2022 Jan 28-30, Focus on Nature Photo Weekend JWSP (3 days)

 Jan 28, Friday

Today, I am going on an adventure. 

My adventure began at River Heritage Park, which overlooks Wilson Dam. The dam is usually flooded with birds, but not today. 

I was not to be discouraged; I adventured across Wilson Dam to the overlook and Rockpile.

It was a bitterly cold day, with temperatures below freezing, and I could see literally thousands of pelicans, seagulls, and cormorants (also known as snake birds) sitting on the rocks below the dam.  

A few challenged the north wind foraging for food, and a few white pelicans floated down the river. 

Nothing keeps the pelicans from floating down the river, even the turbulent water at Wheeler Dam.

Buttercups 

Rogersville Park is usually flooded with birds today; I saw buttercups reaching up with closed eyes. 

What adventure was waiting for me at Joe Wheeler Lodge? I am joining a group of fellow enthusiasts who share my love for photography and nature. 

Tonight, there will be hors d'oeuvres of Cheese, crackers, and fruit as we mingle with others. 

There will be a signup sheet for the activities on Saturday.

Alabama weather is so unpredictable this time of year. It ranges from 19 in the mornings to the 50s to 60s, sometimes 70s, during the day. I will wait until tomorrow to decide on my next adventure. 

Jan 29, Saturday, 

With a good night's sleep and a light breakfast, I was ready for the day. 

We spent the morning listening to Rocky discuss the camera's various features and how to utilize them. 

Many, like myself, were still confused about the camera. We love the auto modes. 

Lunch consisted of a BLT with onion rings.

White Pelicans at Wheeler Dam

& with making new friends. 

At 1 P.M., everyone met upstairs to disperse into different groups.

One group was going to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur. 

Another group was going to Wheeler & Wilson Dams and other nearby local sites. 

The last group was going to watch a falconer release three Harris Hawks into the woods to hunt for food (small animals). 

It was cold, but not bitterly cold like yesterday; we were bundled up. 

The groups dispersed in different directions. Ours was inside the Joe Wheeler State Park. 

Before the falconer released the Harris Hawks, he had anyone wearing fur or a colorful hat remove it. The birds may think they are small animals and attack, and they tend to avoid bright colors. 

The birds were released for the hunt, and we followed them into the wooded area. 

They didn't go too far into the woods, but stopped to watch or even pose for us.

The hawks treed a squirrel, but the squirrel outfoxed them. No catch today for the Hawks. 

Our group walked down to the lake's edge near the cabins. We saw shells, fossils, wild mushrooms, and driftwood. 

We saw Spoonbill Ducks swimming in a nearby sewage area; they love the minnows that grow there. 

There was a Bald Eagle in the Day Use, and that was our next stop.

With the camera in hand, we slowly descended the hill, stopping for that next great shot.

Bald Eagle with his eyes on us. 

The eagle got wind of us and flew away.

We saw a kingfisher, Canadian Geese, and a gray heron at the lake.

We sat down at the edge of the lake and watched the sunset. 

What a way to end our hike. 

Lake Wheeler, as the sun goes down
the ripples and different colors upon the lake. 

We enjoyed a seafood buffet while sitting around and socializing. 

The falconer returned with one of his Harris Hawks with Q & A time.

Rocky finished the day with a slide show and several stories.

Harris Hawks 

What an excellent way to make new friends who share a keen interest in photography and nature.  

A shadow of friends 

2021 Mar 9, Day trip Oak Mountain State Park Pelham, Alabama

Today, we rode to Pelham via hwy 43 through Russellville, ending on I-22 going into Birmingham. We filled up with gas at Love's Gas in Jasper and took a restroom break. We traveled through Birmingham on I-65 to Pelham. We stopped at the Interpretive Center and then the Treetop Nature Trail, where we saw a Eurasian Eagle-Owl and Shelby the Bald Eagle. Most of the Interpretative Center was closed for renovations. We also saw several hawks and owls in another area.

Bald Eagle 

owl 

As we were coming back inside the center, we met a Park Ranger with a red-tailed hawk that was blind in one eye. We spoke with her for several minutes and watched as she fed the hawk. She said that the food comes to them frozen, so they just thaw it out for them. She was returning the hawk to its cage. We thanked her for taking the time to show us and tell us about the habits of the red-tailed hawk.

Red-tail Hawk 

We began our journey back home, having not eaten dinner, and both agreed that we would like to stop at O'Bryan's in Hartselle. I ordered a petite Sirloin steak with a sweet potato. Hubby ordered a Delmonico Steak, baked potato, and salad bar. After we ate, we took pictures of the Blues Brothers statue and other memorabilia at the steakhouse.

Oh' Brayn's Hartselle

We stopped at Kroger's in Hartselle and headed for home. We traveled from Hartselle to Decatur, taking Hwy 20 Alt 72 to Wheeler Dam. The sun was setting as we approached home.

Sunset

We had a great day; both of us were worn out from all the traveling.

2019 Mar 2, Day Trip Wings to Soar Wheeler Wildlife Refuge & Senior Prom Pictures

I traveled across Wheeler Dam on Highway 101 heading toward Town Creek, but the road was out, so I turned around and traveled the road where the paper mill once stood. 

I arrived at Wheeler Wildlife Refuge a little after 10:00 A.M. I used the restroom and found a seat in the front row. 

I was there to see Wings to Soar rescue Birds of Prey.

I saw a couple of Owls, Gilbert the falcon, a couple of eagles (including Osceola, a 25-year-old eagle), and a pet turkey vulture named Cayce. 

Casey the Black Turkey Vulture, a human-imprinted, always steals the show. 

The birds of prey are sent flying out over the audience several times. If you are close enough, you can feel the wind from their wings as they fly over the audience.

The 11 A.M. show was a packed house, and after the show, you could get your picture taken with the blue Merlin and Buddy, a fully grown Screech Owl.

I stopped at Aldi's in Athens and bought a few groceries.

1–2 P.M. I stopped at the Library in Rogersville to listen to Mike Ezell talk about the many rivers and their tributary in Alabama. 

River basins of the Tennessee River, Coosa/Tallapoosa River, Sipsey/Warrior River, Tombigbee/Mobile River, Alabama/Cahaba River,  Chattahoochee River, Conecuh River, Chipola River, Yellow and Blackwater Rivers, Perdido River, and Escatawpa Rivers

He also discussed the Highland Rim (where we live), the Cumberland Plateau, the Piedmont Upland, and the East Gulf Coastal Plains (along the Fault line, which includes the old shorelines of Alabama). 

He discussed TVA, Rogersville, Dams, the weather, climate, fish, and the Alabama game. 

I got a call from my son asking if I would meet Charity and Nevada for prom pictures at Wilson Park at 3 P.M.

Traveled home, put away my groceries, and traveled to Florence, stopping at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens to take pictures of the Pink Tulip Trees in full bloom. Our upcoming weather is predicted to be below freezing for the next week, and I knew the cold would kill all the blooms.

Made it to Wilson Park, and by this time, it was getting cold outside. 

I took several pictures, said goodbye, and traveled home. Hubby was bringing me a taco pizza from Taco Bell for supper.

By this time, I had a splitting sinus headache. 

Ate supper and went to bed. 

It had been a long day since I had traveled to Decatur, to Athens, back home to Florence, and back home. 

I left that morning before 9:00 A.M. and did not arrive home until after 5:00 P.M. 

2019 Feb 25-26, 🚌 Adventures at Reelfoot Lake, & Paris, Tennessee

After being cooped up indoors for weeks due to the rainy weather, Hubby and I decided to take a trip.
The Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers overflowed into nearby fields, roadways, and people's homes, forcing people and animals to seek higher ground.
You could see the flooding for miles in Alabama and Tennessee.

It was the last week to take the bus tour to see Eagles nesting at the nearby Levee along the Mississippi River, so I booked two tickets for the trip.
It takes over three hours to drive to Tiptonville from our home, so I booked a cabin at Sportsman Resort, located along Reelfoot Lake, for one night.
The south area cabins of Reelfoot were flooded, so we stayed in the north area cabins.

We arrived in Paris around 11:30 A.M., stopped at Dinkins Mobile Homes, and walked through several homes.
One of the mobile homes was a woman busy cleaning, so we began talking. She was a widow with three grown sons and several grandchildren. She told us a story about taking three of her grandchildren on a trip to Fort Myers to visit family.
She said, 'The grandkids kept saying," Are we there yet? "'I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.'
She showed us where all the electrical lights were along the walkway.
We asked her about things to do in Paris, and she said Paris Landing, Tennessee Wildlife Refuge, and the Eiffel Tower.

First, we stopped at the Eiffel Tower Park to take a few pictures and use the restroom at about 12:45 P.M.
At 1:15 P.M., we ate lunch at a local restaurant, Southside Cafe, where Hubby and I both ordered a catfish plate, which consisted of a baked potato, white beans, fillet catfish, cornbread, and a salad.

Catfish plate 

We traveled along US Highway 79 to Paris Landing Park, where we saw the Big Sandy River, a man fishing, and flooded roads. 2:20 P.M.
We backtracked to Paris Landing Visitor Center, where we saw four barn owls and two bald eagles in cages outside.

While we were at Paris Landing Visitor Center, two park rangers from Reelfoot Lake put a recused Bald Eagle into one of the cages outside because the eagle's cage at Reelfoot Lake was flooded.

Bald Eagle at Paris Landing Visitor Center

Inside the Visitor Center, we saw exhibits featuring turtle shells, coyotes, big cats, raccoons, and informational pamphlets.
2:30PM-3:08 P.M.

We arrived at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge at 3:35 P.M., and it closed at 4:00 P.M., so we didn't have much time to visit.
We walked through the museum and outside, but did not see any animals or birds.

The sunset we saw while traveling from Paris to Tiptonville

We arrived at Sportsman Lodge after 6 P.M.
We stayed in a one-room Fishman cabin that was just enough room for a small table, futon, countertop stove, microwave, bed(with bed springs), satellite TV, and bathroom. If you want to rough it, this is the way to go.

The neighborhood dog slept on the front porch in a chair. I'm not sure what kind of guard dog he was, for I never heard him bark. He sure was friendly.

We didn't get much sleep because we could feel every movement the other person made, and the bedsprings made a screeching sound.

You could walk outside our cabin just a few feet, and there was Reelfoot Lake.
The sunrise was beautiful, overlooking the lake.

Sunrise over Reelfoot Lake 

We ate breakfast at Sonic in Tiptonville. I ordered Texas toast with sausage and cheese, and Hubby ordered a hamburger and a corndog.

We rode to historic downtown Tiptonville, where we saw the schools, cemetery, churches, and several landmark markers,

Carl Perkins' boyhood cabin 

We stopped to take pictures of Carl Perkins's boyhood home.
We rode to Reelfoot Lake State Park Visitor Center, where we saw a live barn owl, rattlesnakes, copper head, and birds. There were several displays and activities for children, and outside was a flooded walkway and owl cages.

Cypress Boardwalk and Scenic Cruise are all flooded. 

Barn Owl at Reelfoot Lake State Park

At 10 A.M., about 20 people loaded onto a school bus.
Our guide was a Park Ranger named Jerry Lewis, but I am not sure of his last name.
He said we are traveling along the Mississippi River levee to see bald eagles.
The levee road was above the water, with floodwaters on both sides.

The bus stopped one time, and we saw a couple of bald eagles nesting.
Almost everyone got off the bus to stretch their legs and view the eagles.

When the tour ended, we started at home.
We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Dyersburg for lunch.
Hubby ordered a roast beef plate. I ordered a kid's pinto beans, carrots, cornbread, and an onion plate.
We split a bowl of hot peach cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream.

Scarlet Macaw 

We stopped at the five-mile drive-thru Safari Park Zoo in Alamo. We bought a bucket of food to feed the animals. You have to be careful feeding the animals, so I only feed the small deer.

After finishing the drive-thru, we parked and walked through the petting zoo.
We stopped at McDonald's in Savannah, Tennessee. Hubby ordered a hamburger and fries. I ate peanut butter crackers and a banana.

Flooding on the Tennessee River at Savannah, TN 

We arrived home around 8 P.M., both worn out from all the traveling and the sleepless night before.