Taskinas Creek Spring Break

During the spring, the days I get to spend with my son are too few. He and my school teaching wife were both on spring break this past week. To give her a child care break, I took him to work with me Thursday where he got to get a little dirty, unload some trucks and earn a few dollars. Several weeks ago I declared that the next day would be "nature day" and that we would be having an outdoor adventure of some kind. We decided on a canoe trip at York River State Park. For an extremely reasonable $15 we got the use of a canoe for half a day. The canoes are launched on Taskinas Creek which is part of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The creek begins as a series of freshwater wetlands that gradually turn into a deeper and saltier tidal creek, and at its mouth joins the York River. We had the whole creek to ourselves and it was easy to imagine what this place looked liked prior to the arrival of Europeans.

The woods surrounding the water and wetlands were awakening from their winter dormancy and exhibiting one of my favorite aspects of spring. I love the hazy look at the tree tops of all the little leaves just coming out in a hundred shades of green with a few other hues squeezed onto the palette. The forest is a mix of American Beech, Tulip Poplar, Red Maple, Sweetgum, Loblolly Pine, Eastern Red Cedar, Dogwood, Redbud, and various Oaks that I can never keep straight.

Another sign of spring is the return of the Osprey. There was a pair living in the middle of the marsh, and the one sitting on the nest refused to give up her/his post even with a noisy 11 year old human below in a canoe. Great Blue Herons were also in abundance, but none would pose for a good picture. The marsh itself was coming back to life as well, and I know winter is definitely over when green blades of Spartina are seen pushing up through last years dead brown stalks. One of the nice things about the canoe was being able to get right next to the marsh where it was easy to see just how alive it was. There were Fiddler Crabs, Periwinkle Snails and Mussels all living their lives. What amazed me were all the pops, whistles and gurgles coming from the little creatures, turning the mud into a living thing.


Out at the mouth of the creek, the winds were mild enough to let us paddle into the York River. Much of the river bank is made up of small beaches and cliffs that have been eroded by the water. On one of the beaches I was hoping to find some fossils, especially shark's teeth. The visitor center had a nice collection on display, including a really large tooth from a Megladon, which makes a Great White Shark look like a trout. Most of the fossils were formed 3 to 4 million years ago when this area was under water as part of the Continental Shelf. Unfortunately we found no fossils, but there were other treasures: crab pot buoys, old sea glass, pottery shards and a few Osprey feathers.

Finally my last shots are of another unmistakable sign that spring is here - pollen. There were places where the water was yellow with it.

If any of you find yourselves in Williamsburg and are tired of the crowds at the historic area or wish you were anywhere besides waiting in line at Busch Gardens - York River State Park is only 11 miles from the center of town and a world away.