Monday May 19, 2014 Monte Rio CA.
The weather guy said it was going to be windy down at Jenner today, so I decided to go to Monte Rio, where it only gets breezy compared to Jenner’s strong winds. I saw Steve’s car down there in the parking lot as I put my boat in the water and headed on down stream at a very leisurely pace stopping often.
A ducky day
There were lots of little duckies on the water today with momma ducks. Right away, I ran into this mallard female with her little ducks. She wasn’t’ too concerned with me and passed close by me. These little guys looked like they were born a day or two ago.
And just after that, I ran into these ones, a little older, a female mallard with her little ones going past me, doing what ever ducks do. Feed mostly at this stage.
I ran into Steve doing some fly fishing just below Monte Rio. It was a bit breezy so that was as good an excuse as any for not catching many fish. :O)
Steve in his kayak fishing below Monte Rio.
From there we headed on down towards Villa Grande Hole.
Some Turtles out today too
I spied a turtle on a big redwood log. Just as I shot this shot, it moved into the water, faster than you’d think a turtle could move.
Just above the Villa Grande Hole, I ran into this heron getting some sun on the shore line. I’ bet I’ve taken this guys picture a hundred times or so? :O)
Osprey in the osprey nest
There seemed to be some activity up in the osprey nest at the Villa Grande Hole. The nest is way up in a dead tree so I zoomed in for this picture.
And some more mallard duckies swim on by us.
Steve and I continued on down to the Sheridan Beach area were we sat for awhile before turning around and starting back up the river. When we got back to the Villa Grande Hole, Andrew was fishing there in his kayak.
Here’s Andrew headed up the river fishing away in his kayak.
We passed more little duckies on the way up to Monte Rio.
And another Turtle sunning in the sun, actually two turtles there.
Steve and I left Andrew fishing away as we headed up stream to Monte Rio and more ducks passed us.
And some Merganser ducks we passed just below Monte Rio.
The bad waddles
Just below Monte Rio, I spotted a used waddle in the water.
What’s a waddle?
Well, ducks do it and they are ok,………..But.
The waddles I’m talking about aren’t made by ducks and the ones I’m talking about could indeed kill a duck.
The waddles I’m talking about are what the government requires workers to install when they move earth. They put them down to help stabilize freshly excavated earth. They are required by law and they put them out by the thousands and do not pick them back up, but leave them all out there. I think California started doing it first, now all the western states are using them and they are in my opinion one of the biggest disasters waiting to happen on our waterways.
Guess where these waddles end up?
River’s and waterways are like pipes in a way. If something gets put in or near them, the something eventually works it’s way down the waterways to the river’s and to the ocean. All things in a watershed eventually work their way down to the ocean in time. All things, even what’s left of you.
So, they are putting these waddles out in our water ways by the thousands and they are slowly working their way down to Jenner. Since they are made of netting, they can kill birds and fish.
I did inform some state guys about this several years ago and also informed the Sonoma County Water Agency about them. I heard they did change to a biodegradable netting, but are still putting them out by the thousands. Biodegradable won’t help much when they are stuck in the mud or under water as they need the sun to degrade.
They are slowly and quietly filling up our waterways with this plastic stuff
Here is what is left of the waddle I saw today, just below Monte Rio. There is more in the water that you can not see. These things are long tubes of netting filled with grass or something like that.
Still don’t know what a waddle is?
If you still don’t know what a waddle is, here is one they put down at Jenner when they rebuilt the boat ramp and parking lot. Netting filled with straw. It also perturbs me that they would stake them down with this type of stake which is real dangerous if people fall on them or trip over them.
To me, it’s not environmentally a good idea to put out plastic and leave it out there. I’d call that leaving trash out and that’s what it is, just trash to pollute our water ways.
A straw filled waddle at Jenner.
Before it’s over, waddles are going to be a huge problem as every year they put out thousands of them and they are all heading down the streams.
It was another nice day kayaking on the Russian River.
