I saw four dolphin today, one almost swamped my kayak when he was chasing after a fish for breakfast! He left a pool of water on my deck! I did not get a photo of that as I was so startled, and he was too close anyway!
Another great day!!

February 5, 2023 62 degrees, the weather report said clouds and rain. I was waiting for the sun to come up when Marian called. She was already here and had launched her kayak. It turned out to be a beautiful day with no clouds and no rain! The weatherman does not usually get it this wrong!!
We had a surprise, I was watching an Osprey flying toward a dead tree, I thought that he was going to land, then I get focused and take his photo. He did not land! He slammed into a branch which broke it off and he flew over my head holding it! I got a photo, but it is quite blurred as I did not get a lock on him. It surprised the two of us!

February 4, 2023 – 64 degrees. Another beautiful sunny day, wind 7 mph with gusts to 15 mph though. The wind was out of the north and so the water was low (the wind pushes the water out of the bay). The paddling was hard going north, but I got a free ride back home. No manatees (the water is too cold, they will return in the summer). Two Roseate Spoonbills though!!

February 2: Great weather, 60’s in the early morning, 70’s on return. I saw 4 dolphin this morning and a Roseate Spoonbill. Also a Downy Woodpecker, amongst other birds. Again no wind at all

Daily Blog

January 2023

January 22, 2022 Beautiful day, we saw four dolphins, Marain went with me.

January 19, 2023 Finally a warm morning, it has been 40 degrees in the mornings but today was 60 degrees, much more conducive to paddling! Cloudy at first but full sunshine later.

January 9, 2023 Another beautiful day! Upper 50’s, lower 70’s, full sunshine, light breeze.