Sweet Home and Mississippi

Monday....road trip got off to a slow start, stuck in Atlanta traffic for 2 and a half hours! Something happened to the road and they closed part of it and made everyone get off where I needed to go...so it took that long to go 7 miles!

Finally Got moving again, and after 8 hrs of driving I found a camp in Alabama.  I forgot to take a photo of my site I was in site #2, a very quiet loop of old farts in big 5ths wheelers, and me!

 

After a quick shower and a meal it was lights out for me I was exhausted! In the morning I drove to the lake at the park and had a walk around.  

Here's the lovely old stone bathhouse built by the CCC, they rent boats, have swimming, and lots of mountain bike trails.  One of the trails goes all the way around the lake. 

The pain in my foot is keeping me from doing a lot of hiking, but I did a little birding around the area.  

I saw about 18 species in about half an hr fifteen at the campground and another 15 at the lake.  

the eastern bluebird

I found this log reminded me of a dragon for some reason...

A few yellow rumped warblers were making a fuss males and females, of the myrtle variety, the male kept high up and wouldn't show his face...

the Palm Warbler was more rewarding...

A couple of Great Blue Herons fished the back side of the lake...

then they flew off over the dam,

back on the road a gorgeous day for driving, blue sky with passing clouds, warm but not miserable...yet.

Back on I-85 south, (I took I-20W to I-285 South then I-85 South to Montgomery, AL, then I-65 South to Mobile, and picked up I-10 West just at the Mississippi Line)  Off 65 South I stopped at this Pecan Store, it was part gift shop part restaurant.  I bought 3 postcards and took a walk around the parking lot. 

This was a cool thing in the dog walking area...an ivy covered gazebo. 

Some birds found there 

 

northern mockingbird

red winged blackbird female

There was a small wetland by the driveway it had some red-winged blackbirds fighting on the reeds, and a few females were present also.  And I saw this weird mud nest...

 

I have no clue who made it!

I was able to resist the pecans and was back on the road pretty quick, this is on I-65 South heading for Mobile, AL

Then over the Mississippi line I stopped here at the Visitors Center for info 

There was some awesome carvings outside and inside the building. here's a sample...

Not far away was the Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR.  The Mississippi Sandhill Crane does not migrate, and they differ in size and coloration from the regular migrating SH Cranes.  I did not see any cranes they had just completed a prescribed burn along the trail, so I was lucky to see anything. 

The Savannah terrain will respond to the burning with lush new growth, but I'd rather they had done it after my visit...

I saw some awesome pitcher plants and other wild flowers that enjoy having wet feet...

I think these black spots on the upper corner of my photos is my hat, I can't figure out what else it could be!...So this is the Bayou that is on the back section of this short 3/4 mile trail.  I saw a few birds including the great crested flycatcher and a yellow shafted Flicker

a fuzzy flicker...

This was not a planned stop so I didn't visit the other units of the Refuge, I wanted to make it to my planned stop for the night at Buccaneer SP.  Located across from the Gulf of Mexico.

This entire park was rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina destroyed everything around here in 2005.  This is very close to New Orleans.  I will not be going to New Orleans.  There is no way it could beat Charleston for old city charm,  and I don't want to fight the traffic.  City slicking is not my cup of tea.  

A willet battles the surf

there is a trail that leads to a marsh here and I walked along it before calling it  a day, found this inquisitive Eastern Kingbird, 

and a Brown Crested Flycatcher ...ca-ching

this trail leads to a marsh where I turned around...

back at site 12 where I am 2 rabbits were grazing 

Here is the Van  getting a well deserved rest.  

I sure do miss Casey  I keep wanting to talk to him, and he is not there...I didn't realize how often I would have a little chat with him while we travel together.  It is way too hot here in the van for him to wait for me so I'm glad he is safe at home, and he is doing great I'm told. 

Tomorrow I will head onto I-12 to bypass New Orleans, and into Louisiana, and eventually back onto I-10 W into TX where I plan to crawl down the eastern coast to start with! I'm hoping at that point to see some new birds, and more open water.  

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.