Looking Southeast from Mill Creek, toward Turkey Point
Me and My Sweetie, Happy to be Floating
While chilly - a high of 34-degrees coming up from the previous night's low of 19, the day was sunny and the wind light. Dobbs and I couldn't pass up such an opportunity to get out on the water in February.
After wrapping up work early at 2:30pm, we tossed our kayaks on the roof of the truck and drove over to Perryville's Community Park. We put in at the launch and paddled north around the ice-crusted perimeter of Mill Creek. A handful of seagulls stood on a floating ice sheet. Beyond them, to the east, flocks of ruddy ducks paddled out of the creek, wary of our approach. A single common merganser female brought up the ranks. Geese flew in V's overhead. I spied two eagles perched side-by-side high in a tree while great blue herons - something like ten of them - took off from the shore. We continued east to Shipley Point and then southwest across the mouth of the creek to Stump Point. We spotted a couple bufflehead and groups of common mergansers flew by. Out toward the eastern edge of the Flats, we could see the long necks of tundra swans rising above the horizon, and hear their high-pitched hooting. We rounded the corner and paddled just a little bit west along the shore, seeking to inspect more closely a small flock of greater scaup. Then, it was time to return to the boat ramp - the park closes at 5pm, and the sinking sun plus our grumbling stomachs were telling us that was nigh. I took only two photos - just general shots. It's too cold to expose my hands!