KAYAKING ON ROOSEVELT LAKE

We have kayaked on Roosevelt Lake the last few days and have never seen the lake this low.  It was a bit of a trick to get our kayak down to the water at the north end where there is no boat ramp.  We had to carry it a few hundred yards to the waters edge.  Last year the water was covering all the brush and most of the trees.  This year they are all on dry land.  And we did not see any cormorants or herons building nests in the dead cottonwood trees as last year.  I guess they don't want to have their nest with no water below when the chicks hatch.  There are a lot of birds around, but we did not see any nesting this year.  Well, we did see one bald eagle nest that was occupied.  And we got to see a number of birds that were not here last year like the great egret, snowy egret, and black crowned night heron.  The second day we went down to what they call Windy Hill area and put in at a boat ramp.  Paddled over to the Solome cove and got to see some immature bald eagle fighting over a fish.  Pretty funny aerobatics.   When we came out of the cove we were greeted with some pretty strong winds and we had to cross over to the other side.  I think that is the roughest water we have ever paddled in.  Water was coming over the front of the kayak as well as the sides once in a while.  Made me a little nervous but we made.  Both of us were wet when we got out 

though!

These western grebes are fun to watch.  They dive when we get close and sometimes surface closer than they were before the dive.  

An osprey with a part of an uneaten fish.

Blue herons and a great egret hanging out together.

This shows how low the lake is.  We had to carry the kayak down to the water where last year the water was right at these big rocks.

The prickly pears are just starting to bloom.

Turkey vulture on the shore working over some washed up fish.

Three young eagles fighting for a fish.

The victor - you can see the fish in front of him, but he is panting from the exertion.

The owls clover is blooming but not as big as it usually is.