Fall at Rocky Fork

Beautiful sunny day and I am on a mission to see some fall color.  I drive to Rocky Fork State Park in Highland County and had heard there were some great bird sightings....So early in the morning off I went...picked up my sister and some breakfast at Burger King......the hills along  route 50 were full of color......

The camera just doesn't show the beauty that driving along and viewing it....beautiful!!!!

 We pulled in to the camp ground area and saw a group of American Coots and Cormorants across the lake.  While watching them we saw an Eagle soaring over the group.  I didn't get a picture of him because he landed in a tree and the beautiful foliage covered him from site......

 There were Great Egrets around also...and this one was in such a pretty spot...I took his picture....look closely...there is a turtle also sharing the frame with the Egret.  I didn't notice the turtle until I looked at the pictures on my computer....a pleasant surprise....Wonder if the Egret was thinking about making him a snack????

The beautiful Herons were everywhere.  I always feel that is isn't a good day out unless I see at least one Heron.

 Of course they are wonderful to watch flying.....

There were these cute Pied-billed Grebe and the Ring-bill Gulls.
We drove right by the Gulls and didn't disturb them at all.

 The Muted Swans were also on the lake.  I got a front and back view of their wing span.  They are so beautiful...we saw 5 total.

We parked in this beautiful place and could hear all these birds chirping all around us.  It wasn't long until we started seeing the cute little things...hopping and singing and teasing us.  I think birds go to school just to learn how to drive birders crazy......LOL.....I got allot of pictures of leaves....but here are a couple that I caught in my camera!!!

Ok I know it looks like a tree branch...but right in the middle at the top of the picture there is this little yellow with a black throat....do you see him????  He was so beautiful and just would not stay in one place long enough for me to get a picture of him....I think he is a Black-throated Green Warbler, we also saw many White-breasted Nuthatch.....

And the best was what we think is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.....

I have about a dozen other pictures....all blurry and can't ID them, they have gone into the unknown file...

 This tree was interesting with it's red tips of it's branches.

 Here are some views around the lake that were so pretty.....

 This is the bird blind at the Belden Saur Memorial Bird Observation  Station.  The area in front of it is usually full of water...but is dry this year..

One of my favorite stops on the drive around the lake is where the Old Mill use to be...It is always interesting.  This time we discovered how to get to the top of the dam and got a new view of the area.....



That's me....Have to get at least one picture to prove I was there...since I take all the pictures I have learned it is important.....

Now there is more to this day...but that will be for another page ...... Hope to continue that soon.....
It will be about butterflies and fungi!!!!!  Does that get you curious?  Coming soon....I promise.