Dickcissels

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

I look forward each spring to visiting the Mississippi levee in hopes of a glimpse of this small bird.  As you drive along, you can hear the calls of Dickcissels concealed in the dense, tall grass along the road.  Occasionally, one will fly up and perch on a swaying stalk — guarding their territory, plucking seeds from the plant heads, and belting out a loud song.

Below is a short video of a Dickcissel’s song.

“Sing, then.  Sing, indeed, with shoulders back, and head up so that song might go to the roof and beyond to the sky.”  ~Richard Llewellyn

Feed Me!

/ Rebecca / 9 Comments

This young grackle chick was causing quite a commotion in one of the bushes in our yard.  Not wanting to be forgotten, you could almost see the desperation on its face as it expectantly awaited its next morsel of food.

No need to worry.  It was being tenderly watched over and cared for.  Mom kept slipping into the back side of the bush to give it suet from a nearby bird feeder.

“I hate to be a kicker, I always long for peace, But the wheel that does the squeaking, is the one that gets the grease.” ~Josh Billings

Yellowlegs

/ Rebecca / 21 Comments

Both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs forage in the shallow water of flooded fields near the Mississippi River at this time of year.  These shorebirds spend a few weeks in the area before moving on to their breeding grounds in the north.

“No matter how deeply you come to know a place, you can keep coming back to know it more.”  ~Rebecca Solnit   

A Pleasant Surprise

/ Rebecca / 10 Comments

Part of the fun of taking a nature walk is that you never know what you’re going to see. Encounters with nature, no matter how small, are blessings to be enjoyed and appreciated.

A bluebird sitting on the branch of a tree.
A meadowlark rummaging on a hillside for insects.
Numerous vultures huddled together in a tree top.
A Green frog sunning itself on a muddy embankment.
Deer grazing at the edge of the woods.
A Carolina wren flitting from tree to tree in the woods.
A flock of snow geese foraging in a local farm field.
A muskrat nibbling greenery beside a lake road.

“Unexpected and pleasant surprises occur every day … We will notice if we look. We will see good sprinkled liberally over every day if we are open.” ~Steve Goodier

A Common Goal

/ Rebecca / 14 Comments

While hiking a wooded trail that runs beside the lake, we found a view through the tree tops of a group of White Pelicans flying high overhead. 

Continuing on, we suddenly heard a loud noise, and were surprised to see a flock of White Pelicans mixed with Double-crested Cormorants plummeting onto the lake near where we were hiking. Two birds that you wouldn’t expect to see together, but united in a common purpose.

After the commotion of the landing, the fishing party proceeded quietly along the shore for a short distance and then headed out across the lake toward the opposite shore.

“Teamwork is a powerful advantage when you share a common goal.”  ~Phil Geldart

Cormorants

/ Rebecca / 9 Comments

Other than a gentle whir of wings, there is nothing to indicate that a flock of Double-crested Cormorants are quietly flying overhead.  Shortly before sundown, they can be seen moving swiftly through the sky, perhaps heading for a nearby roosting sight.

While Double-crested Cormorants are interesting birds to watch,

their growing presence at Reelfoot Lake is having damaging and irreversible effects on the local habitat, including the Cypress trees, many of which have been around for hundreds of years. 

These birds strip the bark off of the trees and, over time, their acidic droppings kill the trees and surrounding vegetation.

“A nuisance may be merely a right thing in the wrong place — like a pig in the parlor instead of the barnyard.” ~George Sutherland

Early March along the Levee

/ Rebecca / 16 Comments

It’s that time of the year when the eagles are taking turns sitting on the newly-laid eggs in their nest.  This lucky pair has a perfect view overlooking life along the Mississippi River.

On flooded land near the levee we also spotted a Pied-billed Grebe, some American Coots, and a Great Blue Heron.

“I sat there and forgot and forgot, until what remained was the river that went by and I who watched …”  ~Norman Mcclean

Frosty Feet

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

During the recent arctic blast, Reelfoot Lake froze over and ice formed around the base or foot of the Cypress trees which stand out in the water. This usually happens once or twice each winter, and is a beautiful gift of nature that shouldn’t be missed.

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”  ~Aristotle

“[W]hat a severe yet master artist old Winter is … No longer the canvas and the pigments, but the marble and the chisel.” ~John Burroughs

… Winter is the king of showmen
Turning tree stumps into snowmen …

… And spreading sugar over lakes.
Smooth and clean and frosty white,
The world world looks good enough to bite …
~Ogden Nash

“Winter giveth the fields, and the trees so old, their beards of icicles and snow.”  ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“If you listen carefully, the silence is beautiful.”  ~Unknown

The Barred Owl

/ Rebecca / 21 Comments
We often hear the call of a Barred Owl as we walk in the woods of the refuge, but never seem to be in the right place to actually see one. Recently, however, while driving through the refuge, we stopped the car because I wanted to get a photo of a stream running through the woods.  As I opened the door to get out, a startled Barred Owl in a nearby tree took flight and landed in another tree a few yards down the road.  We had unknowingly stopped in the same place where an owl was sitting.  It was a very pleasant surprise.

The Barred Owl with its Razor-sharp Talons.


Barred Owl scrambling up the branch of a tree.


Now you see me, now you don’t.


A stream running through the woods near where the owl sat.

“The best part of the journey is the surprise and wonder along the way.”  ~Ken Poirot