It is Definitely Autumn

I put in under the highway bridge on the big river. The tide is on its way out and the current is going gang busters downstream, so my thoughts of heading up to the quad islands get shoved aside. I head down, following the shoreline with a bit of NW wind at my back quarter. It is sunny, the light is low, and the temperature in the 50's. The water is cool, but not yet cold.

When you get to the fork in the marsh, take it.

I take the side entrance to Nell's Channel, but steer clear of Nell's, taking the east of Nell's Channel Channel, so to speak. I expected no other paddlers, but it must not be hunting season either, because no one is in the marsh. I flush some migratory Canada Geese, which in turn flush a couple dozen Black Ducks from someplace out there. As I get up near the top of the channel, I spot a lone Duck tucked in under the edge of the spartina. Lone Ducks are a bit strange and the last time I saw one it turned out to be a Ruddy Duck.  This turns out to not be a Duck, but a Coot. I don't see Coots all that often.

I circle around to the east and head back out. Of note, this might be the first day in a long time where I did not see a Night Heron. While most of them are south, a small few of them will winter over.

I cross the river at the lowest drawbridge using the current and eddies to move sideways. It's not tricky water or anything like that, but I enjoy seeing how little effort I can put in to do the ferry. I sneak up the shoreline behind the marina, marveling at the awesomely poor condition of the wooden dock platform. No way I would drive any machinery on that. Then, I recross the river at the train drawbridge. There is still a 3 knot current coming down.  

Saw just 3 Great Egrets - one in the marsh, the other two on the return upriver. One Great Blue Heron, two Kingfishers.