Hackensack River Canoe & Kayak Club
 www.hrckc.org

I did not make the May 30th Rockaway River trip. I was tired from the long paddle on the Delaware the day before plus I did not know you were going to stop for hot dogs.

Although I missed a good trip, I will try to flesh out Dave's Birds and Wildlife list:

  • "Birds with green necks and dull looking companions" were probably mallard ducks and/or common mergansers.

  • "Black necks protective of babies" =Canada Geese.

  • "Log jumpers making plopping sounds" were probably painted turtles with an occasional stinkpot thrown in.

  • "Marsh birds with skinny legs" indeed were herons, great blues and/or greens and if bright white...great and/or snowy egrets.

  • "Swimming things" were probably mating carp, it's the season.

  • Also, if you heard any mewing in the bushes it was probably catbirds, sometimes they sound like the house tabby, hence the name.

I hope I have been of some assistance, especially to the newer members. It is nice to be talked about when you're not around. Like that old show-biz saw, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Final word to the wise. If you are an aspiring naturalist, you may want to bring a field guide or two along on the next paddle...Roger Torey Peterson's Field Guild to Eastern Birds is a good one.

Bob Rancan

Rockaway River
by Dave Miller
 

Sunday, May 30, 2010

SUMMARY:
22 Boats
25 Actual Paddlers
1-Early Cancellation
2-Cancellations on Fri
2-Cancellations on Sat
3-Cancellations on Trip day
5-No Shows
10-People who wanted to register (Some were new members) but I turned away because 38 people had already registered

REASONS FOR CANCELLATIONS & NO SHOWS: Medical conditions, Hostage situations, Family obligations, Amnesia, Kidnappings, Pirates and Sea Monsters

Anyway - - - I think everyone gets the point.

APOLOGIES: To those we turned away

WEATHER: Beautiful, Warm, Clear, Nice breeze

SHUTTLE: Interesting but successful

BOB KELLY: Special thanks for stopping Main St traffic in both directions so we could all make the left turn !

PUT-IN: All on water by 10:39 AM (Not bad)

CONDITIONS: Nice riffles in beginning, scratchy depending on your boat. (2) major trees to get around. Shady & Peaceful w/some wildlife

BIRDS & WILDLIFE: There was some, but Bob Rancan wasn't with us so we can only report: There were those birds with the green necks and dull looking companion, Those larger flying birds that land in groups with the black neck and they make a fuss when you come near the babies with fuzzy heads, Those things that jump off logs with a 'Plopping' sound when you approach them, Those marsh birds with the skinny legs and they are always in a hurry (Herons?), and there were also some of those swimming things in the water. Well that's about it. See Bob Rancan for details.

LUNCH: Nice lunch stop in Shady Denville, including hot dogs & Stewart's Root Beer.

DISTANCE: 7.8 Miles

PHIL: Thanks for helping paddlers get started into deeper water and being the trip sweep

HERDA & ROBYN: Thanks for keeping an eye on Claire as she guided her vessel on it's maiden voyage

JAYSON & AL: Thanks for being lead boat all day & all your hard work at the take-out, lifting everyone's boats out of the muck. Hope you didn't break-out with Poison Ivy

GEORGE: Thanks for reading the signals and sending 3 boats at a time up to the waterfall area (We didn't lose anyone).

BOB & LOUISE: Thanks for your patience. They were one of the shuttle cars bringing us to the Put-In. After we all left, they ended up doing their own shuttle and loading their boat by themselves. We'll make that up to them next time. [UP-DATE: Thanks for the great slide show (With music !), now available to view on the web-site]

WATER SHOES: Someone left a pair at the Take-out. They have been rinsed, dried and will be at the June 1st meeting for claiming.
[UP-DATE: They were Herda's]

Dave Miller, HRCKC Trip Coordinator