https://www.facebook.com/124673030726324/

Wildthings by Kayak

Name: Wildthings by Kayak
Address: 209 Brundige Road, Valley Falls, NY, 12185, US
Telephone: +15184419823

Home
United States
Valley Falls, NY
Wildthings by Kayak

Call Contact the business

Native Flora & Fauna as seen from the kayak in Up-State NY. Avid Kayaker, (all seasons),
amateur Photographer
and admirer of Native Flora & Fauna

10/24/2026

Wow! A LOT has been going on here since last week!

Notably...the game of "Musical Nests" that the 3 Bald Eagle couples I watch...have been playing!

Descriptions of what's been happening are with the individual pics when you click on them.

Suffice it to say...the DEC Eagle Tracker has a lot of updating to do to her maps.

10/08/2026

Harrisburg Lake in Stony Creek Adirondacks.
I am not usually a big fan of Lake Paddling, as I don't find them that interesting.
But when there is an acre of floating Peat Bog in the center...I'm all in!
It was a pleasant change to find clear skies, (and not be rained on all day)
And in the morning, the water was calm, making for some wonderful reflections.
Just starting the downslide from peak...but still lots of color!

10/04/2026

What a day!
Weatherman lied...again.
We arrived at the Lake Lewy launch to find pretty dark skies and light mist.
No problem...it was warm & no wind.
Well by the time we had hopped over the 3rd beaver dam the wind was ferocious and we were seeing a wall of rain dead ahead and coming right toward us.
Nope. That's our cue to turn back & head for a more secluded/protected spot.
Boats loaded back into the van and off we went to the Kunjamuk!
EXCELLENT decision as it was calm & peaceful thee. No wind and no rain. ❤
Long day! But Soooooo much gorgeous scenery packed into one trip!

09/25/2026

I was invisible again this morning!
Some pretty amazing, up-close & personal wildlife encounters.

Couldn't believe how close these two bucks let me get to them.

I swear they didn't know I was there.

And I had no reeds for cover. Just sitting out in the middle of the water.

I thought I was going to see a battle between the two of them when they started tapping antlers.

(That's when I switched to video mode.)

But it quickly became clear that they were on friendly terms.

Seemed more like "play" instead of a dominance fight.

What a cool thing to witness (especially so close up) first thing in the day!

09/16/2026

Yesterday's Sunrise Paddle stretched into 7 hours on the water. 😄
It was just such a perfect day.
Lovely cool temperature, no wind and dim sun.
Fall colors are definitely starting to sneak in by way of marsh grasses & stressed Maples.
But most of the summer residents are still here.
One of my favorite things about this time of year,
(besides the blooming Asters & Goldenrods),
is all the cool mushrooms fruiting on the wooded banks.
I'm trying to learn their names...(although I don't think I'll ever be confident enough to actually eat one.)
Highlight of the day was my Coyote visit.
I'm pretty sure this is the same one that I've met here several times.
So funny how the strong sense of curiosity outweighs the "fear of Human" instinct.
He came back several times before finally disappearing up the hill into the woods.
What an absolutely splendid Fall Day!

09/08/2026

Labor Day morning.
I was thrilled to see some fog when I got to launch...
(not so thrilled to see the water so low.)
I knew I wouldn't be able to get into any of the backwaters today.

I was happily surprised to see so many Herons & Egrets out & about on the main river.
And so many late summer/early Fall wildflowers now in bloom!

Since I knew I would be having a much shorter trip with no backwaters to explore...I decided to play around with some "Artsy" shots.
That ended up being great fun...and it's always a learning experience in how to use my camera settings and how to utilize light.

Not much in the way of Bald Eagles today...although I did hear them often.
But soon they should be getting ready for winter...reinforcing their nests and being amorous.
The Egrets, Herons & deer provided plenty of entertainment though, and it turned into a wonderful day, despite the low water.

09/01/2026

Yesterdays dark foggy sunrise paddle on Round Lake (in Malta) and the Anthonykill Nature Preserve.
I was thinking for awhile that this may not have been a good idea.
Seemed like rain was a pretty good possibility.
But the water was smooth as silk, (Almost never happens on Round Lake), and I had the place to myself.
Two very good reasons to stay and see how the day evolves!😄
Turned out, I loved the soft lighting and the effect on the photos.
And... without all the boat/people traffic spooking the wildlife...
there were a LOT of birds hanging out foraging for breakfast.
GB Herons & Green Herons all over the place.
And I even saw the Common Gallinules AND A Peregrine Falcon!
Great day to meander around the waterways with a camera. 😍

08/24/2026

*The first 3 pics are of the Tomhannock Reservoir.
Made a quick stop to shoot sunrise.

Headed on to Saratoga to the Lake Lonely Marina.
LOTS of Green Herons!
(Up until today I think I've only seen one.)

Fall color is beginning here.
Lots of reds from the Red Twig Dogwood foliage and Swamp Maples are just starting to turn.

I was glad I dig the shoreline of Lake Lonely first...before heading down the connector stream towards the Kaydeross.
Such a gorgeous little stream with lots of wildflowers and wildlife.
Unfortunately...when I was almost at the end of the connector stream and was just about to pop out on to the Kaydeross...I turned the corner...and a monster blowdown appeared.
(If anyone decides to do this paddle...you can not currently get to Saratoga Lake from Lake Lonely. There is some serious work that needs to be done to clear out the blockage.)

Short day...but the camera was full and turning back wasn't so bad.
I thoroughly enjoyed a much needed break. 😊

08/11/2026

Yesterday's early morning paddle.
(Silly me forgot about the shortening days.
I was there a bit before 5am and had to sit in the parking lot for about 1/2 hour until it was light enough to see the path down the steep bank to launch.)
LOTS of Great Egrets & GB Heron out & about.
Many cool new mushrooms on the wooded banks since last week.
Summer wildflowers are starting to put on a good show.
But the highlight of my day was definitely my little Snapping Turtle friend.
Those of you that have been following me for awhile know that I have forming this odd relationship with 2 young Snapping Turtles here.
I swear I have never fed them or encouraged their behavior in any way.
But all year these 2 have been racing over to my boat every time they see me.
It's similar to the way you dog acts when you come home.
They'll just be way out in the middle of the backwater...and slowly plodding around.
All of a sudden, their neck stretches out and the head lifts and they look straight at me and start boogying towards my boat.
Always approaching my boat from my right side first...we make direct eye contact for several minutes...it swims under my boat...staring again for a while and then it turns around and heads back to where it was when I first arrived.
I just get such a kick out of it!
And it definitely lends itself to some mighty fine photo ops. 😁

08/05/2026

Tuesday's Sunrise Paddle in dense fog.
(My favorite!)
I'd actually overslept by about an hour...but didn't really matter, as the fog was so thick...there were no colors to be had.
I was thrilled to see the Great Snowy Egrets!
They are about 1 month late in their arrival,
and I thought they may not show up at all this year.
I saw 4! 🥳
Eagles were keeping a low profile and there weren't many Moms out & about with their spotties,
but I found myself doing a lot of experimenting with mundane subjects and getting a bit "artsy" with the shots.
Think I'll be doing a lot more of this, as it was a great learning experience and SO much fun! (Bubbles & weeds)

Address

209 Brundige Road
Valley Falls, NY
12185

Telephone

+15184419823

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wildthings by Kayak posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Wildthings by Kayak:

Name:

Email:

Message:

Want your business to be the top-listed photography service in Valley Falls?