2022 Feb 1, Day Trip to Guntersville, Alabama

Today, the hubby and I are going on an adventure to Guntersville. 

I had been told that there was an eagle nest along Lake Guntersville Park on Sunset Drive. 

We stopped at McDonald's along the way for a couple of apple pies and Diet Coke.

We saw several people at the park with their cameras with large lenses sitting on tripods, watching and waiting for the eagle to leave the nest. 

I had to use the restroom and went in search of one, but I did not find one, so we left.

We rode further down into the park, and there we found restrooms. Along the way, I spotted several ducks, geese, and seagulls along the waterfront, so we stopped. 

Ducks

People were walking, jogging, and feeding the waterfowl. 

I started taking pictures of the seagulls, geese, and ducks.  I spotted several sparrows scratching in the dirt, looking for food. 

One of my favorite birds is the Downy Woodpecker. 

Downy Woodpecker

I  heard a pecking, and this downy woodpecker was going to town on the side of a rotten tree. It was hard to get a good picture because he was in the shade most of the time, but I did get a couple of good pictures when he stopped pecking right before he flew away.

Hubby spotted a red-headed woodpecker. I was super excited to see a Redheaded Woodpecker, for I had only seen one in the wild. 

Red-headed Woodpecker 

I took pictures of the colorful Bluebirds.

You will not see a bluebird at your backyard feeders. 

Bluebird 

I took many pictures today, but I didn't get one of the bald eagles. 

That was okay because I got one of the red-headed woodpeckers. 

We rode to O'Bryan's in Hartselle for a late lunch. I ordered steak and sweet potato. 

We also stopped at Krogers, where we purchased a few groceries, a bouquet of flowers, and a potting plant.

The flowers that we bought at Krogers

We looked for hawks and bald eagles along the powerline near the old Papermill. We spotted a couple of red-tailed hawks. Didn't see any bald eagles. 

We stopped at Wheeler Dam, where we saw several Pelicans, cormorants, and a gray heron landing at the substation. 

Gray Heron 

2021 Oct 15, National Mushroom Hike at Joe Wheeler

 Today at 10AM, I took a hike on the Jimmy Sims Birding Trail with a group of people led by Sam Woodroof, park ranger for Joe Wheeler. 

We saw Chanterelles, Jelly, Puffballs, and mushrooms. Mushrooms are flesh-fruiting bodies of fungi and a variety of species. 

Mushroom Hike 

Mushrooms

On the birding trail, we could hear a woodpecker but could never spot him. The trail ended at the overlook, but several of us walked a little further across a couple of creeks. It was a great day for hiking. 

We saw some blooming Indian Heliotrope, an annual hirsute plant that is a common weed in waste places and settled areas. Widely used in native medicines.

Indian Heliotrope

Once we got back to the boating dock area, everyone was disbursed. 

I walked down to the edge of the River at the docks, and that is where I saw a couple of gray herons, & a Muscovy duck.

Muscovy Duck