Thursday November 13, 2014 Jenner CA.
Computer work first
I needed to get over to a friends house to do some work on his computer before he left for a vacation, so I stopped on the way down to Jenner and worked on the computer until noon in Monte Rio.
The computer was running slow, which was because they hadn’t let the new updates install yet. I think someone had started Windows 8.1 to install, so I let it finish what it wanted to do and things speeded up a bit. Not much to do, just some updates and dumping all his personal stuff so he could give the computer to his sister all cleaned up.
Jenner
From there I went on down to Jenner, hoping the rain showers I drove through would be done for the day at Jenner and they were.
Rays truck was in the parking lot, but I couldn’t see which way he’d gone in his boat, so I decided to head up the river. It’s a fifty fifty chance I would run into him as one goes up the river or down the river.
I paddled at my leisurely pace taking my time and enjoying the view up to the Paddy’s rock area.
Birds and seal fishing
I could see some birds fishing vigorously across the river so I headed on over to see what was going on.
I could see the cormorants fishing. There were some white birds I hadn’t seen before fishing with the cormorants and also some seals in the water making some big wakes.
Here are some of the fishing cormorants and a couple of the white birds. The seals head is just sticking up by the white bird on the right.
Here is one of the seals and one of the white birds. The seals were pretty active, making some big wakes as they fished just under the surface of the water.
A new bird
Here is one of the birds that were flying around and trying to get some of the scraps. I first thought they might be some type of seagull, but maybe not. They are just a little smaller than most of the seagulls around here.
Starlings
I paddled on up to the muskrat area and sat for a bit before paddling back across the river to Paddy’s rock, where I saw these little black birds bathing in the water and some feeding in the grass. I first thought they were black birds, but closer inspection shows them to be starlings, I think.
Haven’t seen the coyote
I paddled on down the north shoreline looking for the coyote, but I didn’t see it around.
I did run into these two male merganser ducks resting on these logs.
Just past the ducks, I pulled into this spot and sat for a bit watching for any goings on, but didn’t see much, except a nice day.
Ray heads for the ramp
I continued on down and saw Ray heading into the boat ramp from the mouth area, so I went over to talk with him a bit.
I asked if he’d seen anything on his travels this morning and he said he’d seen lots.
Just a couple of the things he saw. One was the old otter eating a grebe on a log down by the river’s mouth and the other was he saw the old man resting on the big redwood log on Penny Island again.
No otter
I said goodbye and headed on over to the west end of Penny Island where the otter might be, but it wasn’t so I continued on down the the river’s mouth area.
I passed by these resting cormorants on the way.
There are quite a few birds in this area and some just die and some just get killed by predators, such s the otter, hawks and eagles.
This is what’s left of one of the birds that just recently provided food for some other creatures.
I made it down to the river’s mouth and sat around for a bit, before heading back in for the day.
Brown pelican
On the way back in, this brown pelican took off in front of me.
Quiet spot on the island
I paddled over to the flooded Penny island and went on into the island to this nice quiet spot where I sat for a bit more enjoying the day.
I watched for the otter, but watched things usually don’t show up and it didn’t.
After awhile I headed on in passing this great blue heron resting in the reeds. I’ve seen it in this spot a lot for the last couple weeks. It must like the spot.
I continued on in and went on home for the day were a nap was in order.
That was my day for another nice one.