Johnny Panther Quests. Ecotours

Well, I had heard the rumors, an Eagle's nest in the city of Saginaw. Sure enough, while scouting after a morning tour I found it, with a pair of Mature birds guarding it. One of the packages I offer is with the Montague Inn, running trips out of their backyard. It is a very posh place located on a 10 acre estate. Imagine cruising into the sunset, coming back under the stars, and walking right into your room. Now visualize climbing into the boat, and within 5 minutes staring up at an active Eagle's nest, before we even get to the "good stuff" 20 minutes up the river. Ah, life is good!

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Well we probably got our last taste of the Spring color this week as the rains and warm weather have spurred a growth spurt that has everything rich and green. My step Dad used to joke, "I wonder how many shades of green there are out here?" Our trip on monday night was with a veteran client and her friend. We were treated to awesome Bald Eagle sightings and many deer watching us float by. The skies were overcast, which usually makes for very good viewing. The rain held off until our trip was over and I was loading. Sometimes I really think Karma comes into play with clients, and this gal has been out many times with me in her snowmobile suit. But this night, it couldn't have been any better, and THEY DESERVED IT! I have heard there is even a Golden Eagle hanging out in the "Flats" this year, I hope we are lucky enough to get a glimpse of it.
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No I am not talking about gang activity! Saturday evening a team mate and I went "Johnny Panthering"on the Flint River(my "cheap trip"). Venturing out with severe thunderstorm and hail warnings, we left the kids at home. Far and few between are the days anymore when we push the envelope, so we savored this opportunity. As mentioned earlier in this blog, it looked like fall with all of the trees in bud. The weather held until we were nearly back to the launch. We were treated to the first Trillium blossoms of spring, along with assorted waterfowl and awesome weather. We stopped at our "playground" area to ride out the storm that was rolling over the top of us. The lightning and thunder was incredible. Being somewhat sheltered in a creek valley, we enjoyed the reverberations that echoed through the river valley. I would never chance an outing like this with clients, but enjoyed sharing the experience with a good friend, and a heavy cooler. The hail never did arrive at our place, but poor Joe drove through marble size hail on the way through Millington. It truly was an exciting evening for a "Quest"
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The "Shiawasse Flats" is rich with history from the timber / lumbering era. I consider myself very fortunate to still be alive or at least not paralyzed from water skiing in the area. When we were young, we were clueless as to what lay beneath the normally opaque muddy waters. Every once in a while someone would hit something and rip the lower unit off their boat or stand it up on its bow as they hit some large submerged object. Over many years of navigation, and listening to the lore from the local experts, I began to get a clue as to what and why these "boat eaters" lay below the surface of the water. Stories of log holding pens, booms and bridges that sometimes validated themselves when the water was blown out into the Bay by strong south-westerly winds. Most people only feel, sometimes the hard way what has long been forgotten. Though poor quality, due to extreme conditions, these pictures bring to light some of the "boat eaters" that lie just beneath the surface!
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Karma is an awesome thing. On Good Friday I took out one of my repeat clients and her son. The water was high, the skies were clear, making for a perfect day to explore the refuge. The Spring has many advantages, one being it is easy to spot wildlife and nest activity due to the foliage not being in full growth. We spotted our first active Eagle's nest about 250 yards away, and were able to make out one bird in the nest, and its mate standing guard close by in a tree. As we continued our adventure deeper into the refuge, Joy and her son, "Charlie" were treated to one of the best views a guide could ask for, an active Eagle's nest a stones throw from the waters edge. Wanting to put as little pressure on the nest as possible we idled slowly past on the far side of the river, barely making out the parents head peering over the nest's edge as we floated past. On our journey back down stream with the current, we were in the "silent running" mode using an electric motor to keep us on course and out of the "deadheads". As we passed the nest again, the Eagle's mate was perched in a nearby tree, and as we approached he made sure we knew he was not happy with our presence in his territory. To have a mature Bald Eagle swooping 50' above our heads chirping his displeasure was an incredible experience. We were truly blessed with a rare opportunity.

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