A "memorable" Memorial Day

I spent a really nice morning kayaking on Canyon Lake this past Memorial Day. I knew it was going to be a bit crazy out there, so I basically stuck to the shoreline to avoid the boats and their wake.
My first stop was the little island in the cove near the campground. It has this really cool underwater ledge that juts out, which is perfect for landing my kayak and provides a stable exit platform. There is a shear drop-off on one side that is perfect for sitting. Imagine sitting on a cliff ledge and dangling your feet over the edge. This is exactly what I did, but I'm in water up to my hips. So refreshing!

After sitting on the water ledge and munching on an apple, I headed over to my favorite cove, which is just northeast of the campground. It meanders back into a small canyon and is a cool, calm retreat from all of the noise out on the lake. I like to stop about half-way into the canyon and simply take in the quiet. It's amazing just how quiet it is considering how close I am to the campground and the boat launch. You could hear a pin drop! I stretched out in my kayak and took in all of the glorious sounds. Whispering reeds and grasses, a Canyon Wren sweetly singing its song, a fish jumping, and to demonstrate just how quiet it is, I could actually hear the wing noise of a dragonfly as it flew past me. While in the same area, I noticed a couple of brownish blobs floating near the reeds. At first, I thought it was some trash that had blown in, but upon further observation, it was a pair of mallards in their sleeping pose.

Further into the canyon is a small cave. I always wonder who or what makes use of it when I paddle by. On my way back out of the canyon, I stopped at the cave, which has a small sandy beach. I sat for a good 15 minutes just taking in the view and listening. Every once in a while I noticed something flying into the cave. At first I thought I was seeing things, but after really concentrating, I realized it was a Canyon Wren.

They are known to build their nests in such areas, and sure enough, within a minute or so I was rewarded with her beautiful song emanating from inside the cave. The song of a Canyon Wren is one of the most beautiful in the bird world, but to hear it belted out from within a cave was astonishing! Perfect acoustics to say the least. Near the entrance to the cave, I noticed a Flycatcher flitting about, which I'm fairly confident was an Eastern Kingbird, which aren't known to be in Arizona. However, I did find this image (and several others) of an Eastern Kingbird that was taken in Arizona.

I looked a little closer and saw four fledglings sitting on a branch, no doubt waiting to be fed by their parent. They were quietly peeping and huddling together. When the parent arrived, the Canyon Wren expressed her annoyance by buzzing the parent and her babies. I guess their nests are too close in proximity to one another. Soon after I decided to head back to my original launch site.

About two-thirds of the way back out of the canyon, I noticed something large and dark moving in the rocks above me. It was a Chuckwalla doing push-ups. This means only one thing, there is another Chuckwalla nearby. Sure enough, off to his left (I'm assuming this lizard is a male by his size and color) was another Chuckwalla responding in kind. Similar to the Chuckwallas found in South Mountain Park in Phoenix, which have bright orange tails, these Chuckwallas are mostly black with a bit of red on their bodies, but with creamy-colored, tan tails.

This is the first time I've seen Chuckwallas at Canyon Lake. I was lucky enough to see a third one on the rocks near the marina. I learned later that Chuckwallas are the second largest lizards in the United States, just behind the Gila Monster, both of which are very common in Arizona.

By this time, it was getting close to noon, so I decided to call it a morning and paddle back to the Boulder Rec. Site and head home. As I was driving back to US 60, I kept thinking to myself, "If I can have this good a time on one of the busiest days at Canyon Lake, I should be able to paddle out there anytime and have a good experience." So far, this is exactly what has happened each time I've ventured out on the lake. Arizona has many great lakes, but I think Canyon Lake will always be my favorite. It doesn't hurt that it is only 30 miles from my front door to the shore. So close, yet a world away from the everyday hustle and bustle.