Tenny River... with OWLs! (And some new equipment info)

I got back to Tenny!!! 

Loyal Blog followers know I come to this place often.  Today was the first of the season and as always, I was not disappointed!   I was hoping to see otters, but I did not .... however... OWLS came to the river today! 

Body of Water:  Tenny River/Tenny Stream, connects Crescent Lake to Panther Pond, Raymond/Casco [Maine Gazetteer, Map 5 B2]

Directions (From Portland, Maine): Take Rt. 302 North through North Windham into Raymond. At the intersection of Rt. 302 and Rt. 85, turn right onto Rt. 85. (You will notice a rest area on your left.) Stay on Rt. 85 for about 6+ miles. After going over a small bridge (which is Tenny Stream) the boat landing will be on your right.

Boat launch: Located on Rt. 85, close to the intersection of 85 and Plains Road. This is a small, concrete boat landing, plenty big for kayaks!  People do launch bigger boats from this boat landing.  The boat landing is right next to the road. NOTE: The boat launch is pretty rough right now!  Needs a little TLC.  The tar has heaved, probably due to frost... doesn't really make a difference for those of us who carry in, but... just a heads up!

Parking: Free.  There is no parking lot.  Vehicles park on the sides of the road along Rt. 85.  There is a small beach area that is fenced off, private for residents I believe, and there is some parking there, not muckhwider than the length of your vehicle.  As with most areas in the Sebago Lake Region, this spot is busier on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

Wildlife: Turtles, ducks, maybe a loon or a Canada goose, and you may see some fish and snails if you look in the water.  There are a lot of plants, and depending on when you go, water lilies.  Today I can add a snake and owls to the list!! 

 

 

Notes:  What a beautiful spring day!  It started out a bit cloudy but by noon the sun was shining!  Gladys and I walked 2.5 miles this morning and then it was time for me to get outside again, this time... in my kayak!  (I will start taking her when the water is a bit warmer!)  

I have written about this place many times, so this will mostly be about the pictures!  I did see a few boats today and one other kayaker!  

The current through the culvert was pretty strong today.  Be ready to 'dig in' as you paddle back through to return to the launch!

The pitcher plants are waking up! 

Yup, that is a snake!  There was a turtle in front of it, but when the turtle jumped in the water I noticed this... I thought maybe it was dead and tried to move the leaf with my paddle and the snake disappeared... thankfully NOT in my kayak!  

High five? As you will see..there were SO many turtles today!  

Some were not too shy! 

Turtle Love! 

The turtles were swimming around a lot too, peeking up to say hello.  

Can you say turtle palooza??

I really like this pic!  So many turtles!  

As I was taking pics of the 'bale' of turtles... (I just learned a group of turtles is called a bale!) I heard what I thought was an owl.  I looked and didn't see anything.  But then I kept hearing it as well as another bird which sounded a bit distressed.  Then I saw them... TWO owls... flying around!  

I was far away and my camera was unsteady, but I zoomed way in and got a few shots that are good enough to at least identify this owl... I think it is a great horned owl.. but I am not certain.  Would love someone to comment and confirm!  Thanks! 

I tried to paddle to another little inlet area that was behind where the owls were, hoping to get better shots, but no luck.  I am so excited I got to see them!  

The last time I saw owls while kayaking was with my mom... near Katahdin.  We watched a family of owls one whole summer, including seeing the babies grow rapidly.  Perhaps these owls were setting up a home? And maybe there will be babies??  Fingers crossed!  but WHO knows!  

Some NEW equipment... 

My new Loon 126 kayak has a different shape than my Loon 138s, and the kayak cart i have used for a long time doesn't fit as well... so I ordered a new one... from The Kayak Cart (Catchy name!)  

I ordered the bigger wheels... thinking it would be better on some of the terrain... and I think it will be better.  My ONLY complaint on day one was that I had to disassemble the cart in order to fit it behind my seat.  There were to pins, and 4 small ish plastic tubes that come off the cart when you remove the wheels.  I think I need to start carrying a separate dry bag just for those, or a ziploc.. would hate to lose the pieces!  Be careful! 

My new paddle!!  I have worked for this one!  I had set some personal goals and had chosen this as one of my rewards.  This paddle is super light, so much so that a breeze could easily blow it away!   I really am happy with the paddle, it seemed to have a good amount of power despite it being so light... and I love the colors!  I want to use it more before giving a full review, but so far so good!

Happy Paddling!!  From Yours Truly!