04/19/2009 - Alligator Bayou

Launch: Hoppes Launch (northeast side of Dog River at Dauphin Island Parkway)
Cost: $5
Route: Across Dog River and up Alligator Bayou and back.
Weather: Clouds giving way to sun, 60s-70s, breezy, higher than normal water.

1) Went to McNally’s Park to launch and the launch area was full of debris which explains why the parking lot was empty. Decided I’d rather pay $5 to launch at a clean and maintained site – went to Hoppes.

2) Hoppe's Launch – no trash here and there was a snowy egret there to greet people.

3) Snowy egret taking a poke at some minnows. It missed.

4) Pelican pushing off from the water to get airborn.

5) I read a paper that questioned if a large nearby nursery’s fertilizer runoff is causing excessive growth in Alligator Bayou. There was indeed very dense vegetation in the water – a type of vegetation I don’t see much in other parts of the delta. But that vegetation was strictly in the upper part of Alligator Bayou. There are canals that run along part of the nursery where one would expect to see the same dense water vegetation, but the canals didn’t have any. There are parts of creeks completely vegetated in the Delta that are in far worse shape than Alligator Bayou. None of the waterways around the Nursery were not blocked by any vegetation.

6) Whatever the vegetation is in the water, when it dries out on land, Swamp Sparrows make good use of it.

7) Some of the canals around the nursery provide a beautiful view of flowers. With a little planning in the arrangement of flowers, kayaking the nursery canals could be a major attraction for kayakers while providing good public relations for the Nursery.

8) The only negative thing about the Nursery that I saw was loose plastic planters that were lining the edge of the canals in some areas. The Nursery should have their people clean the edge of their property bordering waterways. This isn’t trash that a coastal cleanup effort should deal with. Trash wise, Alligator Bayou was very clean.

9) Saw lots of fish and ducks in Alligator Bayou.

10) If planning to paddle the Alligator Bayou area, it would be wise to have a route mapped out. There are enough canals around the area that one could get lost. The end of one of these canals comes out right at Hamilton Blvd.

11) There are houses along some of the canals that make you want to stop and take a photo like this one. Just four colored chairs turns ordinary into eye pleasing. My compliments go to the owner of this house.

12) Can’t afford a house near the water? Get a mobile home. This mobile home setup looks seriously flawed in terms of being top heavy, but maybe they are not done setting it up yet.

13) Here is another example of taking ordinary and turning it into extraordinary. A partially blown over tree was turned into a beautiful work of art. 

14) There is a wide variety of things to see in the Alligator Bayou area and the open water of Mobile Bay is only a mile away from the mouth of Alligator Bayou.

15) A Dog River sunset.

16) Sunset at Hoppes Launch. Two thumbs up on this paddle and a boo-hiss to the caretakers of McNally’s Park Launch.

04/18/2009 - Bayou Jessamine

Launch: Rice Creek
Route: Over to Bayou Jessamine and Jug Lake Platform and back.
Pace: Leisurely.
Weather: Partly Cloudy 65-70 degrees, occasional wind, incoming tide, and minor flooding.

1) Started out in a light sprinkle and thunder. Twenty minutes later the sun was out.

2) Water level was still high enough that padding through the woods was possible in some areas.

3) Because of the high water, there were a lot of snakes on limbs and logs today.

4) Here is another snake.

5) Saw a couple of swallow-tail kites. They were skimming and hitting the water.

6) I searched for the big bald cypress off Bayou Jessamine and didn't find it. Ran into Daniel on my way to the Jug Lake platform. He had searched for the big cypress and didn't find it either. We pooled our knowledge and together, we found it. Here is Daniel looking at a big spider on the big state champion Bald Cypress tree.

7) An unusual looking beetle.

8) One of the shells on the big cypress tree was moving.

9) The texture of decay.

10) The rootball of a tree that had fallen over took on the appearance of a bison or something mean looking.

11) Another look at the Alabama State Champion Bald Cypress Tree

04/10/2009 - Rabbit Creek

Launch: John's Launch.
Route: Up Rabbit Creek to the big log and back.
Weather: Partly cloudy, mid 70s, breezy (Small Craft Advisory)

Header Image

1) Where to go on windy days? Inland! Rabbit Creek was the choice today and compared with Dog River, this creek was a real pleasure to paddle. Instead of colored trash labels catching the eye, it was wildflowers.

2) Possumhaw or Viburnum.

3) Blue Flag or Iris.

4) Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium). Both of these wildflowers are in the Iris Family.

5) Nature provides an abundance of interesting things if you stop for a moment and observeThis is a leafy liverwort on tree bark. From a distance, it merely shades the tree bark.

6) Top of a Royal Fern spike - it had interesting texture.

7) Some of the wildflowers pictures I take are quite small.

8) A close-up shot was taken of the small flower I was pointing at in the left photo, and cropped to produce this one - identity unknown.

9) Getting close to Sunset on Rabbit Creek.

10) The side railings of someone's boathouse deck. This was a nice paddle - indeed a Good Friday.

04/03/2009 - Chickasaw Creek / Pumphouse Canal

Launch: Brooks Park Landing (Tuckers) (US Hwy 43 at Chickasaw Creek – Southwest Corner)
Route: Pumphouse Canal to log jam at RR Track Crossing and back, then up Chickasaw Creek and back.
Weather: Sunny, 70s, very little wind.

1) Sunrise on the Pumphouse Canal.

2) Remains of a fire. Never have been able to find out what this burnt out facility was at one time.

3) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

4) Neck muscles contort as this large heron flies off.

5) Waters in the Pumphouse Canal were moving unusually fast at about 2 mph due to recent heavy rains.

6) Natural waters from the Black Creek and swamp area north of the Pumphouse Canal were mixing with the turbid waters of Chickasaw Creek.

7) Yellow crowned night herons were plentiful along the Pumphouse canal.

8) Yellow crowned night herons were plentiful along the Pumphouse canal.

9) Mountain Laurel was in bloom along the banks of Chickasaw Creek near Chickasabogue Park.

10) Shrubs (yaupons) with small white flowers were in bloom.

11) This snake was moving fast across the water.

12) Masses of small grasshoppers were along the banks.