Symphony of the Noyo

Happiness is a butterfly, 

which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

We all have those days when things don't go as planned.  Sometimes being open to possibilities or just being present or willing to embrace a moment is all that it takes to transform a derailed to-do list into a moment of bliss and happiness.

This week, I have ended up spending a good part of my days on our deck over the Noyo River priming boards for our shed remodel.  This wasn't on my extensive to-do list and I've had a moment or two of panic about the things that I wasn't getting to.  As I rolled primer onto the plywood and the sun shone on my back, the tension in my neck and shoulders started to ease as I tuned into the Symphony of the Noyo.

Over the years, the slow pace of kayaking on the quiet waters of the Noyo has expanded my curiosity about the creatures and plants that I see everyday.  This curiosity has blossomed into a fascination and love of birds.  Many birders love the challenge of identification and seeing many species.  My fascination is more about their behaviors and natural adaptations.  Part of their behavior that I enjoy is their songs of spring.  (Birds sing in the spring to attract a mate and/or to defend their territory.)

As I paint, I tune into the Symphony of the Noyo - the birds are painting the air with their colorful songs.  Here are some of the star performers - 
The swainson's thrush carries the main melody.  His spiraling song lifts ones' spirits.  

Song Sparrows chime in with their song.

The wilson's warbler contributes his "lazer tag" chorus.

The black-headed grosbeak stars.  His chortling adds some pizzaz to the movement.  

A western wood peewee adds dissonance with his off key - Rrreeeeeks!  

The osprey flies overhead.  When the female sees him, her pleading adds drama to the movement.

Chestnut backed Chickadees - add the "dee, dee, dee's.".

The rattling of the belted kingfisher adds "cha-cha-cha-cha-cha's

The occasional quoak, quoak, quoak of the great blue heron flying up river inspires commotion and percussion in the heron rookery.

The common ravens have a nest over the river and are like the peanut gallery. 

The ravens don't contribute much to the symphony's movement but are a vocal presence.

And a mute swan silently glides across the water - drifting to the Symphony of the Noyo.

Some day I hope to piece together a sound recording of the birds of the Noyo.  Until then, come enjoy the Symphony of the Noyo with me on the water.

Cate guiding Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Sunset Bird Paddle on the Noyo River

Just Another Day at the Office

At 9am, I met 2 guests for our morning kayak tour on the NoyoRiver.  After suiting up in our splash wear, we took a quick look at the river from the deck.  My guests asked how the birding was on the river.  I smiled as a green heron flew down the river and landed just  across from us on a log.  Not to be out done, the male osprey  flew over head with nesting material.

We launched onto the river listening to the song sparrows and Wilson’s warblers singing.  The orange crowned warblers soon joined in as well as a Swainson’s thrush creating a symphony of bird song.  Meandering further down the river, we noticed a log that appeared to be moving.  I knew what it was and guided my guests slowly away from it to the other side of the river.  It was as I had expected - a mamma harbor seal and her pup.  We gave them a comfortable distance and were amazed to see the sea pup start nursing. 

Our magical trip continued with a snowy egret flying over us and a small flock of common mergansers hunting/fishing around us.  As we neared the mouth of the river, my guests were delighted with surf scoters and intrigued with a new raven nest under the bridge.   As we paddle back through the harbor, a large male sea lion porpoised along past us into the boat basin.  We paused to check out a kingfisher’s nest and then were treated to a sighting of the female American Kestrel emerging from the nest box, stretching her wings, and exerting her dominance over a brown headed cow bird.

As the tide pushed us back up the river, a sharp eye spotted a sharp-shinned hawk hidden in a fir tree.  Actually a bit of discussion ensued as to whether it was a red shouldered, sharp shinned or cooper’s hawk.  The hawk ended our debate by flying from his perch over us and showing us his angular tail feathers that defined him as a sharp-shinned hawk.

We quietly floated into the magic corner, our launching point and landing point for the trip where we discovered the male and female osprey together in the same alder tree about 25 feet above the river.  As we admired them, the head of a harbor seal emerged from the water and 2 black crown night herons flew down to the river to do some fishing.

The oddest sighting of the day though were some dry suit clad kayakers standing on shore gaping at the wild life surrounding us.

“Just another day at the office.”

Noyo

I was recently asked what does one see on the Noyo and instantly slipped into a dream-like state.

The character of the Noyo is quite unique. Located in Fort Bragg, California, it is a harbor, estuary, and river with a variety of ecosystems that include coastal, salt marsh, pine forest, riparian (wooded wetland), and coniferous forest.

A visitor's first impressions are often that of an old fishing harbor that has seen its heyday but is still operating. For many the harbor elicits flashbacks of the movie Overboard with Kirk Russell and Goldie Hawn.

The harbor is an intriguing place to watch fishing boats and coast guard boats travel to and from their berths to the sea.

Of course with any fishing village, there are the animals that thrive on the scraps and hand outs of the fishing industry. Sea lions are typically seen basking on the docks or cruising through the channel. If one doesn't see them, their raucous barking is often heard.

Great blue herons, gulls, various sea birds, harbor seals, and Noyo Harbor Cats are common sights in the Noyo Harbor. This great blue heron is having identity issues.

The Noyo Harbor is but a small portion of the Noyo and those that explore a little further will be intrigued and delighted its quirks and charm. To further explore the Noyo, one needs to get off the beaten path. Many venture up the Noyo River Canyon on the Skunk Train. On its 21 mile journey from Fort Bragg to Northspur, the Skunk Train crosses the Noyo River 13 times. Passengers on the train listen see the beauty of the Noyo River Canyon and see Fort Bragg's logging history.

Some will discover the Noyo via a journey into the "Working South Harbor." A drive down South Harbor Drive affords one the perspective of the workings of Noyo Harbor. Drive with your windows down and you will hear the sounds of a working fishing harbor - the clanking of boat repair, fishermen/women directing their crew or telling stories of the one that got away, gulls whining, sea lions barking, and in the summer the osprey calling. A special treat is the aroma of Thanksgiving Coffee being roasted.

Driving one may see the "Coasties" (US Coast Guard seamen/seawomen) doing their physical training - jogging or playing football or volleyball. Past the coastguard station, one comes to the boat basin which houses the majority of the Noyo's Fleet. It is fun to stop and take a look at the variety of craft some of which are from many years ago.

Driving past the boat basin, one comes to a large parking area and the south boat basin launch ramp. During salmon season, this parking lot is full with trucks and empty boat trailers. Other times, it is a great spot to pull over and stretch the legs and look around. There is a short walkway with a railing that is a good spot to see where the Noyo transitions from a coastal to wooded ecosystem.

Many make the mistake of turning around at the south boat basin parking area and miss one of Fort Bragg and Noyo Harbor's interesting off the beaten path locations - Dolphin Isle Marina. To get to Dolphin Isle, follow the private road that is tucked away in the back corner of the parking lot.

Dolphin Isle is the old marina that dates pre1960's. It now houses some commercial and sport boats. It is also an RV park with a deli/store and the home of a couple of businesses including Liquid Fusion Kayaking. Dolphin Isle is just over a mile away from the ocean and has its own climate. In the summer and fall, it is a good spot to escape the coastal fog that hovers on the coast. In the spring, one can escape the gusty northwestern winds and winter is the time to enjoy the warmth of the deli with a fresh cup of Thanksgiving Coffee or a bowl of Sandy's homemade soup.

Dolphin Isle is a great spot for wildlife watching and there are many days when the to-do list doesn't get accomplished because of special wildlife sitings from river otters hunting to baby birds and garter snakes. Or sometimes, it is just nice to bask in the sun by the river and read a book and enjoy some local North Coast Brews.

Dolphin Isle is a quirky spot with a sub-culture of its own and not one that everyone appreciates. I personally love it there. Dolphin Isle is also where the Noyo loses its feel as a fishing harbor and becomes a peaceful estuary that is best explored on the the water.


Stay tuned for the wonders and delights of paddling the Noyo.

Hairy and the Herons

Ahhh - summer days manning Liquid Fusion Kayaking's headquarters on the Noyo River. In the summer, one of us is there daily taking reservations and renting kayaks. Lately, I have been manning the shop as Jeff has been out at sea.

I have been a little behind on my blogging because we don't have internet at our shop on the Noyo River. Maybe some day, we will get our technology online or maybe not.

If my office was a climate controlled cubical, I would probably go stir crazy without an online connection to the world (actually in a cubicle, I would go crazy with or with out internet). However, my office consists of a little gear shed and a picnic table on a deck over the Noyo River.



Of course with a daily field trip via kayak onto the river . . .

It seems to be a blessing not to be online when I am there as I get to be plugged into nature. I get to know what creatures are around and their daily habits. I know when the baby birds have left their nest and who is still under their parents' watchful care and who is being told to go away and find their own territory.

Hairy is a gartersnake that lives under a planter box on our deck. He has become one of the creatures that I monitor throughout the day. He monitors whats going on as well. One of his favorite habits is to lie in a crack in our deck and peer about like a little periscope.


He also likes to nestle in the nasturtium. His stripes are good camouflage, and I have to protect him from people stepping on him.


This week, I have been particularly enamored with 5 newly fledged green herons. They left the nest Tuesday afternoon, and I have been spying on them through my spotting scope. They still have downy feathers on their heads and are quite comical to watch as the climb and explore the alder trees above the Noyo River.


Green herons are a special bird to me as they were "THE" bird that intrigued me to become interested in birds and birding.

Well, time to get off line and back on the river.

Skin on Frame Kayak

Progress continues on my skin on frame kayak which I am building on our deck over the Noyo River. It is fun to hear the comments that paddlers make about her as they cruise by on the river.
The chestnut chickadees, downy woodpeckers, wilson's warblers, orange crowned warblers, and violet green swallows flit about feeding in the alder tree by my new kayak. It is fun to hear and watch them. Perhaps they will be inspiration when naming her.

When I cut the ribs, I put them in the mortises for a stegosaurus effect. At the moment when I took this photo, Stan and Jim of the Lost Coast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association rowed by and were intrigued.


Steaming and bending the ribs can be a little nerve-racking. I broke several of my first attempts on the steeply V'd first ribs but then started to get the hang of it - sort of. My ribs definitely aren't perfect. The keel required some shimming and I am hoping that the chines will help pull things into shape a little bit better tomorrow.

My friend John's ribs are very symmetrical and even (the boat closest to the river). But my purpose for building this boat is to do it on my own (with a little insight from my friends) and learn from and enjoy the experience. It will be fun to see how well my imperfect boat paddles.