Paddling Jenner with the Birds and the Seals

Monday August 11, 2014 Jenner CA.

I was off to Jenner just after ten AM this morning.  The wind was down and the sun was out as I put my boat in the water. High tide was just starting to come into the river.

Blue kayak adrift

I paddled on over to Penny Island and sat, deciding which way to go today. As I was sitting there, this blue kayak came floating my way with no one in it. I saw it just sitting on the shoreline just around the corner as I paddled across to the island. There was another one with it, sitting in the grass on the shoreline. I thought maybe some people were walking on Penny Island and their boat got away as the tide was rising.

I went over to the boat and brought it to the reeds on the left and tied a reed to it to hold it there. It looked to me like it was one of the kayaks the rental lady had, but I wasn’t sure, so I just left it there, thinking it was close enough for the people to get when they found out it was lose on them., if someone was on the island?

Headed to the river’s mouth area

I decided to go down to the river’s mouth area as high tide was coming in and sometimes things can be seen eating some of the things coming in on the high tides, such as birds eating fish.

I paddled on down that way, going by the west end of Penny Island where some terns were resting.

Some of the terns.

Harbor seals in the water

Just off the west end of the island were a bunch of harbor seals resting in the water in the shallows, on the sandy bottom.

I watched the seals for a bit, then continued on down to the river’s mouth.

This was my view of the river’s mouth area as I approached. High tide water was flowing into the river, so I had to paddle against a good incoming current.

There were very few harbor seals resting on  the beach today for some reason?

Here’s a couple of them with some birds. Cormorants, seagulls and a brown pelican.

More of the birds on the shoreline. Seagulls, cormorants and two brown pelicans.

I hung around in the river’s mouth for about an hour, watching the high tide come in, in this spot.

Terns are fishing

Headed back up to Penny island with a view of the town of Jenner. Some terns are in the air flying around looking for little fish to dive on.

Napping seal

There were still a bunch of harbor seals hanging around the west end of Penny island.

This one came up beside me, napping. It was relaxed and had it’s eyes closed, like It was taking a nap. Good idea. :O)

More on the blue kayak

After a short nap with the seals, I headed up at the north side of Penny Island.  The blue kayak was still there where I tied it to the reed. I checked out the other kayak and it looked like it just had floated into the weeds during the high tide at night. None of the grasses were stomped down from anyone walking around it, so I was pretty sure these two boats had gotten lose from the rental lady last night, so I went to the boat ramp and walked over to tell the people working there about them and another one of their boats just getting ready to leave the shore were I pulled in.

The lady came over to look and said that blue one isn’t one of our boats. I said, now about the other one. I knew the blue one was there’s as it had stains on the bottom like it’s been sitting in the water all the time and that’s how the rental ladies boats are, in the water most of  the time. This lady only worked there, so maybe didn’t know?

However, I didn’t argue and left to go up the river. I did tell her she should watch the other boat as the high tide was getting higher and it would likely be floating shortly.

On up the river

I left to go on up the river, paddling back across to the south side and continued on up.

I passed by these merganser ducks taking it easy  on a redwood log.

I stopped here and there along the way. I was headed up to musk rat beach and am almost there in this view.

I sat at musk rat beach for quite some time, enjoying the day and a little napping too. This was my view as I sat there, looking back down river towards the town of Jenner. Nice day.

Headed in for the day

When I left there, I crossed over to the north side of the river and took my time paddling down that side, looking for birds on the shoreline, but there weren’t many today.

Here I am paddling along the shoreline, almost back to the Jenner boat take out.

I noticed the blue kayak and the other one too, were not on the island any more, but back with all the other rental kayaks, as I pulled my boat in for the day.

I went on home and puttered around in the yard the rest of the day and mostly took it easy.