PADDLING WITH MEL THE GUIDE
YOUR YAK OR MINE

Hi all is well, I just returned from a road trip that I have wanted to do for quiet a few years. Summer came to Matlacha in South West Florida and it rained as usual. Having seen this happen year after year I thought that this would be a good time to hit the road and seek out some new paddle spots and some new adventures to write about .

As it turned out my daughter called from California and her husband and her wanted to go on a trip with his company to Costa Rica and they needed a baby sitter for the four girls. My wife and I just love going out there and spending time with them. I mean how bad can it be to take care of four pre teens and three dogs.

California is right on the way to Whistler B.C, Canada. At least that is what my wife tells me.
So we pack up the new Nissan frontier pick up truck with four wheel drive in case we run into some snow up in the mountains and off we go. Florida, California then up the coast to Monterrey Bay to do some paddling and see the otters. Mt. Shasta and its lakes were breathtaking. Canada in B.C was a great place for us to get in some mountain bike riding and take a ride on a new gondola ride called peak to peak. The Glacier lakes were cold and clear. Then on to Yellow Stone National Park. We stayed at the Old Faithful Inn for 3 days right across from the Old Faith full geyser. That is really a site to see .
If you have never been to Yellow stone or the tea tons you must put it on your bucket list.
We saw Elk, Buffalo, Deer,and a Grizzly Bear. Then on to Rocky Mountain National Park,which had some of the worst fires in the history of Colorado .. Every day there was a new fire and smoke closed some of the major highways.

After forty eight days and eight thousand five hundred miles later we are back in sunny Matlacha South West Florida. We saw so many different kinds of animals ,sheep,cows, goats,horse,donkeys,chickens, and different kinds of birds. One day I saw so many black birds that It reminded me of the English film director and producer Alfred Hitch cocks movie THE BIRDS. That was the one were some were in Northern California an extremely large flock of birds decide they don’t like corn any more and that pecking people would be a better food source. The word spreads how good this is and thousands of other black birds join in. As we drove home it seemed like I was seeing all kinds of black birds. And I was, for good reason. There are some families of birds that are refer d to by color. The black bird is no exception. From large Ravens and cow birds,to medium sized Grackles and on to smaller birds such as the Black Birds,and Starlings.

As you paddle North America I am sure you will some of these.
The Grackle – The Grackle is one of the most abundant breeding birds in north America.
Common Grackles – the male is larger than the female . He has a long dark bill,pale yellowish eyes and a long tail. His feathers appear black with purplish green or blue iridescence on his head,
The female is not quite as iridescent and has a shorter tail. And the little guys are just brown with dark tails. They live any were between the Rocky Mountains and the South Eastern United States.
Grackles like to eat just about any thing from your MC Donald’s fries to insects ,minnows frogs,eggs,berries,seeds,and grain. He is often times seen with mocking birds. Similar species are the black bird and cow birds.

Cow birds- In North America there are only two species of cow birds. Now don’t get these mixed up with the cow birds we see here in south west Florida the white egret or cattle egret that hangs out in the pasture with the cows, hopeful he will eat a an ole lizard or bug that the cow will kick up. This one is the brown -headed or bronzed. When a cow bird lays her eggs she sits and waits till another bird builds a nest then sneaks in and lays an egg or two . She will then leave and hope the nest building bird will raise her eggs as a foster parent. Sadly only three present of the Brown headed cow birds result in adults.
Crows- There are two main spices of Crows. The large common crow found across the US and the smaller one we see all the time here in South West Florida the Fish Crow.
Crows have one two two broods a year,averaging four to seven eggs per brood. It takes about 18 days with a four to five week fledgling period before the young can leave the nest . The eggs look bluish-green to the olive green-or greenish brown with splotches of brown and Grey.
Recent research has found some crows species capable not only of tool use but of tool construction as well. Crows and Ravens are now considered to be among the worlds most intelligent animals.
Wild hooded Crows in Israel have learned to use bread crumbs for bait fishing.
One species, the New Caledonian Crow has also been studied recently because of its ability to manufacture and use its own tools in the day to day search for food. These tools include “knives cut from stiff leaves and stalks of grass. Another skill involves drooping tough nuts on to the road way in traffic , then waiting far a car or truck to crush them open.

On a sad note, in the United States it is legal to hunt Crows in all states. Usually from August till the end of March and any time if they are causing a nuisance or health hazard. Also there is no permit required to control black birds, cowbirds,Grackles,and Magpies.

So the next time your out on a paddle and see a BLACK BIRD try to figure out what kind he is . You will be surprised to see how many are right here in our own back yard.
As always I thank you for paddling with Mel the Guide and hope to see you on tour or on the water. Tours still from Gulf Coast kayak in Matlacha and other selected ramp sites. 941 661 8229 or the base camp 239-283-1125.