Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Friday, February 19, 2010

More from Little River Canyon


When I showed all of the canyon pictures in yesterday's blog (click HERE), I didn't tell you that we were taking pictures from 600 feet UP ---from one of the many overlooks along the canyon road. Canyon Rim Drive follows the west rim of Little River Canyon for 11 scenic miles and eight overlooks. We took in all 8 of the overlooks ---and that's where we used our new zoom lenses to get some great winter canyon pictures. Today, I'll share a few more pictures from the canyon, including some canyon birds. Hope you enjoy them! Above is another group of icicles on the rocks. Below are more pictures taken on Sunday, February 14!




This is a picture of one of the overlooks ---which I took from the overlook pictured below.






Here's the other overlook ---taken from the overlook pictured in the previous picture.





I saw pictures of these white birds from a distance.





I have read that the white birds may be White Pigeons. They seemed to live in the rocks along the cliffs.





There were LOTS and LOTS of these Black Vultures----and they kept circling around --but I had a hard time getting better and closer pictures of them.





I worked on these last two pictures by cropping them and enlarging them---but they still didn't come out too well. These birds are quite large and there were many of them in the canyon.





Here's the best one I could get ---but the picture still doesn't show very much --other than a silhouette. I was hoping to see an Eagle (since they are in that area)--but I didn't see one this time. Maybe we'll go back soon!!!


Tomorrow I'll show you the waterfalls in Little River Canyon.

Hope you had a good Thursday. We had SUNSHINE --for the first time since January 31. Yeah-Rah!!!!

Hugs,

47 comments:

Darla said...

You have sunshine? YIPPEE!! Those look like the yucky Turkey Vultures we have, we just call them Buzzards!

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Wow Betsy, what a spectacular place ! I'm not sure if I could be concentrating on taking pictures so high up, but you did a great job :)
The scenery is breathtakingly serene.
The birds look like seagulls lol.
Yep, Turkey Vultures the black ones, they live in my woods.....
What a lovely Valentine's Day surprise this all was, lucky lady !

Valerie said...

Love the canyon pictures!

Those black birds look like Turkey Vultures (also called buzzards). I captured one in our yard once - very scary looking. Such an ugly red head - I guess - featherless so they can get into the cavity of the critter they are devouring! Gross - but part of the circle of life huh?

I did a post back in October when one visited if you are interested:

http://www.composition-life.blogspot.com/2009/10/turkey-vulture.html

You can copy and paste if it doesn't come thru as a link.

Have a great day!

Kirigalpoththa said...

Lovely place indeed! Waiting for the waterfall!

Carol Murdock said...

Hey Betsy,
This is really a beautiful place. We went there a couple of years ago when we vacationed in Mentone.
Did you guys go to Mentone? Great antique shops! Hubby is well and going fishing today!! :)

Lisa said...

Hello Betsy, how are you?

America is truly the beautiful. Thank you Betsy for sharing.

And Betsy, if you come to my blog please visit Jungle, it is a couple of posts back. I think you might enjoy it.

Lisa

Connie said...

Nice pictures, Betsy! I'm glad to hear you had some sunshine. It's supposed to be nice here today too. Hope you have a great weekend!

Susie said...

We have those vultures flying around here all the time. They are very large birds.

Nice pics of the canyon. I wonder what the yellow shrub is?

Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Joe Todd said...

Just great to be outside. I went to Conkles Hollow yesterday and they had closed the "rim trail" so I walked the "gorge trail" to the frozen waterfall haven't posted the photos yet Have a great weekend

I Am Woody said...

Your pics of the birds are awesome! I have tried and tried to capture a bird in flight and just can't seem to do it.

MadSnapper said...

an overlook from a overlook, Way Cool! i liked the stacked rocks! my blog today is for YOU

Arkansas Patti said...

Don't care much for a buzzards menu choice but they do a necessary service and I think are beautiful in flight.
Nice shots.

Harriet said...

I'm glad to have the sun back too.
Great pictures of the canyon and the icicles. Have a great weekend.

Small City Scenes said...

Super pics, Betsy.
We have vultures--just like thst--here too. They are specially busy at haying time.

Those overlooks are spectacular---I hope those little fences are stone.

MB

Roses and Lilacs said...

It is so amazing how those layers of rock were laid down over millions of years.

Too bad the white birds were so far away. Can't really tell what they are.
Marnie

Loran said...

Hooray for sunshine! And birds flying by, even if they are hard to capture.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Great photos Betsy!
That canyon is so VAST!
I don't care for the vultures over my head...They don't look so friendly!

Karin said...

What a beautiful world we live in! What a great Creator we serve! Awesome scenery again Betsy! Yeah for the sunshine!!! The sun is so warm already in our apartment during the day, that I've turned down the thermostat!!

DayPhoto said...

SUNSHINE!!!! YEAH. We have some off and on...today no sun. But when we do I want to go out and dance in it.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Cicero Sings said...

You have so many great places to visit there in your corner of the world. I'm just amazed at the variety you get to visit without having to drive all that far.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Beautiful...love the shot of the birds!!

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

The canyon looks amazing with all those rocks.Thanks for sharing this adventure with me,I enjoy seeing all the scenes.THose Vultures are quite the birds,not much for beauty,but such large, and impressive wing spans.
Blessings,Ruth

Kay said...

I love those bluffs. I remember seeing some like them when I was a child and our family was on vacation. We were visiting friends in Missouri and we drove over into Arkansas into the Ozarks. What beautiful country that is.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: That is a wonderful place to visit.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Your zom lens really earned its keep on this trip. the second to last picture is simply stunning.

Have a warm and sunny weekend!

imac said...

Nice shots Betsy, have you ever been up the creek without a paddle?.lol.

Rose said...

Bright blue sky with sun here too!

I wish I was seeing the places you show in person...it looks very interesting there.

Ginny Hartzler said...

ARG! I am afraid of heights, so I need a sedative after looking at this! The overlook pics are amazing, some of the rocks look blue. But so dangerous! I know why the vultures are there. Waiting to dine on the clumsy ones who fall to their deaths! The bird pics are pretty good, you can see the wing pattern of black and white. To me, you and George are senior daredevils, way to go!!! I'll get my kicks vicariously through you. About the snow and ice removal question that you asked on my blog. You are very astute, because that's a story in itself, and it will be tomorrow's post, just for you!

Diane AZ said...

Those rocks are attractive, very different from the ones I see around here. You did great catching all those birds in flight!

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the white birds are? I like the vultures too.

I have birds, but mostly starlings and now and then a tree sparrow or chickadee. And I see a tufted titmouse and a white breasted nuthatch. That would be it the past few weeks.

Plain Chicken said...

Love the pictures of the birds! We finally had a nice day in Birmingham today - almost 60. I hope it stays like this.

Unknown said...

Great piccies Betsy, looks like a wonderful place to take nature photo's. Have a great weekend.

Sunny said...

600 feet up and vultures...yikes!
Great pictures, Betsy. I love the cliffs and the birds too.
Sunny :)

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hello Betsy,

The wind was blowing 30mph and very cold in Memphis when Thomas was loading the truck with all the stuff from the apartment..and of course, we had snow on the ground at this end when he arrived last Saturday...by Sunday evening he had a sore throat....he's been feeling bad ever since then..now a nagging cough and sniffles.

Like I told him, "Memphis kicked his butt going in and upon leaving". :0) Over two years ago when we arrived there for him to do this job we got so sick! What horrid place it is...we are so glad it's over even though the money is needed.

So now he's going crazy to start arranging the lower level but he gets to coughing too much...I keep telling him to sit down and read a book..hehe!!

Of course, we are both still in shock that we are actually living together again..hehe!!

Thanks for coming over for a visit...oh, I see the photos of Little River Canyon..before we bought the house in Valley Head, AL we had looked at a home for sale near the Canyon...it was located inside the wildlife management area and had a bluff view as they called it..It was fabulous..you could see way over into Georgia.

Upon closer inspection of the house...there were major foundation problems so we passed on that....good thing we did! I shutter at the thought of being stuck there with the economy the way it is...the people we know that are from there are telling us that Ft. Payne is literally shutting down...restaurants going under as well as the other retail.

♥ Love & Faerie Dust ♥
Stephanie

SmilingSally said...

I've always loved big, jagged rocks, Betsy.

EG CameraGirl said...

What fun to try to capture the vultures flying. I find that very hard to do!

Lola said...

What a lovely place to visit. Love those cliffs.
Wonder why so many vultures?

Mary said...

Wonderful photos! What a great lookout area!

The Retired One said...

Loved the cliffs...looks like a gorgeous place!!!!

Diane said...

You did get good shots of the undersides of those birds. Nice pictures, Betsy.

The Muse said...

i hope the vultures were not planning on a hikers demise!
we have a lot of similar cliffs here...too cold for this Muse to be out and about like that...
farming is taking all my energy :)

loved your shots...and so happy I was able to come and visit...
please always feel free to come and get me if you dont hear from me...

sometimes i get lost lol:)

DeniseinVA said...

Those photos are fabulous Betsy. What a beautiful and scenic area. I bet those icicles were amazing. Have a great weekend.

Cassie said...

So glad you finally saw Mr.Sun today Betsy!! Have a great weekend!
XX-Cassie

penny said...

Betsy, your new camera and lens payed you back with marvelous photos. The overlooks provide you with spectacular views of the canyons.

Cheryl said...

Wow Betsy, you are sure enjoying your new camera, what awesome photos here. I would love to visit this area. Great photos of the birds as well.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

What interesting geology in that area Betsy. Is is shale?

Great shot of that vulture!

reba said...

Beautiful...all the places!!! Great shots and now I want to go there. But the truth is I feel like I have been there from your pictures. Thanks so much for sharing.