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Mariton: Night-time Kayaking

May 18, 2011

Moonlight kayaks

Our first Moonlight Kayak Trip of the spring was great.  Clouds obscured the moon, but there was enough ambient light for us to navigate after the sun went down.  Lake Nockamixon was satiny smooth.  It made for a relaxing paddle.  We had a great group of people on the trip, and I enjoyed chatting with them when I could. 

The highlight that most of us will remember is the Bald Eagle.  A few of us spotted it flying at tree height along the shore.  When it landed in a tree, we waited for the group to gather.  There was still a lot of light, so everyone got to see it perched on a bare branch about 40 feet above the lake.  It was magnificent.  It was there first Bald Eagle sighting for several people, and it was a wonderful look at our nation’s symbol.  It eventually got bored by all the “oohhhs and ahhhhs” and flew off, so everyone got a great view of its white head and tail against the dark trees. 

As dusk turned to night, we watched a Great Blue Heron fishing from a stump only a few yards from our kayaks.  Actually, it was the heron’s silhouette backlit by the glow off  the lake that we admired.  Even after seeing a Bald Eagle, the heron was still a magical sight.

It was a great night and no one seemed upset that the moon failed to make an appearance.  As we beached the kayaks in the dark, everyone pitched in to organize gear and help load the boats in the trailer.