Monday, May 23, 2016
Leaving the nest is scary!
The nest may be empty, but the babies are still babies! We've been hearing the distinctive sound of a baby robin that has fledged - left the nest - but still acts helpless and gets fed by its parents. Today Dad spotted one! We're pretty sure that it's not one of the babies that left the nest in the pine tree last week, because it is still too small - it has no tail feathers at all yet, hasn't been out as long as that.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
New neighbors!
Two weeks ago I was looking through binoculars trying to spot a grackle nest in the pine tree behind our house. I had seen grackles flying up there with beaks full of grass, so I knew they were up there somewhere! I did find them eventually, but first I spotted another nest - this one occupied by robins! We had a good view from the back door, and could see the robins taking turns on the nest.
A few days ago we suddenly spotted babies in the nest. Big ones! I had thought the parents were still sitting on eggs, and these were practically shoving each other over the side! I stood at the back door experimenting with my new camera, which has an extremely good optical zoom - like a miniature telephoto lens. These photos were taken zoomed in from about 35 feet away.
The very next day the nest was empty.
Fuzzy bird butts!
A few days ago we suddenly spotted babies in the nest. Big ones! I had thought the parents were still sitting on eggs, and these were practically shoving each other over the side! I stood at the back door experimenting with my new camera, which has an extremely good optical zoom - like a miniature telephoto lens. These photos were taken zoomed in from about 35 feet away.
The very next day the nest was empty.
Fuzzy bird butts!
Feeding time! This worm lasted for only one picture...
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Out in the woods - in Missouri!
There has been a bit of a time jump since my last post! I completed my season at Big South Fork and am now back in St. Louis - and have been so busy that I still have to finish sorting through all the pictures I took during my last few weeks in Tennessee! I plan to keep posting them, and I will backdate them so that they go up in chronological order.
In the meantime, I wanted to show some pictures from a trip I took last week, here in Missouri. I drove down to visit a friend near Cape Girardeau, and on the way back I took the scenic route and stopped first at Hawn State Park, then at St. Francois State Park. Most of the leaves were gone, but it was a bright clear day, cool but not cold, and the sunlight was beautiful. If I'd had more time I would have gone on a real hike, but just walking around near the creek and the river felt really good.
At Hawn I drove down, down, down into the picnic area, which is full of pine trees - shortleaf pine, Missouri's only native pine tree. Tall, and really moving in the breeze.
There is a little trail that cuts from the parking lot over to Pickle Creek. I started with that.
Not much color except for the pine trees, but I did find some.
In the meantime, I wanted to show some pictures from a trip I took last week, here in Missouri. I drove down to visit a friend near Cape Girardeau, and on the way back I took the scenic route and stopped first at Hawn State Park, then at St. Francois State Park. Most of the leaves were gone, but it was a bright clear day, cool but not cold, and the sunlight was beautiful. If I'd had more time I would have gone on a real hike, but just walking around near the creek and the river felt really good.
At Hawn I drove down, down, down into the picnic area, which is full of pine trees - shortleaf pine, Missouri's only native pine tree. Tall, and really moving in the breeze.
There is a little trail that cuts from the parking lot over to Pickle Creek. I started with that.
Not much color except for the pine trees, but I did find some.
Monday, October 19, 2015
O & W Bridge
(I did this hike on 10/19/15, selected the photos for the blog post, and never did the writeup! I was able to fill in some of the gaps by looking up a chat where I told my sister about the hike.)
This hike was fun, but longer than I expected, so I was pretty tired by the end of it! It was a beautiful walk, though, on the O&W Trail. It starts at Leatherwood Ford, walking 2.3 miles along the river to the old 0&W Railroad Bridge. The fall colors were really gorgeous.
I went out on the river bridge and took photos downstream and up before I started on the trail.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Fall Rush
(Written 10/18/2015, posted retroactively 10/24/2020!)
It got incredibly busy at Big South Fork this week, and I really got blindsided by it! I knew visitation was going to pick up as the fall colors started to show, but it's been so very quiet up til now that I wasn't ready for it.
Thursday I was staffing the visitor center by myself (usually we have at least two people) and it got very busy. Part of that was that it was just me - if I was talking to someone at the desk and the phone rang, I had to let it ring - but there was very little down time during the day. I called over to the campground and found out that it was completely booked for the weekend! I'm sure it's the same for next weekend, too - everyone plans to come out starting in the middle of October. Over the weekend it was the same - busy, busy, busy, with very little time in between the people that came in, and we needed two and sometimes three people out front most of the time! It finally wound down on Sunday afternoon, when everyone was going home, but I'm sure it's only going to get busier from here.
It's strange, because other places I've worked start to die down once the summer is over - but here, fall is a big season, so it's getting as busy as I've ever seen it, just before I'm getting ready to leave!
It got incredibly busy at Big South Fork this week, and I really got blindsided by it! I knew visitation was going to pick up as the fall colors started to show, but it's been so very quiet up til now that I wasn't ready for it.
Thursday I was staffing the visitor center by myself (usually we have at least two people) and it got very busy. Part of that was that it was just me - if I was talking to someone at the desk and the phone rang, I had to let it ring - but there was very little down time during the day. I called over to the campground and found out that it was completely booked for the weekend! I'm sure it's the same for next weekend, too - everyone plans to come out starting in the middle of October. Over the weekend it was the same - busy, busy, busy, with very little time in between the people that came in, and we needed two and sometimes three people out front most of the time! It finally wound down on Sunday afternoon, when everyone was going home, but I'm sure it's only going to get busier from here.
It's strange, because other places I've worked start to die down once the summer is over - but here, fall is a big season, so it's getting as busy as I've ever seen it, just before I'm getting ready to leave!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Honey Creek Trail
(I wrote this just after the hike but am posting it retroactively on 10/24/2020!)
Last week I did the toughest hike I think I've ever done.
The Honey Creek loop trail is one that I had been told is difficult, poorly marked, and has a lot of side trails that could take you a long way in the wrong direction. It's also absolutely beautiful, and I really wanted to try it. I planned carefully - I didn't do the entire loop. The road cuts it in half, so I would just do half. I even brought my bicycle so I could ride the section along the road and save some time.
I don't usually bother bringing a backpack on the day hikes I've been doing here, but this time I did. I used my Camelpak so that I wouldn't have to carry a water bottle, and would have my hands free. I brought my little emergency kit (poncho, thermal foil blanket, whistle & compass) and a first aid kit, including ace bandages. (One of my worst fears is spraining an ankle on a hike. Partly because I actually did that once, when I was by myself, and hadn't thought to tell anyone where I was going...) I had told several of my coworkers that I was going to do this trail, and they were all somewhat startled to hear that I was going to tackle Honey Creek...
I copied a walk-through from one of the hiking books that we sell. I even planned my route so that if I did get lost, I could follow the creek downstream to the river, and hopefully find my way back to the trail there!
After all that preparation, I did something stupid - I got a very late start. I didn't get up very early, and then I remembered I needed to give my half of the dorm a good cleaning because some new people were going to be checking in, and my side always gets checked as well. Things just took longer than I expected, and it was 10:45 by the time I was ready to go.
In an alternate universe, I would have realized that it was really late to be starting this hike, and switched to another one, saving Honey Creek for another time. But I was so committed to the idea at this point that I went anyway. I turned out to be lucky, but I will definitely be more careful of that in the future.
The drive out took a while, but it was beautiful. I parked the car at the very end of the road, by the Honey Creek overlook. Of course I went to the overlook first. It was worth the drive just for that view.
Last week I did the toughest hike I think I've ever done.
The Honey Creek loop trail is one that I had been told is difficult, poorly marked, and has a lot of side trails that could take you a long way in the wrong direction. It's also absolutely beautiful, and I really wanted to try it. I planned carefully - I didn't do the entire loop. The road cuts it in half, so I would just do half. I even brought my bicycle so I could ride the section along the road and save some time.
I don't usually bother bringing a backpack on the day hikes I've been doing here, but this time I did. I used my Camelpak so that I wouldn't have to carry a water bottle, and would have my hands free. I brought my little emergency kit (poncho, thermal foil blanket, whistle & compass) and a first aid kit, including ace bandages. (One of my worst fears is spraining an ankle on a hike. Partly because I actually did that once, when I was by myself, and hadn't thought to tell anyone where I was going...) I had told several of my coworkers that I was going to do this trail, and they were all somewhat startled to hear that I was going to tackle Honey Creek...
I copied a walk-through from one of the hiking books that we sell. I even planned my route so that if I did get lost, I could follow the creek downstream to the river, and hopefully find my way back to the trail there!
After all that preparation, I did something stupid - I got a very late start. I didn't get up very early, and then I remembered I needed to give my half of the dorm a good cleaning because some new people were going to be checking in, and my side always gets checked as well. Things just took longer than I expected, and it was 10:45 by the time I was ready to go.
In an alternate universe, I would have realized that it was really late to be starting this hike, and switched to another one, saving Honey Creek for another time. But I was so committed to the idea at this point that I went anyway. I turned out to be lucky, but I will definitely be more careful of that in the future.
The drive out took a while, but it was beautiful. I parked the car at the very end of the road, by the Honey Creek overlook. Of course I went to the overlook first. It was worth the drive just for that view.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Halloween decorations
The bookstore in the visitor center has some Fall/Halloween decorations up, including fake spider webs in the windows. This week I noticed that a real spider seems to have taken that as a signal that this is a good neighborhood, and built a web on the outside of that window! It's a fairly big spider, and I have been looking every time I go out that door to see if it is still there.
A day or two ago I spotted what was probably the same spider, lowering itself from the eaves just outside and in line with the door! I knew someone was probably going to walk into it there, so I swooped its thread away and deposited it on the railing next to the bookstore. I'm glad to see it took the hint. It's fun having such realistic Halloween decorations!
A day or two ago I spotted what was probably the same spider, lowering itself from the eaves just outside and in line with the door! I knew someone was probably going to walk into it there, so I swooped its thread away and deposited it on the railing next to the bookstore. I'm glad to see it took the hint. It's fun having such realistic Halloween decorations!
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