Kayak Nature Tours

Description

Kayaking First Landing State Park with Kayak Nature Tours

First Landing State Park has the highest concentration of Osprey in the area and 2 - 3 pairs of resident Bald Eagles. Eagle sightings are occasional, and the 6 to 8 Osprey nests along the 3-mile route are easily visible. You will not get a closer look at a wild raptor without binoculars! We launch from deep in the Park at a location that is not easy to find, so please follow the directions in our confirmation. We paddle above the sand flats of Broad Bay which are the Southeast border of the Park. We are well protected here from any of the strong winds that we occasionally get out of the Northeast.

We almost always see Osprey, we often see Egrets, Heron’s, Red-Winged Black Birds, or a Belted Kingfisher, and sometimes we'll catch an exciting glimpse of one of the resident Bald Eagles or their young. Dolphins and Rays can sometimes be seen here as well.

The shoreline is alternating salt marsh and small sand beaches with a maritime forest in the background. At one point the remains of a once primary oceanfront dune still reach 40 feet tall. If the tides are right, we can paddle into White Hill Lake where we can see an ancient dead forest around the lake. We often stop along one of the many beaches to swim, watch fiddler crabs (if the tides are low), and usually see minnow before returning to our original launch site.

Spring: Birds are prolific this time of year and very active building nests or watching eggs. Ospreys arrive and begin rebuilding last year’s nest. More Egrets and Herons come into the area this time of year. A Belted Kingfisher or two may be around as well and Red-Winged Black Birds will begin arriving. Migratory songbirds pass through on their way to nest up North. On warm days we may swim at of the many little beaches we see along the way.

Summer: In early summer, young Osprey will be large enough to see the top of their heads in the nest and flying later in the summer. The Snowy and Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons as well as Common and Royal Terns are more frequent in the summer. We will almost always go swimming when we stop at a beach.

Fall: Eagles, Osprey, Herons, Egrets, and Terns will remain through October in smaller amounts as they begin to venture further from their nests in search of food and no longer need to look after young so frequently. Blue-Winged and Green-winged Teals can be seen on the open water, as well as American Bittern in the salt marshes and Plovers and Sandpipers along the beaches.