The Rez & LeFleur's Bluff

The weekend looked promising after a week of chilly temperatures so on Saturday the hubby and I decided to get out and drive to the Ross Barnett Reservoir and LeFleur's Bluff State Park, both located near Jackson, Mississippi. These two areas are reportedly good birding spots and with spring migration near, I was hoping to see some interesting species.  It was an easy 2 hour drive for us.   

We drove along Spillway Road which borders the southwestern portion of Ross Barnett Reservoir. As we crossed the bridge over the spillway, we saw dozens of people fishing from the rocky banks where the reservoir empties into Pearl River. Charlie said that he's going to start bringing fishing gear on these little trips so he can fish while I'm birding. Sounds like a good idea to me!

We turned left onto the North Shore Parkway and drove into the Lakeshore Park where we spent a few moments walking along the shoreline and watching the nearby ducks and geese. The park is a beautiful, serene area with several parking spaces, plenty of picnic tables and restroom facilities.   

It was unexpectedly cloudy and windy that time of the day and I was having problems with the flash on my camera but I took a few pictures as we went along.  A pair of Mallard ducks were napping at the waters edge.  They became aware of my presence and watched me closely from their resting position but didn't seem too bothered.  A large group of Canadian Geese were busy walking around and pecking in the grass.  Canadian Geese were spotted at several locations around the reservoir.  

On opposite banks of the Lakeshore Park, we saw a large campground and boat docks.  The Timberlake campground is super nice with all the facilities anyone would need.  It also includes a tennis court, swimming pool and rec room.  I'd love to spend a few days here but it's probably wise to reserve a spot way in advance.  

After leaving Lakeshore Park, we traveled along the Natchez Trace Parkway then exited onto Pipeline Road which runs perpendicular to the Pearl River State WMA on the north side of the reservoir.  Pipeline Road is graveled but not nearly as bumpy as other gravel roads I've been on.  The road is considered a birding "hot spot" and I've seen scores of bird photos taken by photographers in the area.

The first two photos below were taken at the entrance of a shooting range.  A couple of miles down that lane, we realized we had made a wrong turn- the sounds of gunfire were deafening. I thought the field of tiny yellow and white wildflowers were pretty and I love old country fences, so I stopped long enough to get a couple of shots. 

Unfortunately, there wasn't much going on, bird wise, on Pipeline Road.  It could've been because of our timing- we arrived around 2:00 p.m.  A large flock of Blue-winged Teal could be seen in the marsh, but even with my long lens I couldn't zoom in close enough for good photos.  There were also a few Green-winged Teal mixed in among them.  Further down the road, I saw a few Pied-billed Grebes but it was difficult to get a clear view of them because of the tall grasses.  I sure could have used a pair of wading boots that day.

LeFleur's Bluff State Park isn't far from the rez and is easily reached from the interstate. There are restroom facilities available and several picnic areas.  There's also a playground area and a small campground in the park.

I heard several familiar bird calls- pileated woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, american robins, blackbirds and others.  These are birds that are common to my backyard so I chose to wait for an unfamiliar bird call  or sighting.  I wanted to see something different.  But, I didn't. Unbeknownst to me then was there was much more to the area than I thought.  The main road, Lakeland Terrace, goes around the campground then on to circle half of Mayes Lake.  So, I missed out on seeing a lot of the park and lake.  

I did take a couple photos of yellow-rumped warblers (the eastern birds are known as myrtle warblers) that were spotted near one of the pavilions.  They will be migrating soon to breeding areas in the northern U.S. and Canada.

I'll be making another trip to the rez and Lefleur's Bluff in the future and the next time I'll know more about the area and will be better prepared.

A Few Friendly Ducks

On our trip through the White Mountains National Park in New Hampshire, we pulled into a pretty roadside park to stretch a little.  While there, we met a few friendly ducks.  My husband really enjoyed feeding them and when his change ran out (for duck food), he fed them his cheese bits (which they loved!). 

A Walk Through Ballard Park

My previous two posts regarded some of the ducks found at Ballard Park in Tupelo, MS- the Crested Duck and the Muscovy Duck.  Ballard Park is also host to another duck- the domestic Mallard. Other birds, like the Barn Swallow, are commonly seen at the park as well. 

Ballard Park includes a 3 acre lake, 1 amphitheater, 2 pavilions, 1 stage, 3 restroom facilities, skate park, disc golf course, 2 playgrounds, 1.3 mile trail, life trail system, .25 mile track, 1 maintenance building, 20 picnic tables, 2 sand volleyball courts, Oren Dunn Museum, Parks and Recreation Administrative Office, 16 lighted multi-purpose fields, and 1 athletic operation center.  Yes, it's a fairly good sized park, but I only visited a portion of it- the portion which included the lake.  

Hubby and I first entered the west side of the park, which includes a playground area for children.  The first critters we saw scurrying about were some busy squirrels.  Since it was still early morning, they were full of energy.  I watched them chase each other around tree trunks then up and down limbs in the tree tops.   

There were several Muscovy ducks near the picnic tables at the edge of the lake.  As a matter of fact, a couple of them were quite comfortable as they sat and walked along the picnic tables.  I posted photos of them in my previous post here.  

As we approached the south end of the lake, Hubby and I observed a small group of female domestic Mallard ducks.  I love the color and pattern of their feathers, especially the young female.  They stood quietly as we walked near and I snapped a few shots of them.  They're accustomed to public attention and probably expected a handful of duck feed in return for the photo favors ;)

The east side of the lake was prettier, with more shade trees and walking paths.  One of the paths led to a shady area where several ducks rested and a Graylag goose stood quietly near them.  The goose watched us closely as we slowly walked by.  I stopped briefly to capture a few stills and I thought of how peaceful it seemed in this little spot, away from the main path.  It would be a nice place to lay out a blanket and read a good book...or take a quiet nap.  

Around the next bend in the walking path was another group of Muscovy ducks.  This was a rather large group of black and white Muscovies which briefly entertained me with their strange head bobbing behavior. There were a couple of mating pairs in this group and they didn't mind our presence a bit.  

As we approached the gazebo at the edge of the lake, I spotted something moving inside it. Upon closer observation, the moving object proved to be a Barn Swallow- not one, but two of them, flying around their nest which was located under the gazebo's wooden eave.  I had never seen Barn Swallows before, so it was a pretty exciting moment for me!  I oohhhhed and awwwed as I captured a couple shots of them before they flew away.   It wasn't the best circumstances for good photos because of the shade and location of the nest under the eave.  The swallows perched upon nails which extended from the wood frame near their nest, how convenient!  

Just beyond the gazebo, another, yet small group of ducks were hanging out near the edge of the lake.  It was in this group that I spotted the Crested duck.  I posted photos of it two days ago- they can be seen here.  It appears the first duck in the photo below has a small, incomplete crest (the crest sizes vary with these ducks).  

Close to the southeastern portion of the walking trail, I stalled a few moments to admire the beautiful plumage of this domestic Mallard.  The sunlight perfectly illuminated his emerald green headgear.  This was one of only a few male domestic Mallards that were observed in the park that day- they were definitely outnumbered by females.  

My hubby grabbed my attention and told me to look under the small covered walkway crossing the lake, just south of where we stood.  Following his direction, I then saw at least a dozen Barn Swallows perched along the edge of a horizontal wooden beam, near the inside top of the cover.  Wow!  I thought.  Now that would make a great photo!  

Unfortunately, as I eased toward the covered walkway, the swallows flew away.  I waited several minutes for their return, but it didn't happen.  Disappointment settled in for a fleeting moment.  I could see tiny pieces of their nests over the top of the wooden beam...apparently there were several swallow nests there.  I had no idea that birds would nest so close together.  

While I waited for the return of the swallows, I watched a pair of House Sparrows peck on particles in the grass and hop along the concrete walkway, looking for food.  The male sparrow grabbed a white feather then flew off... he probably tucked the feather into a nest shared with his mate.  

My hubby pointed out the small fish on the waters edge so I took a look.  There were literally scores of fish in the murky water near the bank.  I don't know much about fish, but he and my son said these are goggle eye bream...so for now I am taking their word for it.  I can bet that they've made good snacks for several local birds.  

A pretty brown and white domestic duck lay in the grass just on the other side of the covered walkway. After a few photos, the duck grew tired of my presence and took off into the water.  Even better...I snapped a few photos of him paddling around and preening in the lake water.  

I was happy with our little adventure through Ballard Park.  I was given the opportunity to see and photograph birds new to me- the Crested duck, the Muscovy ducks, a Graylag goose, Barn Swallows, and House Sparrows.  Pretty productive for slightly over an hour of my time ;)