Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Luck 'O the Irish to you on this St. Patrick's Day. I am of Irish ancestry and if time had permitted I might have stopped for a green beer today, but time didn't allow. I have been saving this image of a sunning Turtle in the swamp at Murfree Springs Wetlands I captured a few weeks ago to share with you on this 'green' day. As I drove around Nashville the past few days, I noticed beautiful Bradford Pears and Forsythia bushes growing in gusto. Daffodils were sprouted up in patches of yellow everywhere I turned. I believe the Tulips are going to be blooming in a few weeks at Cheekwood. I've been checking in on their Facebook page. I surely have to pay a visit again this year. It was an uplifting experience being around all of the hundreds of gorgeous yellow, pink, red and orange Tulips blooming there last year for their Tulip Festival. Need I say it . . . thank goodness that Spring has Sprung. ENJOY!

The Best of 2015

As the year draws to a close, I wonder just where it went. Taking a look back at the images I have posted, I thought choosing a few of the best of the best was in order.

Left to right. We begin with five images from Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina with an Elk at Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Fall along Newfound Gap Road, rushing waters along Oconaluftee River, a beautiful Red Maple and an overlook along Newfound Gap Road. Then we have the Juvenile Wood Duck found at Murfree Springs Wetlands in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a Bison at the Elk and Bison Range at Land Between the Lakes in southwest Kentucky, a Muskrat and Yellow Crowned Night Heron at Murfree Springs Wetlands in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the beautiful Tulip Gardens in bloom at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and the Ring Necked Duck at Radnor Lake, both the gardens and the lake are in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope you enjoyed a walk down memory lane as much as I did. ENJOY!

Muskrats, Murfree Spring Wetlands

Today was the perfect day for an outing. The temperature was in the mid eighties with an abundance of sunshine peeking through the clouds and at times a nice breeze would blow through to cool things off. I decided to visit Murfree Spring Wetlands in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, southeast of Nashville. The wetland is situated next to the Discovery Center which is a children's venue accompanied by a museum. The wetlands is about 25 acres and is home to mammals, amphibians, birds, waterfowl and obviously thousands of insects. The definition of a wetland follows . . .

Wetlands are land areas that are saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, 

such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. Wetlands include swamps, marshes

and bogs. Wetlands vary widely because of  differences in soils, topography, climate, hydrology,

water chemistry, vegetation, and other factors. Wetlands are economic drivers because of 

their key role in fishing, hunting, agriculture and recreation. 

This being my first visit I was surprised to find a large Muskrat sitting on top of marsh weeds and grasses munching on pond weeds. Pond weeds are the tiny green weeds you see in the water all around the Muskrat. This Muskrat looked to be an adult and wasn't the least bit concerned at my presence nearby on the boardwalk. So I gingerly snapped a few images of him having a midday snack. After a few minutes and having gotten his fill, he disappeared into the water never to be seen again.

After my initial walk around the parameter of the wetland, I headed back to my car for a quick drink of water. The sun was coming down pretty good at times making for a warm walk. Back to the boardwalk for a second lap around, I just happened upon several smaller Muskrat feeding on pond weeds right inside the wetland entrance. Muskrats in residential environments can be a nuisance, but these little guys were in the perfect environment in the swamps and, needless to say, there was plenty of food to be had.

My visit was packed full of sightings of all types of species from mammals to waterfowl. Along the boardwalk I happened upon large Turtles basking in the sun covered in pond weeds, Eastern Pondhawk Dragonflies, Green Frogs and, of course, the Muskrats. The birds I encountered were the Yellow Crowned Night Heron, a pair of mated Wood Ducks, a Grackle, several Eastern Kingbirds, countless Robins, and the Red Winged Blackbird which are plentiful around swamps and marshes. There was a virtual plethora of wildlife to be seen and enjoyed. I hope your Memorial Day holiday has been enjoyable and I promise I will be back in a day or two with more images from my visit. We have rain on the horizon for tomorrow. Apparently that front that has caused major flooding and storms in Texas and Oklahoma is headed my way. Although I don't think we are supposed to get quite as much rain as the Midwest has gotten. ENJOY!