In the spirit of Halloween, Angie and I forced Samantha to ride with us as we drove into the Ozarks looking for leaves. Actually, she wanted to go but was tired from her Saturday and slept much of the trip. We drove up Highway 65 with the idea of checking out a cemetery in Harrison if we didn’t find anything before then. We didn’t find anything. There was some change but it just wasn’t that impressive so we kept going north. I actually didn’t know where the target cemetery was or even its name but once we got to Harrison, I used the Google Maps app on my Black Jack and found one entitled “Maplewood Cemetery”. Since I knew its fall color was due to Maples, I figured I had found my place. And it was. The leaves were not perfect but many were changing and it was a beautiful sunny day with loads of polarized sunshine hitting the trees so Angie and I walked all about taking pictures.
Two Rivers Park 11/7/2010
I went to Two Rivers Park Sunday morning in hopes of finding winter sparrows. I parked at the kayak launch so that I could walk up the backwater with the Sun to my back instead of in my eyes, then through the big field, and finally the horse trail loop. I saw 29 species in all. not counting deer and butterflies, including Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, both Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and an American Kestrel who seems to be hanging out at the horse trailer parking lot ( I saw him there before). It was a beautiful fall morning, not that we couldn’t use the rain.
Gillam Park 10/17/2010
I visited Gillam Park Sunday morning. I walked down to the lake via the paved trail and then back via the orange trail. I saw my FOS Hermit Thrushes and a migrant Swainson’s Thrush but nothing else particularly notable.
Species seen or heard:
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Great Blue Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
