Winter on Radnor Lake

Ring Necked Ducks migrating south make a stop at Radnor Lake to hang out for a few days. Radnor sees a plethora of migrating birds throughout the seasons. This is a beautiful lake situated just south of downtown Nashville with a gorgeous state park surrounding it.

The trail around the lake is approximately three miles in circumference. I walked the entire path on an uncharacteristically balmy winter's day. I discovered Ring Necked Ducks on both the south and north side of Radnor.

I wonder where these Ducks will be off to next on their journey south.

Not much sun on this winter's day, but a treat to see these Ring Necked Ducks. Have a wonderful week all. ENJOY!

Best of Winter Birding

There are so many wonderful opportunities to snap bird photos during the Winter months. As I was cruising my archive, I noticed a trend. Many of my best bird images were taken during the Winter months. These images are from the states of Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. Most were taken in the past five years. Birding spots include Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and the Lexington Reservoir in Kentucky, to three popular lakes in Greater Nashville, Radnor Lake, Percy Priest Lake, and of course, Old Hickory Lake. There's even an image of a Sandhill Crane captured at Ewing Bottoms, in south central Indiana, on a sunny Winter's day. I'll be making my annual pilgrimage to Louisville soon and wanted to share another Winter post before I left. I hope you are having a Happy Holiday and you are getting ready for a very Merry Christmas. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I'll try to post once more before the big day. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fall Color Preview

Fall is my all time favorite season of the year, devoid of all the holiday hustle and bustle. Yet, it brings pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins. Apple cider and hayrides, and pumpkin patches and corn mazes, and haunted houses too. We decorate our humble abodes with pumpkins and squash, hay bales and corn stalks, and pine cones and acorns. Right in the midst of the fever pitch, comes Halloween with ghosts and goblins and hooligans too. That one special night brings us ugly witches with scary spells, hairy pirates with long black swords, and fire breathing dragons and demons and more. 

Just when you think the season is nie, Thanksgiving arrives. The leaves have fallen, heaped high on the curb. The air has turned to a crispier chill. It's Thanksgiving Day with a feast to thrill. Turkey and dressing and casseroles galore. Pumpkin pie just so sweet and hot mugs of cider, what a treat. Fall, how I love thee. 

These images are from Fall's past taken throughout Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. From along the scenic byways, deep within the wildlife refuge and forest, and high up on the mountains. Fall will soon be upon us. ENJOY! 

Happy Thanksgiving America

Fall is quickly giving way to the cold temperatures and snowy days of Winter. Before Fall is a distant memory, I want to share an image I captured at Radnor Lake about a month ago when Fall's color was in full swing. It was a beautiful day with bright blue skies and warm temperatures. As I walked along the trail that hugged the lake shore, I stopped to snap this image of a beautiful yellow Maple tree in the bright sunshine.

And here again is another image I captured at Radnor Lake on a very, very warm day back in mid January of this year. On this outing, I walked the entire three miles around the lake. On the north side of the lake, a gaggle of Wild Turkeys meandered across the trail in front of me. They were not the least bit shy about the visitors on the trail. It was a treat to photograph them up close. They didn't linger long and all the while pecked at the forest floor. I figured it couldn't be a more appropriate time to share this pic than on Thanksgiving Eve. Before I leave you, I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you share a joyous day with family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving! ENJOY!

Reflections at Radnor Lake

The leaves crunch under foot as I walk the trail.

Squirrels and Chipmunks frantically scurry up tree trunks.

Birds chirp and sing as they fly from branch to branch and tree to tree.

Warm breezes wisp past me as though in a hurry.

Visitors walk and chat among themselves.

In the heart of the city, I find solitude at lakeside.

Hope you are having a fabulous week. 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!

Birding, Radnor Lake

All year I tried to get out to Radnor Lake in southwest Nashville to hike the Lake Trail, but timing was never on my side. Most of our Summer was very very oppressively hot. I missed Spring at Radnor and I had planned on getting out to the lake for Fall, but it never happened mainly because of the rainy Fall we encountered here in Tennessee. Today I made the drive over to the lake and as luck would have it the weather was perfect with temps in the 70's and a brisk wind that kept me cooled off as I made the three mile hike around the parameter of the lake.

As I walked the Lake Trail I first encountered this Ring Necked Duck, a Life List bird for me, perched quietly on a log near the bank. I snapped a few images and moved on.

A short distance away I happened upon what looked like the rest of the flock of Ring Neck Ducks swimming close to the bank also. There were males and females alike. The females are brown and tan while the males are black and white. Ring Neck Ducks have a smaller compact body with two toned wings and a ring around their bills too. Their breeding grounds are in the very far northern eastern United States and most of Canada. They travel as far south as Tennessee in Winter. They like small ponds and smaller lakes which is no doubt the reason I found them on Radnor.

Radnor Lake is a state park and has 1200 acres including the lake. With its close proximity to downtown Nashville and situated right smack dab in the middle of suburbia, Radnor is very popular with families and couples. Getting a parking space is not an easy feat, as I've tried in the past and couldn't get in. I think the holidays had a few folks out shopping which left the park with not as many visitors. I can't wait to get out to Radnor in Spring and Summer to see all of the greenery. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. ENJOY!

Linking to Saturday's Critters and Wild Bird Wednesday