I Went on A Summer's Eve Paddle and Wasn't Disappointed! The Lake was Alive with Nature!

I find going for a paddle in the summer evening hours provides for better nature viewing than during the hot and humid afternoons. Tonight was no exception. It was a warm night with some fluffy clouds hanging overhead and a bright sun beginning to set behind them. Accessing Pittock Lake at the east end off of County Road 4 is my go-to launch point as this area has a more natural setting than the west end of the lake. My only concern launching at the east end is that you will sometimes disturb some "fishermen" sitting around and blocking the access with their chairs and equipment. Most encounters I have had here have been great, but their are a few that are stubborn and think they own the entire shore line. Honestly, I've never really seen anyone catch much of anything worth noting from the shore at the east end anyway.
The carp situation here has been dire since the heat related die off in the previous spring of 2021. Usually I would paddle through their schools near the top of the water and they would make huge splashes as they disbursed in a hurry. On this night, I found out that they are still around and will likely make a comeback over the years. Carp are an ugly fish and definitely not something I'd even want to eat, but for me it's fun to paddle through their territory and one day I will catch one,...but with only a net!
If you are an avid birder (I am not), you will enjoy the multitude of species that call this lake home or use it as stop over during spring and fall migration. Tonight I found Double-Crested Cormorants, Blue Herons, Sea Gulls (of course), Chickadees, Ducks and a whole mess of Red-Winged Black Birds in the east-end marshes. There are also American Bald Eagles nesting in the area. I did not find them on this night, but hopefully I will find them by the end of this paddling season.
Thanks again for watching & please subscribe to get notified when I do more (sometimes stupid) paddling adventures.