Indian River

I put in at the harbor for a short trip that I don't do too often.  The smoky haze is beginning to clear.  The temperature is in the 70's with sun and some wind that has just come up.   But, since I am heading into Gulf Pond and the Indian River, the wind will not be a problem.

I would normally have gone over to the Wheeler Marsh, but yesterday a child fell off of a dock in that area and drowned.  The authorities are searching for the body and don't want anyone in the area that doesn't need to be there.  It's a shame, but people confuse docks with sidewalks and that they are not, especially in a river with 3 mph tidal currents.

The tide peaked just a half hour ago and the pond is topped up, although there is still plenty of clearance on the two low bridges that I have to go under to get to the Indian River.  The pond holds a good number of shorebirds when the tide is out and it becomes a big mud flat.  Right now it is a few birds - Egrets, Cormorants, mostly.

I paddle into the Indian River by passing under the artificially narrow railroad bridge, which surely dates to steam engine days.  Again, there are Egrets with a few Osprey, a few Yellow Legs, and a couple Great Blue Herons.  There are a couple of flocks of Sandpipers - maybe 30 or 40 in each.  They fly in formation, rising up and settling down not far from where they started.  I get a good look at them on the way out... either Semipalmated or Western Sandpipers.  I'm not good enough at the game to tell them apart. 

Back in the harbor, I pass gomer trying to tack his 25 foot sailboat out of the narrow passage.  The channel is only 100 feet wide so with each tack he progresses about 30 feet.  He weaves in and out of moored boats with no room for error.  It's ridiculously irresponsible.  Finally, someone drives up and offers him a tow.  I return to my put in unscathed.