Peace & (sort of) Quiet

The Camo Kayak finally joined me today and we repeated a trip on Odessa that we had made about a year ago by canoe. We put in at Sand Run Access and headed south.

It was a beautiful morning. There was no wind and the water was like glass. The only sounds were the dipping of our paddles and the gliding of our kayaks on the water. Well, except for croaks, squawks, whistles and various other calls of birds along the way. Sometimes the peace and quiet is almost deafening!

After we got around the bend, we ventured north into what we knew would be a shallow spot. We were able to get through by kayak but a canoe probably wouldn't have made it at this water level. It was a bit of work paddling but worth it to really get off the beaten path. We knew it would only be us and the wildlife out there.

There seemed to be even more pelicans, egrets and great blue herons than the week before. There were some of each in sight throughout our whole trip. In the case of the pelicans, we could usually see at least a hundred and sometimes closer to a thousand.

While we were back on Little Goose we also saw: a doe with her two fawns, a racoon, sandpipers, cormorants,

When we came out of Little Goose, we paddled toward Horseshoe bend to check out the watersnake hot spot. There is a beaver lodge that always seems to have watersnakes lounging on it. We weren't disappointed. Several large diamondback watersnakes were hidden among the sticks. We almost missed seeing one that was hidden in plain sight, laying straight as a stick on the side of a log. These non-poisonous water snakes are found in only a few places in Iowa.

Paddling with Pelicans

Finally, I got back on the water with the Red Kayak and headed to Odessa again. Things have changed a lot since May -- there is a lot less water and it's a whole lot warmer (air and water).

This time I put in at Shafer's access and struck out across the main lake to check out the Lateral Ditch. It's down to not much more than a trickle - about what I was expecting at this water level (I will try to find a link to explain the management of this area - suffice it to say that lowering the water level in summer is part of the plan).

So, I changed to plan B and paddled north into Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge. A large patch of white in the distance immediately got my attention. As I suspected, it turned out to be several hundred pelicans taking advantage of the low water to do some easy fishing.

Though they weren't crazy about the intrusion, the pelicans didn't want to move too badly either and stayed put long enough for some pretty good photos (actually, they stayed put rather well since I had to paddle all the way back to the access to get a card to put in my camera).

My next stop after I was done bothering the pelicans was at one of the many patches of American lotus. Though I've seen these plants many times, I'm always fascinated by them. There is a whole little world dwelling on the floating leaves. I even saw a red-winged blackbird walking across them.

Though I paddled about 5.5 miles, I was never more than a mile and a half from the access (the trip back for the camera card helped me get plenty of paddling in).

And I still managed to see: a yellow-crowned night heron, cormorants, turkey vultures, several broods of wood ducks, killdeer, great blue herons, egrets and bullfrogs. Most interesting wildlife encounter of the day: a little fish ended up in the seat of the kayak with me.

Odessa is low right now and I sucked a little mud with my paddle on occasion but that's exactly why a lot of these critters are out there. I plan to go out and see them again later this week. Stay tuned.

Mother's Day on the Marsh

Though I hadn't planned on my outing today being a Mother's Day celebration that's exactly what it turned out to be. It's not that my kids went along - the son is not home and the daughter was sleeping in.

It's that Cone Marsh Wildlife Management Area was teaming with moms.

The canada geese were everywhere - at least 4 different pairs honked and scolded at me as I paddled along the the marsh's edge. They didn't venture far from cover though - probably keeping their goslings gathered in close.

Not too far from the boat ramp I found the pair of trumpeter swans that had been released from there a couple of weeks ago. I was glad to see them still together though they won't nest this year - actually it will be at least three more years before they are mature. Even though they didn't have a nest or young, they didn't like having me around and continued to "trumpet" as long as I was in sight.

There were coots and mallards on top of nearly every muskrat hut. Countless pairs of red-winged blackbirds were busy making nests in the bulrushes. (They scolded me, too.)

In fact, at one point the sounds of scolding birds was pretty darn loud. Over the din I even heard a turkey gobble and a pheasant crow. There were several other birds thrown in the mix that I couldn't ientify. My husband tells me one of those was probably a pied-billed grebe.

I'm not great with bird ID and I didn't have binoculars but I think I may have seen two sandhill cranes. They have nested at Cone Marsh in the past so it's a possibility.

It was a good time to visit this beautiful cattail-bulrush marsh. The water is high and the vegetation still short so I could get back to some nooks and crannies that won't be accessible in a few weeks. I've got to go back in July though when the marsh mallows are blooming. Judging from the stems of last year's plants - they are going to be gorgeous.

And I will definitely visit again next spring. I might even make it a Mother's Day tradition but next year I'm going to wake up my daughter and take her along.

Odessa - Burris Ditch to Sand Run

Weather and work have kept the Red Kayak docked this past week but my trip today was worth the wait.

Today's adventure was on Odessa Wildlife Management Area. I put in at the Burris Ditch ramp then paddled to the Sand Run Access and back. This time I brought my map (in its high-tech waterproof gallon-size zip lock) and was glad I did. While I didn't exactly get lost, let's say I explored a few extra places along the way.

The weather was gorgeous and the trees are bursting into full foliage. The usual birds were out and about: wood ducks, geese, coots, blue-winged teal, turkey vultures, gulls, wood peckers, tree swallows and bald eagles.

The highlight of the trip was definitely the bald eagle nest. It's easily visible from the water, but hopefully far enough off not to be disturbed. I didn't have binoculars (still being a novice kayaker, I don't take along much extra gear) but I could clearly see the white head of one of the parents above the top of the massive nest. The adults weren't flying around so they must be faithfully tending eggs or eaglets.


A few more motor boats were out on this beautiful Sunday afternoon for pleasure and fishing but I saw less than a dozen.

The round-trip journey took just under three hours (about 8.5 miles). I highly recommend this route - it's pretty easy to find your way with a map in hand and you get to see both backwaters and bit of the more open water.


Actually, I just recommend that you get outside and enjoy spring.

Indian Slough Wildlife Area

I had so much fun yesterday, I grabbed the Red Kayak and headed out again today. The destination for the day's paddling was the marsh at Indian Slough Wildlife Area. There was plenty of water because the Iowa River is still pretty high, but the parking lot is finally dry so I could put in off the structure levee to check out the east side of the slough.

Truthfully, since the Maiden Voyage had gone so well, I was afraid this trip would almost have to be a letdown.

Nope.

After crossing the open water past a dozen wood duck houses, goose nest structures and dozens of coots, I headed into the backwaters. That's where the fun began (getting out of the headwind didn't hurt either). I kept paddling down smaller and more shallow passages until I was pushing my way through grass and dead trees.

After passing some scolding geese, scaring up a few teal and accidently chasing a wood duck hen from a box, I caught a glimpse of a large white bird. With the luck I'd been having, I held out hope that it was a trumpeter swan. It turned out to be a pelican that must have had an injury since I never saw it fly but it did manage to hide when I got too close.

I kept wandering down an increasingly small ditch and even managed to float the Red Kayak over an old beaver dam and branches knocked down by the ice storm.

I sat for quite a while watching tree swallows perform their courtship dances (anyway, I assume that's what they were doing since I did see the culmination of the courtship) and spent a good bit of time seeing just how close the goose couple would let me get.

Today's wildlife list: coots, carp, wood ducks, geese, pelican, blue-winged teal, turkey vultures, cormorants, tree swallows, egrets, great blue herons and a bald eagle nest (too far away to tell but I've heard the eagles are tending young ones there). Also, plenty of unidentified birds.

Number of people seen: zero.

Another great day on the water.

The Maiden Voyage

I set out in the Red Kayak for my first adventure today in the late afternoon. I was excited to head out on my own but also a little nervous since I had forgotten to take a map. My strategy (which proved to work pretty well): stay to the right on the way out and the left on the way back.

I put in at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge and made my way through Odessa Wildlife Management Area (aka "Lake Odessa") to Snively Campground.

As I rounded the first corner, two turkeys flew across the the narrow passage, carp were wallowing in the shallows and dozens of coots were scooting out of my way. When I paddled to shore to inspect the carp, a couple of deer bolted just a few yards away from me.

I could see that it was going to be a great trip.

In my 7 mile trip (3.5 each way) I saw: turkeys, deer, coots, carp, blue-winged teal, turkey vultures, wood ducks, painted turtles, egrets, great blue herons, canada geese, many unidentified birds and even a bald eagle catching a fish. I'm also fairly certain I heard a pileated woodpecker.

What I didn't see or hear were many people. There were a couple fishing on shore and I did see two boats. In two hours.

I am hooked. Lots of wild critters. Beautiful views. Peace. Quiet. The cell phone turned off (but still in my dry hatch - I'm not that confident yet).

I think the Red Kayak is going to see a lot of time on the water. Good thing we've got plenty of places still to explore.