Canoeing On The Shoal

Most summers, the water level on White Rock Shoal is pretty shallow. This year is different with the water deep enough to canoe and kayak. We have been taking our canoe out a bit, much to the chagrin of the area sea gulls who like to have the rocks to themselves.

The kayak kids and their mom paddled out to White Rock where the nesting terns flew alarming circles and warned the kayakers away from nesting sites on the rock. The last time that the kids were out to White Rock was just after Christmas when we made a family trek across the ice. In the summer those winter adventures seem like a long time ago, but really it was just seven months ago.

Here's another look at the terns out by White Rock. Terns, with their forked tails and down turned beaks, are common residents along the shoal. Their swooping makes them fun to watch. The gulls glide; terns hover and dive, and often come up with a tasty fish.

Tern and White Rock photos by Liesl Eichler Clark.