Friday, April 22, 2011

Signs of Spring

Project2
Any Friday that you can get on the water isn't just a Good Friday, it's a Great Friday. Louise and I rolled our kayaks down the hill to kayak in the Gorge. Sunny and reasonably warm -- could Spring have finally arrived?
2011-04-22 - The Gorge_0055
2011-04-22 - The Gorge_0056
We headed up the Gorge towards Portage Inlet, accompanied by a flock of ducks....
2011-04-22 - THe Gorge_0001 copy
...and it wasn't long before we spotted our first heron.
2011-04-22 - THe Gorge_0009

We passed what I like to call Cormorant Tree because it usually has a few cormorants sitting in it. And today was no exception.
2011-04-22 - THe Gorge_0013 copy

We moved on into Portage Inlet, looking for the local swans. We found one pair nesting in their usual spot as they do every year. We'll check back later in the spring and see how the chicks are doing.
2011-04-22 - THe Gorge_0024 copy

A few minutes later we saw what at first we thought was a strange-looking blue duck bobbing along the surface....
2011-04-22 - The Gorge_0063 copy
...but as we got closer we realized that it was a water bottle floating along. It took a little effort and teamwork...
2011-04-22 - The Gorge_0064
... but we able to bring it ashore and empty it, thus performing our good deed for Earth Day.

We began our return...
2011-04-22 - The Gorge_0069
...and passed Cormorant Tree once again, but this time we saw a heron in the tree...
2011-04-22 - THe Gorge_0034 copy
...and he was spending all his time scratching himself. That's not something you see everyday.
We saw one more heron, and this one assumed a more classic heron pose.
2011-04-22 - THe Gorge_0044 copy
Then we had to roll the kayaks up the hill. Oh, joy.

Trip Length: 8.99 km
YTD: 50.92 km
More pictures are here.
2011-04-22 - The Gorge

1 comment:

  1. Great photo of the swan on its nest! Could be either the male or female, as apparently they both take turns. What a grand bird.
    Delightful to see a heron looking considerably less grand, as it scratches its head. You get the BEST bird photos!

    ReplyDelete