We went kayaking the first day of our Captiva vacation.  We launched at McCarthy Marina, renting boats from Barb and Greg’s Captiva Kayak rental service.  The water was very calm and smooth today.  We remember our visit in Feb-2011, when the seasonal winds put a big chop in the Pine Island Sound water.

Today we chose to paddle around Buck Key.  We went South along the far side of the island, then returned, going North along the side of the Island along Roosevelt Channel.  Half the way up Roosevelt Channel, two Bald Eagles started circling above us.

They were churping away at each other, then came really low and one at a time landed on the channel marker right next to our boats.  They stayed for just a minute, enough time for just a couple of pictures, then took off.

We’ve never seen Bald Eagles in the wild, this close.  Wow, what a thrill!

Just so you know, we knew something was up, when we heard the four or five nearby Ospreys squawking (really the cheep).  Earlier in the day we saw a pair (maybe the same pair?) sitting atop some mangrove trees.

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