Cades Cove Landscapes

Just a very slight difference between the 1st and 2nd photo.

For the ones of you that have never been to GSMNP or Cades Cove I hope I have given you enough in these 3 posts of the landscape this week to make you want to visit.

Deer scared by all the hollering about the bears

These deer were scared away by all the hollering by a man about the bear. Which I did not get any photographs of the bear. The deer in Cades Cove are really accustomed to the normal vehicle noise and people standing around gawking at them with cameras. But these were spooked by all the hollering and did run off. The light was not too good, so the color in these photos is not great. I used Picasa to lighten them some (never tried this until a week ago). The next post will have better photos of some more deer.

Fence row in Cades Cove

I was disappointed the fields looked so messy, needed to be mowed. But the photos don't look so bad.I kinda like the 2nd one.

Skywatch Friday September 5

This sunset photo was taken standing in the middle of my back yard, late winter 2008.My 2 youngest brothers work and live on one of the small islands in Turks Caicos. Just received an email they made it through Hanna with minor problems. But Ike is suppose to be a category 3 or 4 when it hits them. Please pray for them, and for my Mother as she sits and waits for word from them after the storm. I had a rainbow photo I was going to post for SkyWatch Friday this week, but I just couldn't do it after receiving this email.

Visit SkyWatch Friday for more postings.

Strange bird in Cades Cove

I would appreciate any help with identification of this bird. This was in Cades Cove on Labor Day. First thought was a Heron. Cades Cove is a valley in the GSMNP with streams running through it. The Cove has an 11 mile loop road and is a gorgeous place to visit. When we were there all of the small streams were dry, even though we had rain for a couple of days the week before. The rain was so needed the creek beds were just damp. So what would a Heron be doing in a area like this? I know the photographs are not great, but I could not get any closer. Any suggestions to what it is?

UPDATE...from the comments I have been told it is a Sandhill Crane. Went to my reference book and it sure looks like one. They are not suppose to be in the area. Although it is between their breeding range (Canada) and their year round range (Florida). Their winter range is Southwest Texas and Mexico, which would not put him here if migrating. Not sure what he is/was doing in the Smoky Mountains, may have just been stopping to eat along his way. The Stokes reference book does say they summer on prairies, maybe our pasture fields are like his prairie.

UPDATE to the UPDATE....please be sure to read the comment Ecobirder posted for me. He has some great information about this bird. Ecobirder's blog is always loaded with information about what he is posting, a great blog to visit. Thank you Ecobirder.

Early Morning in Cades Cove

Cades Cove in the morning. These are for those of you that have never been to Cades Cove. It is awesome!

Turkeys in Cades Cove Labor Day

No more snakes photos. On to the turkeys.

Yes, he is digging in what it looks like. Makes you think twice about eating wild turkey. Maybe the ones we buy in the store are fed better than this.

Look at that beard. Does anybody know what the knot is on his beak?

3 Copperheads in Cades Cove

This area is the mill, where the corn is ground into cornmeal. The greenery right in front (top photo) is where these 3 Copperheads were. The 2 buildings (from yesterday's post) are only about 20 ft from each other. There is a walkway across the ditch to the right, which is where I stood to photograph these.

This is the sign in the smokehouse, from my post yesterday.

In March I roamed the woods around the creek beds behind these buildings. At first we started back there, but with these snakes on my mind I was not able to. We moved on safer ground.

Copperhead in Cades Cove

This Copperhead was between the logs of the smokehouse in the Cable Mill area of Cades Cove. After I photographed this snake we walked around some more, and as we came back I saw a man right up at the logs peeping between the cracks. He was one log down and about 6 inches to the left of this snake. I showed him where the snake was, to try to keep him from being bitten. The sign is in the doorway of the smokehouse.

Highland North Carolina flowers

I don't really know what these flowers are. They were along the street as we walked the shops in Highland, North Carolina, July 4th. Just liked the way they looked.

Dragonflies in Cades Cove

Finally went to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Labor Day. I was hoping to see bear. Saw one Mama bear and her triplets. But there was a man hollering "there's the Mama and her babies", over and over. Needless to say, I was not fast enough because they were running in the opposite direction. I did get these dragonfly photos. I also got some other photos I will be sharing.

July in Nancy's yard

Nancy Keck has invited me to stop to photograph her

flowers when I want to. I stopped one July in the early morning and captured these in bloom. The lavender is Yarrow. I do not know what the yellow bloom is, it was on a small shrub.

Nancy has a beautiful yard, that she maintains by herself. If she is not at work, she is in her yard anytime I drive by.

Young birds in my yard

I am not sure what these are. The top photo may even be different than the others. The one on the vehicle then flew to the short wall, so I know these are the same bird(s). These were Saturday afternoon in my front yard. We still have babies everywhere. Seems odd, with the leaves beginning to change already.

Horses in Rhea County

Just a horse along the back roads of Rhea County, Tennessee.

Not sure if that is his tongue, or a leaf.