We ate lunch at Wendy’s in Athens. Hubby ordered the four-dollar deal, cheeseburger, fries, chicken nuggets, and drink. I ordered a junior cheeseburger, a small chocolate frosty.
Then we rode to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge via I-65 to Decatur to see 1,000s of Cranes and other waterfowl. We saw hundreds of Mallards, Ducks and thousands of Cranes, with only three white cranes.
It was cold and wet as we walked to the enclosed overlook. There were three people there, one with a telescope and the other two with nice cameras. The young man with the telescope was traveling from Atlanta, Georgia, to Nevada. He said he was ready for a change in his life. Sounded like he was walking away from personal problems.
 |
| Mallard Ducks |
 |
| Cranes |
Some signs read: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, National Refuge System, & the do’s and don’t’s on the Tennessee River & Decatur and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
We were invited to come back on Saturday for their workshop.
We stopped at Flint Creek Trail, which is part of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge.
Several men were fishing in the frozen Flint Creek. I was standing on the pier, and I heard something crackling below me. It was the frozen ice breaking up. There were several birds and cranes in the shallow water and along the banks.
 |
| Wildlife Y.O.U M.A.Y S.E.E Watching wildlife can be a lot of fun. Many wildlife creatures are elusive and wary, so you will need to move slowly and quietly. Early morning and late afternoon are usually the best times to see wildlife. A pair of binoculars is helpful. Even if you do not see the animal, you may see signs of its presence, such as tracks, scat (droppings), or feathers. And Listen...in nature, you can hear a symphony of sounds. Gray Squirrel, Eastern Box Turtle, Downy Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Eastern Gartner Snake, Cooper's Hawk, White-tailed Deer, Common Five-lined Skink |
I saw a sign that read: Alligators May live here. This is something you never want to run across while bird-watching.
 |
| Alligators may live here. Be Gator Safe: Do not approach, Feed, or Harass Alligators Warning: it is UNLAWFUL to feed alligators! Feeding, harassing, or the unlawful killing or taking of alligators can result in substantial fines and or jail time. |
 |
| Men Fishing in the icy water |
Some signs read: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Our History, 1838, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1933 & Present; how can you Help? Flint Creek, Fishing, and Land, Watershed Project; Living in the Water Fresh, Water & Wildlife You may see.
We also stopped at the Wheeler Wildlife Complex, where we saw signs that read: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hunting, Fishing; Water level management and farming; map of the refuge and boating.
 |
| Wheeler Wildlife Complex |
We rode through Decatur, turning on the road that once housed the Paper Mill. Hubby said to me we might see a hawk or Bald Eagle. We looked in every tree and on every power line. We were nearing the Paul Bunyan power line, and I asked hubby what was that thing on the power pole. We turned around to see a sitting up on top of a Bald Eagle. He gave me a wink as if to say, I am on the watch out for food.
 |
| Bald Eagle |
We stopped at Wheeler Dam, which is another great place to see lots of birds. The power lines sitting in the river and the island were covered in white and blackbirds. There were waterfowl swimming, fishing, and flying over the Tennessee River.
A bird was sitting on most of the light poles as we crossed the dam.
 |
| Wheeler Dam and Birds |
 |
| Powerline and Island full of waterfowl |
Ate dinner at Walton’s Restaurant, and hubby ordered a New York strip, salad 🥗 and baked potato 🥔.
I ordered a Ribeye steak salad and iced tea.
It rained on us on our way to Decatur, and it was cloudy all day, not the best day for taking pictures. We still had a great day, and before we arrived home, it was dark.
