Flat, Calm Water, and Overcast, Kayaking the Russian River Estuary

Tuesday August 5, 2014 Jenner CA.

No sun today

It was overcast today when I got up, and it was overcast at Jenner when I arrived this morning. but the water was almost flat, which I like, as  I can see a ripple in the water when just about anything moves in it. It also has some real nice reflections when it’s like this.

Anyway, I put my boat in the water and crossed over to Penny Island. I sat in this spot for a bit  before continuing on up the river.

Headed up the river

I headed up the south shoreline and sat in this spot I call  this spot,the Redwood log graveyard, looking up the river.

A boat with no one aboard?

From that spot I could see this boat up by Eagle’s landing, just sitting there with no one in it. I paddled on up to eagle’s landing and sat by it, as I suspected, there might be someone diving from it.  Shortly, two guys surfaced from the deep, as you can see.

Two biologists replacing batteries in a sonar current recorder

That turned out to be Matt and David. They are biologists from the Bodega Marine Lab.They were replacing the batteries in a sonar current sensor they have placed on the bottom in this spot. I talked with them a  bit, then they continued on up the river to their next spot.

Paddled up to Rat Nest

I continue on up the river to rat nest beach where I was going to sit for a spell, just past that big rock in the water.

I sat at this spot at rat nest beach. Looks real nice with the reflections in the water.

I got turned around and situated, looking back down the river.

I didn’t stay long at that spot, as I spied some cormorants fishing down river

I was only there a few minutes when I saw some splashing down river about a quarter mile, just to the left of the center of the above picture.

I headed on down there to see what was going on. Some cormorants where fishing along the shoreline, making a lot of splashes in the water.

They made these splashes every time they dove back under the water to chase the fish.

Back down the river

They eventually dissipated and I continued on down the river some more, going by Eagle’s Landing.

I took a picture of this old redwood log with reflections in the water, as I watched and rested in this spot for awhile.

Some more cormorants fished on by me as I sat there in my kayak.

I eventually headed on down the river towards the town of Jenner with this view as I paddled along. Still overcast, but almost no wind.

These cormorants were sitting on this redwood log as I went by.

Birds on the west end of Penny Island

I headed down the north side of Penny Island. There were some birds standing in the water on the west end. Two curlews and this other bird. These guys have been hanging out together for the past several days. Not sure what the bigger bird is? They were feeding in the water here as I watched them.

Paddled down to the river’s mouth area

After awhile, I headed on down to the river’s mouth. There were quite a few harbor seals swimming around in the water as I sat and watched from my boat, just inside the river’s mouth. It was just coming off low tide and the river’s mouth is open deep.

Noisy kayakers approach

I had been sitting there a short time, pretty much by myself, when a bunch of kayakers paddled into the area, with the people talking quite loudly, which was my queue to leave the area and head on back in for the day.

I took my time heading back in as it was still fairly early, not quite 2PM. Although it was a bit overcast, the day was still nice with the calm, flat water and I enjoyed the day.

I went on home and worked on filling up my ditch with some more dirt. I didn’t get much done on that, as I mostly sat around and enjoyed the evening.