Forked Mountain Falls

Last weekend was perfect for waterfall hunting and for waterfall photography. We had plenty of rain and is was cloudy so the sun was not a factor. Melissa and I headed for the Ouachitas to shoot Forked Mountain Falls. This fall is located just south of Hollis Arkansas and about 5 miles east of Hwy 7. It is only a 10' fall but the water was really running. I Love It!! I also like the rock in the background of the fall picture. It looks like someone with their head cocked back, mouth wide open, and shouting to the heavens.

Forked Mountain Falls

Melissa on the road back from the fall. That is Forked Mountain in the background.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

I participated in the Backyard Bird Count this year. The way it works is from February 15th through the 18th people were asked to observe and count birds for at least 15 minutes one or all of the days. You then go to the website www.birdsource.org/gbbc and submit your counts. They have an online checklist so you can pick each bird you saw and enter the number seen. The last time I checked (this is Sunday evening) there have been over 28,000 checklists submitted and over 3,290,000 birds counted so far. This count is done annually for a four day period so you might want to give it a try next year. I keep a bird feeder stocked most of the year so it was easy for me to just sit and watch. The following are some of the birds that visit my feeder on a regular basis:

The first bird is a House Finch. This bird was first introduced to the US, in New York City, illegally around 50 years ago as cage birds. When the law started breathing down the necks of the dealers, they released the birds into the wild. They can now be found in most of the United States.

House Finch

Black Capped Chickadee

Dark-Eyed Junco (Prefers to feed on the ground)

The next bird is the Red-Breasted Nuthatch Nuthatches are the only birds can can climb headfirst down a tree trunk. They mate for life.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Tufted Titmouse

Black-Capped Chickadee

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Back to the Cabin

Melissa and I spent three nights in our favoite cabin near Jasper, AR. The cabins are the "Ozark Bluff Dwellers" and our favorite is the "Osage". We highly recommend these cabins. They are on the edge of a bluff and the veiw is awesome. The owners, Ed and Llonka French even built their own hiking trail that is two miles in one direction and has a waterfall along the way. The trailhead is near one of the cabins. I hiked this trail last spring and saw my first bear face to face in the wild. The pictures to follow were taken on this trip. :)

The first three pictures were taken on the trail near the cabins. Two are of French Falls and the last is of a cascade down stream of the falls.

Melissa spotted these deer from the kitchen window of the cabin. As we were leaving to go hike, I took these shots from the truck.

These next 3 falls were all off of Forest Road 1205 near Ben Hur Arkansas. It was really too late in the day and too sunny to take waterfall pictures but I did what I could despite the conditions.

Six Finger Falls (Only two fingers showing in this photo)

Falling Water Falls

Falling Water Falls

Terry Keefe Falls (78' Tall - The little blue speck at the base is Melissa)

Roark Bluff - The longest limestone bluff on the Buffalo River
Another angle on Roark Bluff as the sun was setting

Recently some conservation groups re-introduced some juvenile trumpeter swans to Mill Pond in Boxley Valley near Ponca, Arkansas. These swans will migrate north to the upper midwest in late February or early March. The hope is that they will return next year and bring some friends. Trumpeter swans mate for life and live up to 30 years. They can grow up to 4' tall, weigh 30 lbs and have 8' wingspans.

Trumpeter Swans in Boxley Valley