Before dark last night we untied the lines, hauled in the stern anchor and backed out to anchor for the night. Much nicer floating, especially if a few fishing boats go by.
Just as it was getting daylight I heard what I thought was a bird’s distress call. It was, in fact, a call from a Limpkin to it’s mate. They are beautiful birds but don’t have what I would consider a pretty call.
I sure wish I had my best boating buddy, Diane, with me. She enjoys all the wildlife along the river, but her favorite is the Limpkin. These two spent almost an hour on the beach where we had been tied up. I took several pictures and videos, then got in the dingy, rowed closer and drifted by and got more….
Once the sun topped the trees it gave everything a golden hue….
One would find a shell, I’m assuming it was the male, and bring it to the other.
It was a lot of fun watching them interact….after receiving several choice morsels…the female signaled that she was ready to mate.
I had been taking pictures and then video and back to pictures….unfortunately my camera was set for photos during this ritual.
I still don’t know how to tell one from the other.
There is a Limpkin in this picture….they blend in so well. Guess that is why they are called “Elusive”. Actually that term came from the Boating and Cruising Guide to the St Johns River, by Tom Krantz. I think I found it on EBay. It’s an older guide but we still find it pretty accurate. If you are planning to spend any time on the St Johns River, FL., be sure to get one. There are a lot of places that are pretty shallow and you wouldn’t know it without one. He even has some good anchorages marked.
Those of you in the snowy, cold North will enjoy the video.
Once I finished with the pictures, I went back to the boat and got Raisin for her morning walk. This is a view from the island.
In this picture you can see the ripples of sunlight that were reflecting off the water.
Captain Jim of “Sailbad the Sinner” came in and dropped his anchor. We always enjoy seeing him and Lungun Island is one of his favorite anchorages.
After our visit, we headed south. ….and it was another great day for gators…several very big ones.
big……but doesn’t have the “rolls of fat” the one below it has.
Possibly the biggest and oldest of the trip….note how rounded from wear that front tooth is…and how big it is…good sign of age. Also, the skoots (bumps on it’s back) show a lot of wear.
This younger one has sharper teeth. Looks like he’s trying to show them off.
This one is pretty big also. Notice how wide it’s back is, and you cant see any tail at all.
Kind of a weird look on this one’s face. Looks more like a giant lizard than a gator.
This is a little guy…….probably only 7 or 8 feet long, but notice how long the tail is compared to the body. Gives you an idea how big some of these really are when all you can see is the body.
We decided to anchor just past Blue Springs. While we were sitting there a canoe came along side and asked where they were. They had left Blue Springs 4 hours earlier and were lost. When I asked how the trip was on the Snake River, one said “scary”.
It was a nice day and even nicer evening. We saw a flock of Wild Turkeys come down near the water. I was hoping for Deer or Bear…but no such luck.
A beautiful sunset….
Sorry for such a long post….but I love my gators ( I even left out a few )and Limpkins.
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