Paddling Around the Bathing Gulls In the Russian River Estuary

Thursday February 24, 2022 Guerneville CA.

Paddle day

I had time to get one more paddle in before taking off on a trip to Arizona, so I got my gear together and headed to Jenner to paddle the Russian river estuary around noon today.

There were a lot of cars in the parking lot at the boat ramp, but no one was on the river in a boat here today at this time as I unloaded my boat.

What’s that

As I entered my boat I could see some little things moving around in the water at the water’s edge in this green stuff.

The little things were moving all around at speed. Some kind of real small shrimp looking things, lot’s of them.

Up the river

I crossed over the river to Penny Island and started up the river along it’s edge. The sun was out and the wind was low although a cool breeze was coming off the ocean and moving on up the river. I was dressed for it as I put an extra shirt on for this trip.

Enjoying myself

I moved on up the river at my slow pace stopping here and there along the way to watch and check things out.

Old Redwood Tree Graveyard

I stopped in this spot for a bit, a place I call the old redwood tree graveyard as there were some big trees laying in the water that I think had grown here many years ago and had fallen over in the water which helped preserve them.

I stop and watch, sometimes closing my eyes and just listening for stuff.

Eagle’s Landing

Then I moved on up the river a bit further going by Eagle’s landing, a place the bald headed eagles land sometimes, but not today.

Muskrat

I worked my way up to this spot, Muskrat, as this is a spot where the muskrats made a bunch of nests when they moved into this area ten or fifteen years ago. I like to stop by the green grass and watch as it’s out of the wind and a nice sunny spot, that’s why the muskrats like the spot.

I spend quite a bit of time in this spot as it’s as far as I usually go before turning around and heading back down the river, only about a mile above the boat ramp.

Geese

I could see and hear some geese across the river. A number of them seem to nest down here in this spot every year.

And cows

And up on the hill across from me I could see and hear these cows grazing away up near the top of the hill.

And old horses

And these two horses have been living over there ever since I’ve been coming down here a number of years ago. They must be getting pretty old. They live on a ranch and have this spot to themselves and I don’t think anyone rides them anymore. They have it pretty good.

Here is my view from that spot looking back down the river towards the little town of Jenner.

Headed down river

After an hour or so in that spot I start my slow journey back down the river towards Jenner going around the back channel of Penny Island.

Lots of gulls

I’m just coming to the lower end of the island when I see a bunch of gulls jump into the air on the right.

As I make my way around the bottom end of the island I see all these gulls sitting on the island edge and in the water. They come to rest and bathe in the fresh water washing all the salt water off from the ocean.