Another paddle trip on the Saint John’s. Lake Washington. Pull over weir. No water coming over falls low water. Had to pull kayaks a couple times. Drought and too many people using too much water on their exotic lawns. (Lake Washington is Melbourne’s water supply) Less gators this trip most headed north to Lake Winder and deeper water. Many hundreds of Gar were stranded from Irma as the water receded their carcasses still scattering the river banks from the hurricane. Apple snails not as abundant so not as many Limpkins or Night Herons. Still more than usual. Also signs of the evasive armored catfish digging and eroding the river banks for their burrows. First noticed their burrows further south around Three Forks years ago. Midway between Washington and Winder (3 hours) hiked west to find remote ponds? (Goggle Earth) flood plain miles across all looking the same (Willows brambles ect.) very hard going thru deep flora. No trails other than some hog wallows and short broken trails so I’m trail marking as we go. 1 mile in come to first pond very little water Night Heron and some Moor Hens. Not far away locate 2ed pond although bigger in size maybe 100’ across neither one is a Spring as I’d hoped but are both depression marshes. There are 2 ten foot gators in the pond probably stranded from Irma. Unfortunately their fate could very well be like the Gar. I don’t think they can get thru back to the river. We are up to our knees on most steps thru dead vegetation and new growth waist high. With luck they can hold out till next event. 90 degree heat thankfully cloudy. Already a long day decide not to hike another mile north to the next biggest pond. Another day. There is a wonderful chorus of insects singing unabated, not crickets, not cicadas, nothing I’ve heard before. Amazingly secluded remarkably alone… Uncommon the Saint Johns. With Dan Bryant.
