The big event this week was the arrival of my new outboard. It took a month, so it was a big moment! It's a very simple little 2 horsepower, 2-cycle. Doesn't even have a transmission, so when you start it, the boat goes. Makes things a little tricky, but I've adjusted already. It's a bit noisier than the old 3 hp, but it seems to move the dinghy just as well. And it's significantly lighter, which is good. I had a few difficulties flushing it with fresh water until I finally gave in and did what the manual said to do: remove the propeller first. Sigh.
In my first trips with the new motor, I explored further up the estuary. In fact I went all the way to the end where it became a large culvert. That's where a guard told me I couldn't be there, couldn't fish and couldn't even take pictures. So I left. No matter. I got plenty of good photos (below) and didn't see anything there I hadn't seen elsewhere. I worked on photographing birds in flight and have settled on an effective technique. I came back with more good shots than I expected.
I also took care of a couple of boat maintenance items this week: checking the connections on the transmission linkage and getting the hull buffed and waxed. Everything is now in pretty good shape for once! (Unless of course, I'm unaware of something!)
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| The new outboard motor arrived! |
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| Mounted on the dinghy |
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The great dock crash of 2016 was caused by a couple
of loose screws securing the transmission cables, so
I wanted to check them even though I had secured
them with silicon glue after the crash.
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| These were the culprits. Secure now. |
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| I hired Raul Senior and Junior to buff and wax the hull. |
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They and another helper spent 4 hours getting
her dazzling. All for about $100!
Needless to say, I was very happy!
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| Heading up the estuary using the new outboard. |
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A sandbar appears at low tide. Good spot to find
herons, willets, and oyster-catchers.
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This mudflat is exposed only at low tide. At higher tides
I've rowed into it, but I ran aground this time at the spot
where the photo was taken. Can you see the willet on
right?
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The birds are often well camouflaged and seem to know
exactly where to position themselves to make it most
effective. Can you see the tricolor heron?
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| How about now? |
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| This blue heron is almost invisible on the rocks. |
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| See it dead center? |
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To make the camouflage work, they will remain very
still until you get too close, then they flee, usually
squawking bloody murder.
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If their freedom of movement is restricted because
they are in the mangroves, they take off sooner,
like this tricolored heron is doing.
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| Black-crowned heron taking off. |
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| Tricolored heron |
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| Yellow-crowned heron flies by a tricolored heron. |
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| Willet poking around for dinner. |
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| Osprey looking very majestic |
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American oyster-catcher scratches an itch while the
tricolored heron eyes me with suspicion. There's
also a willet in between in the background.
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| Two oyster-catchers and a heron. |
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The tricolored heron is starting to get
nervous, but hasn't taken flight.
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Tricolored heron strikes a pose in the
light of the sunset.
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| Black-crowned heron |
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| Black-crowned heron fledgling |
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Two herons and three egrets on a semi-sunken old barge
at the end of the estuary, where I got busted.
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| A closer look (without the tricolored heron) |
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| Two old coots acting like love birds |
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| One place I don't like to see a lot of birds. |
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| Tree iguana |
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| Rock iguana |
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Unusual cloud formation just before
the wind kicked up and rain threatened,
but didn't materialize.
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| The resulting nice sunset behind Circadian |
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| The big view of the same sunset |
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| Flowers growing out the rip-rap rocks at the marina. |
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| Interesting approach to getting men to aim better. |
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