3.2 Billion birds have been lost since 1970, 30% of the bird population in North America gone! Sparrows, warblers, blackbirds, hit the hardest. Cats kill 2.6 billion a year!! Habitat loss and development is the main problem according to the study. How depressing...we can each do our best to keep our lands/yards as wild and bird friendly as possible. We are their only hope. Ordinary citizens making good choices and spending their money with companies that are environmentally friendly is the best solution we have to do what our leaders won't...Green spaces MUST be encouraged, and more citizen ownership of special lands needs to happen! Our Government can't be trusted.
I can't recall a more trying week...you ever get the feeling every rock you turn over has an ogre under it? That's been my experience lately. All I can hear in my head is NO NO NO...I must turn this around to YES YES YES.
This is an American Chestnut tree! The only ones I know of around here! And the nut is inside this very spiny hull.
I think this is a yellow bellied pond slider....he was one of the few that didn't dive for cover as we drove by him at the refuge on Friday!
The mist was back at the lake when I checked it this morning...very eerie looking, this photo although it's kind of a cool photo alarmed me a bit that piece of fishing line in the tree was out of my reach I do have a plan to try and get it down tho...because this is a man made hazard for birds!
Notice how a spider used parts of it to support his web. I couldn't reach it without falling in the water. But I will bring a long pole with me and get it down.
the early morning mist really adds some drama
And the golds of the wildflowers add drama to the ordinary roadside...
And what would we do without Goldenrod?
I got another stamp in my State Parks book when we visited Little Pee Dee State park in Dillon County. I really enjoyed this park and want to go back. In 2016 there was a lot of flooding in our state, And the dam of this lake broke...and this year they reopened the lake after rebuilding the dam...
There is a campground and I forgot to take photos of the campground! Some nice sites right by the lake, looked awesome i can see myself enjoying that. We had a refreshing picnic break, it was humid the day we were there that has changed since then we think the humidity is gone, it will be back on Thanksgiving day always is hot and muggy on Thanksgiving.
looks like a rebuild of the fishing pier too... we had a Solitary Sandpiper down by the spillway area with some Killdeer. A lifer for Sis...
It threw me because it seemed so much smaller than I normally see them!
And the Green Heron was also playing on the rocks...
The Immature Little Blue Heron with his greenish legs
we added up 7 Little Blue Herons around the lake...
We had Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Kingfisher on the lake too...
A really curious Summer Tanager female in the trees came to see what all the fuss was about when we phished at a Black n White Warbler. The Warbler was not still for a photo,,,,so we kept trying to phish him into submission and we also drew the attention of the Yellow-Throated Vireo a lifer for my sis! And the first time I got a photo of one!
What an awesome bird!
There is even petrified wood here!
And at least one woodsy rental cabin, pretty cute looking too...
There's trails to hike, the lake to enjoy, a campground, picnic areas, and they will resume boat rentals when some of the vegetation dies off that crowded into the lake when the dam was broken...
im Little Blue Heron
Cloudless Sulphurs
We do want to visit this park again! It's about 80 miles Northeast of us, and worth the trip! Summer is Over!
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
Hello, I agree 100 %, we must do our part to keep the birds safe. I like the name of the park, Little Pee Dee. Great birds and sightings. Neat shot of the Killdeer with the Solitary Sandpiper. We are always finding fishing line stuck to trees around our lake, sometimes the hunters and fishermen are the ones leaving their trash behind. Looks like a great spot for a picnic. Beautiful photos. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you Eileen! I agree when I walk in the woods and find deer stands I normally see a pile of trash they didn't pack out under it! And Fisher-people must be better educated on the dangers of fishing line! The Little Pee Dee is the name of a river...there is the Great Pee Dee and the Little Pee Dee is a tributary. The name Pee Dee is an Native Tribe (1000-1400) recognized by our state and was part of the Mississippian Culture of Eastern Native Tribes. Most all the names of rivers, and more in our state come from the various tribes that once lived here! Our local river, the Wateree, is named for a tribe that settled along the river descended from the more northern tribe of the Catawaba.
DeleteThe extent to which we have contributed, and continue to contribute, to this depressing and alarming decline in bird populations, should shock the conscience of every sentient being. But it won't. We will continue to do the same harm we have done all along; we will have the odd twinge of regret, and then we will elect another Trump or another Bolsonaro to wreak havoc on the environment anew. We will continue to deny the science. We will continue to put our own greed ahead of respect for the biosphere. It is not only the birds facing doom, it is us.
ReplyDelete...and once we are gone the World will be a better place so hopefully we will leave a few birds, mammals, and reptile alive to continue on without US!
DeleteWhat a lovely day you had once again. So many beautiful Blue Heron and all the other lovely birds out there. Yes I do believe summer is finally over. Still a bit humid but with the low temps I can handle it. Is there a fee for that campground? Looks like a nice place for a morning coffee or tea.
ReplyDeleteI agree wiht David M. government has always had corruption but nothing this bad.
Hi Jo, yep there is a fee to camp...I don't know when the rates go into off season, but currently it's $12 per night...My belief is we dropped the ball collectively, but hopefully individually we can make a difference.
DeleteOh I hope you manage to get the fishing line, it's awful how some treat the world and the lack of care they have, but what do we expect when they have such role models as our governments :/
ReplyDeleteThe lake looks beautiful with plenty of bird life around and those Butterflies are gorgeous!
Hi Pam...I have a plan to take my long pole out and grab that line off that tree! We really can't put our hope in our Governments anymore...we have to take things into our own hands!
DeleteLooks lovely there! That first photo is so soothing. Love all the birds, especially the vireo. Hope your plan for the fishing line works, I am always picking up strands of it when I go out.
ReplyDeleteExactly I come home with my pockets full of fishing line and I don't even fish! I really wish there was more emphasis in educating the people who buy this!!
DeleteIt was frightening to read those stats on the decline of bird populations. Yes cats are huge bird killers and even though I like cats I wont have another one. Our last cat was a very old rescue cat and had no teeth, so the birds were safe. Some more dramatic pictures Sondra.
ReplyDeleteWe have noticed such a decline in numbers just in our own backyard...some species have improved, but most have declined sharply. The House Finch has been afflicted with that pink eye disease I was able to catch many and help them but I can only imagine how many die every single yr just due to that! There's huge hurdles for our wildlife to surpass.
DeleteThank you for speaking for the birds and also for working to turn your day into a yes day - for your own well being. We always work to do the same. It's tough at times. Thanks for sharing all your great sightings too. A catbird is out the window singing and I think I may just follow him south. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer, We have to speak out for what is important. Yesterday the road mowing crew came by I wasn't here they cut down all the golden rods that were bloomed down our dirt road! I was upset to say the least no butterflies on my walk today :o(
DeleteFabulous post and photographs, and yes, the early morning mist really adds some drama to that picture.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thank you Jan! The cool mornings really have given the lake a dramatic look lately!
DeleteBeautiful place ....Fall color already and lovely birds...,I’d drive that distance for sure, but it will be even better when you can take your camper van. Thanks for spreading the good word .
ReplyDelete