Fitzroy Harbour - a spring check-up on the turtles

This afternoon would be calm and 20C, so it was hard not to go for a paddle in my canoe. So, after lunch, I headed to Fitzroy Harbour to check out the turtles in the channel to the Snye Creek. The Snye Creek goes between the Mississippi River and the Ottawa River, near the Fitzroy wharf. As you leave the Fitzroy wharf, head right (SW) following the shore, and you'll soon enter the Snye channel. As you go around the 180-degree bend, check the rocky shoreline on your right -- more than likely, there will be some turtles on the rocks, assuming it's a hot sunny day. Don't get too close and stay very calm. The turtle species that I have observed around Fitzroy Harbour are Northern Map Turtles, common in the Ottawa River.

Today was a warm day, so the turtles were sunbathing in the hot sun!

Northern Map Turtles

Northern Map Turtles

After just a few shots, my camera battery died!! So, it was time to move on and leave the turtles in peace. The rest of my paddle was a leisurely tour of the river's overflow at Chat Falls dam and then circumnavigating Kedey's Island. I did a stop on the eastern tip of Alexandra Island for a snack and bio break. While there, I used my binoculars to observe a pair of Osprey perched on their nest (atop a hydro tower). Then, I took a peek in the mouth of the Carp River before heading back to my starting point at the Fitzroy wharf. Same as last year, a couple of people were fishing at the Carp River's mouth - parts of Fitzroy Provincial Park.

Peterborough Huron Cruiser (Chat Falls Dam in the background)

Constance Creek: a paddle from the Bay

Today, I went for another paddle on Constance Creek in my Wood Duck kayak but started from a Constance Bay beach site (Baillie Avenue). The Baillie beach site gives good access to launch a small boat (canoe or kayak) on the Ottawa River. It's only a 10-minute paddle along the shore to Constance Creek's mouth/entrance. The creek is quite wide at the entrance, especially at this time of the year with all the flooding.

As I paddled up-the-creek, I met a few other kayakers and canoeists enjoying a paddle, even with the cloudy, cold afternoon (12C). From the entrance, Constance Creek stays quite wide until you get to the Eagle Creek golf club. Upstream from the golf club, the creek gets very narrow in some areas with beaver dams and lots of vegetation (i.e. mostly cattails).

Today, I had an easy paddle in calm conditions and went as far as the Eagle Creek golf club (2.5km). On the way, I did one stop on the south side of the creek - where I saw some solid ground and some debris. It turned out that this location was on the edge of the Copperdale golf club, and some of the debris/garbage on the edge of the creek was one or more old golf carts. The Copperdale golf club is about 100m from the creek's edge, while the Eagle Creek club is right on the edge of the creek. The proximity of these two golf clubs probably impacts the ecology and diversity of the Constance Creek and wetlands.

Additional to a few Canada Geese and ducks, today, the paddle's other wildlife was a porcupine perched in a tree on the edge of the creek. Porcupines are always very photogenic -- they don't move very fast!

Porcupine

Porcupine up a tree

Canada Geese

Constance Creek - an early spring ritual

For the past 20 years or so, I'm always itchy to get out on the water when the snow finally decides to leave us. The first navigable water close to home is the Constance Creek in Dunrobin. The creek flows through broad wetlands from Constance Lake to the Ottawa River. In previous years, I would launch at the Thomas Dolan Parkway (TDP) bridge and go up-the-creek towards the lake. Some years, when the water level was high enough, I could reach the frozen lake. Over the last few years, the vegetation (e.g. cattails) has grown so much that it's become unnavigable. Also, things are similarly blocked trying to go down-the-creek from TDP. The creek's wetlands are changing -- not sure why.

So this year, for my first paddle of 2015 (April 19), I headed over to the bridge on Vances Side Road. I first went up-the-creek to see how far I would get before being blocked by cattails - not far, maybe 1/2 km. Then, as I was heading back down-the-creek, I met a group of canoeists who had paddled down to the Ottawa River and back. They informed me that the creek was quite navigable except for a few beaver dams.

Wood Duck 12

I had a leisurely paddle down-the-creek in my Wood Duck kayak. I have usually done the spring paddle in my canoe, but the small WD12 kayak is the right choice. It easily maneuvered the narrow spots in the creek, and with the cold spring water, I felt pretty warm and secure in the cockpit with the skirt on.

I did not have time to make it to the Ottawa River and turned around past the Eagle Creek golf club. I did have to jump a couple of small beaver dams. The creek was pretty quiet, with the occasional pair of Canada Geese and a few nervous ducks. The blue heron rookery of 10 years ago near the golf club is all gone now. There were no Great Blue Herons to be seen. 

Another great Constance Creek paddle; spring has indeed arrived!

Below are some wildlife pics from previous spring paddles on Constance Creek.

A pair of Canada geese

Beaver

Muskrat

Redwing blackbird