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.

Scioto River

The last day of September and I got up and took off to the Park Annex by the Scioto River to see how it had changed.   There is more water running in it now and the fog was on the water.....

This is the walk down to the river edge from the annex.  The first things I see is a lot of Canadian Geese.

Some were swimming, some flying, and some looked like they were hiding in vegetation.











This beautiful Heron was right within touch and as soon as I took the picture, he flew away.

The river looked so beautiful this morning.  I decided to walk down the bank for a while and see what else might be visiting.

 I only saw one Robin, high up in a tree and there
were a bunch of Starlings too...

Then I heard the Kingfisher and started looking around for him and finally found him on this log.

 But he saw me too and quickly flew off.









I found him on the tree stumps in the middle of the River....Can you see him sitting there?

I suddenly saw this furry thing on a log and couldn't quite figure out what it was...so I got closer, very quietly.










It looked like a cat...but such a big cat.  I flashed
Bobcat...but knew that couldn't be..........

Trying to get a better look...I had to move some weeds and trying to be quiet.  But if you notice his ear is pointed in my direction....He knew I was there all the time.  He turned his face a little and I could see it was a cat....a Very Big Cat...just relaxing in the sun, watching the river....I guess he decided I was OK...because he continued to lay there.

So I moved on down the river and saw something in the middle on a stick...had to get closer and it was a Cormorant sunning himself.

 He was such fun to watch...he acted like he was giving me a show.....

He turned around so I could get a front view.
Back on the bank a Heron was watching the show too.....

 Then he made a noise and was watching something

The Heron took off and this huge bird flew over us.  I thought at first it was an Eagle but it landed in a tree and I discovered it was an Osprey.  I saw it's mate fly into another tree but couldn't get a picture of him....I stayed and watched for a while...hoping they would do some fishing....as the fish were jumping out of the water.  But they didn't....the forest Rangers arrived and put their boat in the water to patrol the river and that scared away the Cormorant

The Great Egrets were there too and they flew off also.....

As their boat rode out of site I decided it was time to go home....everything was gone except for the Osprey...

 Saw this beautiful Chickweed Moth.  Still had due on the ground...There were grass spider homes all over the ground.   You wouldn't notice them if it wasn't for the dew.

So my shoes and the bottom of my jeans were all wet and people were coming out...walking their dogs and getting ready to fish....so my solitude was broken....the Big Cat was gone from his log....so home I went.  Was a great way to end September.   Can't wait for the changing of the leaves...Hope I can get out and get some pictures for you all to see....Till next time!!!!! Peace.

More Drought Areas......

 Beautiful Charlie's Pond, earlier this summer.......this is what it looks like now....

 Completely dry....

Canal Road another of my favorite places........

 The way it looks today.......

 It is completely dry....so sad.....

 Canal Rd. falls... and now the drought has dried it up...

My sister walked out on the falls.....
This is the canal....most of it is dry.....

This is the Canal in March 2011.....

Hope we get lots of rain soon....to bring back these wonderful places...

Drought.....

On Sept. 2nd we paid a visit to the park annex and the Scioto River.  I was shocked to see how low it had gotten.  We were able to walk out into the middle of the river bed.

Was a very strange feeling.  There were some Heron hanging around.  Today (9-11) I went to see if the rain that we had had helped....what a difference.....

On the Sept 2nd. looking north.











This morning, looking much better.

This is looking south on the 2nd of Sept.











Much better....

 There were Cedar Wax-wings eating off the river bed on the 2nd.

Today there was a group of duck in the same area.











Out on the island the birds started flying and the ducks were flying....guess I had disturbed them...a group of Great Egrets were on the island...

I watched for a while... Amazing how quick vegetation grew and wildlife came.  I am always amazed at nature.........