gulfcoastkayak@msn.com Now that the season for the snow birds is over, and the music concerts — like the block party and the get together at the old fish house marina with the Yard dogs and Jim Morris — are at an end, as they go north to entertain the gang up there, we start to go into slow mo. We get a chance to go out to the great outdoors all alone. Ahhh, the peace and quiet. The oneness. Just me and my yak, paddle, and fishing pole. Deep in the beautiful quiet mangroves, of the back bays of southwest Florida. Just think, here I am paddling the same trails that the Calusa Indians, explorers, and some say even pirates, may have paddled only a few hundred years ago. Just to be alone with myself, to have time to think lazy thoughts. Summer days. No more projects until the opening season; nothing needs to be done right away. Just me all alone. What? I said that already?? Well, I am alone, right??? Oh, you must be thinking about THEM. You know them, the Eyes. The ones that have been watching us for over a half-mile away. As you paddle up to the edge of the mangroves you see Them.

The eyes of a masked bandit with his fluffy tail. Oh, yes, he is eating oysters and shellfish, but he still has his eyes on you. Or maybe it was the eyes of that osprey perched up high on that dead branch; you look close and see he has a fish, but he is still is watching you, as is that big bald eagle on the next branch over. Oh, you can see them now, but they have been watching you for quite some time now. As we paddle along the water’s edge we see a large blue bird, with a six-foot wingspan, take off from the next tree; he is squawking and letting the others know we are in his turf. Now they all know we are here. Up under the branches we see a bird sitting motionless. Yep, he is looking at us too; it’s a yellow-crowned night heron, and he thinks we don’t see him, so he won’t move. Now it’s starting to get a little creepy, thousands of eyes looking at you as you pass by the muddy banks. It’s fiddler crabs and mangrove crabs watching us and running for cover.

Well, it sure was nice out here all alone, but now we have to paddle back to the car and get to the base camp at Gulf Coast Kayak. As I drag my yak through the grass, once again I feel that I am not alone. Was that a small head I just saw pop out of that hole over there?? I turn my head fast and see nothing? Then I turn my head again; YES I was right; there is a pair of yellow eyes looking right at me from the grass. It is a ground owl, and when I looked closer there are two. LOOKING AT ME. I think I am starting to get paranoid??? Well, now that we have seen them, let me tell you some things you may or may not know about this little guy. Burrowing owls are a species of special concern in Florida. Special concern means they are protected by state law, and have been since 1979. The law says neither the owl nor its nesting burrow and eggs can be harassed, injured, or disturbed in any way. They are nine inches tall and weigh about five ounces. They have white spots and lines on there brown feathers, they have a short tail, and there legs have no feathers on them. Folks in the bird biz say that there are about 3000 to 10,000 birds and most live right here in Cape Coral and surrounding communities. Now these guys have to watch out not only for us humans; hawks, raccoons, snakes, dogs, and cats all want a taste of this little fellow.

The ones I saw were in the burrow in the grass, but they can live in turtle and armadillo holes, or even drain pipes. Sometimes you may even find them in the pipes under your driveway, if the pipes are long and dark. They like to eat frogs, snakes, little lizards, little birds and even road kill, and some times fruit and seeds. They mate from February to July. Then they have to get out of the hole, and above ground, before the flooding heavy rains of summer arrive. They have six to ten eggs and fly in about six weeks after hatching. Now did I mention their EYES? They are big and yellow and they move them side-to-side when looking around, but they cannot see that well in the dark; that’s why we see them in the daylight. So, once again, WE ARE NEVER ALONE, even when we think we are; somewhere out there they are watching us. Hope you have a great paddle out there, and remember: It’s always a great day in MAT-LA-SHA, and thanks for paddling with Mel the Guide. Gulf Coast Kayak is open all year 24/7 941 661 8229 239 283 1125 for rentals or to book a tour with Mel the Guide