Cormorants, Seagulls and Harbor Seals Fishing In the Russian River Estuary

Wednesday March 25, 2015 Jenner CA.

The sun was out as I got it going this morning and it looked like it was going to be a nice day.

Cormorants on the hunt

As I drove into Jenner this morning, I could see a large flock of cormorants fishing right in front of the launch ramp. There were a bunch of harbor seals fishing with them too doing a lot of splashing. The seagulls were also getting their share. I was temped to stop and put my boat in the water, but I had planned to drive down to the overlook at the river’s mouth, so I didn’t  stop. I could see they were starting to move up the river so maybe I could catch up with them later?

The overlook

Here is how things looked as I peaked over the side this morning of the open river’s mouth looking out into the Pacific ocean.  That’s the Russian River in front and the Pacific Ocean in the back. Note the cormorants on the beach by haystack rock.

Lots of cormorants on the river today.

This was my view looking south across the river to the Pacific Ocean. That’s Goat rock in the back on the right.

Back to the boat ramp

By the time I got back to the boat ramp and put my boat in the water, the fishing cormorants were way up the river by Paddy’s rock, so I headed that way.

I passed by this pair of mallard ducks taking it easy on an old redwood log.

A big bird across the river

I was cruising along here when I saw a big bird across the river that looked like it may be an eagle, so I veered over towards it. It had just come from up the river where the cormorants and seals were doing a feeding thing and there were some seagulls chasing it.

A young eagle

This was what the big bird looked like across the river when I first saw it.

It was way across the river from me as it landed. It seemed to be an immature bald headed eagle that was just getting all it’s white. It’s landing in this not so good picture.

Just after it landed it took off again and this was what I saw.

This male mallard duck was hiding behind this piece of wood keeping an eye on the eagle until it left.

Seals and cormorants fishing

The fishing cormorants and seals were still moving up the river and I wasn’t able to catch up to them, so I went on over to just below the highway one bridge were I saw some seals splashing in the water. They seemed to be hunting. I saw numerous small trout looking fish jumping out of the water just about everywhere I went today. The fish were about eight to sixteen inches long.

I sat in this spot and watched for a good bit.

Headed back down the river

Eventually, I turned back down the river and stopped at this spot on the Penny island back channel were I had a little nap.

I continued on down the back channel past this pair of geese feeding.

I was thinking of going down to the river’s mouth area as I passed the end of Penny island and went by these merganser ducks.

Cormorants come back and hunt in front of the launch ramp

But as I rounded the end of Penny Island I decided to go in for the day. When I was almost to the boat ramp a bunch of cormorants flew in and started to fish in front of me.

They fished right on over to the boat ramp and then flew off.

Some yard work

I pulled my boat out of the water and went on home for the day. I was thinking about a nap, but got the weed mower out, gassed it up and mowed some of the weeds in the yard. I did a tank full of gas and that was enough of that. I’ll do some more another day.

I moved some dirt around in the yard and then just sat around for the rest of the day, enjoying the evening, trying not to do anymore as I knew my body was going to hurt enough already with what I’d done.

That was it for another nice day on the river.