The Trailhead Store in The Village at Stowe is a cozy coffee shop nestled amidst the beautiful nature which is preserved through the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. The Trailhead Store specializes in brewing Jade and Elise Coffee. [I am not a coffee drinker so I cannot personally comment on the quality of those particular types of coffees, however, the coffee served here is highly recommended by many guests who have visited.]
The Trailhead Store Facing the Parking Lot
The Trailhead Store serves more than merely coffee. It offers a delightful array of refreshments, snacks, and provisions on top of coffee to fuel your outdoor escapades. It offers a wide assortment of fresh to-go meals, including sandwiches, wraps, salads, parfaits, vegan options and desserts, ensuring you stay energized throughout your outdoor activities.
Screened-In Porch
Guests may quench their thirst on their varied selections of coffee, tea, beer, and wine to delight your palate and enjoyment for both on-site and your to-go adventures.
Coleman at the Main Door to The Trailhead Store
The Trailhead Store offers a wide variety of seating options both in the screened-in patio and outside spread across the vast lawn where you may enjoy beautiful vulgar nature.
Grandma, you coming? Hurry up.
Whether you’re stopping by for a quick coffee run, a bite to eat, or just wanting a place to relax in a tranquil environment to study, read, write, or simply enjoy the beautiful outdoors surrounding the Store; it is a fantastic to place to stop by for a visit and even stay for awhile. Highly recommend stopping in and treating yourself, or someone else to some of their delectable food and beverages.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Trailhead Store; The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Take time to get out and enjoy nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Visit a Garden. Admire Nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a species of New World sparrow, a passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.
Aka The Chipping Sparrow
This bird is a partial migrant with northerly populations flying southwards in the fall to overwinter in Mexico and the southern United States, and flying northward again in spring.
It molts twice a year. In its breeding plumage it has orangish-rust upper parts, gray head and underparts and a distinctive reddish cap. In non-breeding plumage, the cap is brown and the facial markings are less distinct. The song is a trill and the bird has a piercing flight call that can be heard while it is migrating at night.
They mostly forage on the ground for seeds and other food items, as well as clambering on plants and trees, feeding on buds and small arthropods. Here in the East, they breed mainly in woodland, farmland, parks, and gardens. [We saw this Chipping sparrow as we left The Farmhouse on the way to The Trailhead Store.] Breeding starts in late April and May and the nest is often built in a tree.
The chipping sparrow feeds on seeds year-round, although insects form most of the diet in the breeding season. Spiders are sometimes taken. Throughout the year, chipping sparrows forage on the ground in covered areas,often near the edges of fields.
The Chipping Sparrow although common in the area is not normally observed by the Stowe Birding Club which track and monitor the birds using their bird houses strategically placed around the Stowe property. [This one Coleman spotted first a short distance from where we were walking. He loves to watch the birds and tries to keep a squirrel out of our bird feeder at home.]
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Looking up or looking down you might spot a bird fascinating enough to watch. Maybe even capture their likeness with your camera. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Last week we visited The Village at Stowe which comprises The Farmhouse Garden Center, Dog Park, Ponds (Big & Little), and also Trailhead access. After visiting The Farmhouse and The Trailhead Store we ventured out to the trails surrounding the Big Pond and Dog Park areas. We hiked the whole surrounding area of the Big Pond which estimated at only .35 miles, but with all our twists and turns and side jaunts it seemed much longer. After a short rest in one of the many seating selections outside The Trailhead Store, we continued hiking on the Carolina Thread Trail which if we had completed the entire trail would have been over 2.5 additional miles. [More on our Carolina Thread Trail (CTT) hike later].
This images depict the Big Pond from just about every angle as we hiked around it.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Big Pond; The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a great rest of your week. Take a walk. Admire the beauty in nature all around you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments
Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; Daniel Stowe Conservancy: Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Have a Walk Amongst the Gardens. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stop and admire the Flowers. Enjoy Nature’s Beautiful Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Trailhead Store is a recent addition to Daniel Stowe Conservancy having just opened last year with The Farmhouse Garden Center opening in May of 2025. The Farmhouse Garden Center opening brought awareness to The Trailhead Store. [I was not aware of its existence until I read about the opening of The Farmhouse Garden Center and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens name change to Daniel Stowe Conservancy].
The Trailhead Store is a cozy coffee shop nestled amidst the beauty of nature in The Village at Stowe. The Store is owned and operated by Daniel Stowe Conservancy. There is no admission fee for The Trailhead Store, The Farmhouse Garden Center opening, or the eight plus miles of trails on and connected to Stowe Property.
Although Coleman and I did not purchase anything in The Trailhead Store, we did look around to check out what it had to offer as well as the wide variety of seating options available to guests. The Trailhead Store’s outdoor seating consists of several rustic wood chairs and benches scattered around the lawn with magnificent charming views of the Pond Loop Trails located a short distance away.
There are so many choices for people to choose to Pull Up a Seat and relax (and naturally Coleman had to investigate them all) that I’ve elected to make this a two part post series (may be three if I add the seating at The Farmhouse Garden Center).
Here is my first edition to Benches, Chairs, and Other seating — Coleman’s Choices …
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV and CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Trailhead Store; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have an adventurous week. Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for Visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along, go to your photos file folder and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title. This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below.
Here are my contributions to the Numbers Game Challenge … Click on photos for enlarged and enhanced viewing.
As Coleman and I were walking along the Carolina Thread Trail with all the twists and turns we wound up at a dead end. Not knowing which way to go from there we tried this trail and that trail without much success. Thinking we might be Lost as we kept trying to figure our way back out of the trail and back to the Trailhead Store where our adventures began; we spotted a few construction vehicles working across a road from the trail we were on.
John Deere 750L LGP CRAWLER DOZER
Click on each image for enlarged viewing.
After while we were not only confused and turned around encountering another dead end of a trail; I decided to try our Luck and approached one of the construction workers to see if he could help us figure out how to get back on the correct trail to take us where we needed to go.
John Deere 700L LGP Crawler Dozers
Click on each image for enlarged viewing.
The John Deere 700L series was designed with a 17-percent-larger cab than models prior to them. It features more glass area, larger doors, and a streamlined hood profile, optimizing comfort and visibility to the blade ahead and the surrounding jobsite.
Last week Debbie had us Looking Up, it was fun to see everyone’s take on Looking Up. This week’s theme is Looking Down. There are many different and interesting things available to see all around us if we only Look and observe what’s all around us.
Coleman and I paid a visit to the expanded and upgraded Daniel Stowe Conservancy, formerly known as The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. Looking all around the trails surrounding The Trailhead Store at the Conservancy there were some interesting views which we Looked Down upon.
…. Such as the Pond down and slightly to the right of The Trailhead Store.
Looking Down upon the Reflections in the Pond
…. Or this little Pond with a waterfall surrounded by rocks a short distance away from the Dog Park.
Coleman looking down over the Pond
Moving along further down the trail we spot an interesting painting on the pathway with a Trail crossing sign nearby.
Looking Down upon the painted pathway before crossing the road.
And lastly for today, I’m Looking Down upon Coleman looking down at something on a bench.
Coleman Looking Down on the Bench while I’m Looking Down the small incline at him.
Cameras: 1 & 5-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 2-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: The Trailhead Store; Carolina Thread Trail; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Discover Nature’s amazing beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To do so, simply share the photo (not a screenshot) you have set as your wallpaper; Provide as little or as much detail as you wish; Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun; Then finally, share the fun around.
I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
From My HP Laptop:
Desktop Background Wallpaper
Coleman looking over the Pond by The Trailhead Store at Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Desktop Screensaver
Color Pop of Coleman sitting on a Fence Post on The Carolina Thread Trail by The Trailhead Store at Daniel Stowe Conservancy
From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Focus
Coleman sitting on a Cairn at Rocky Branch Trailhead
Personal Focus
Coleman sitting on a Bench inside a Gazebo by The Trailhead Store at Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Reading Focus
Coleman sitting on a Fence Post on The Carolina Thread Trail by The Trailhead Store at Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Hiking Focus
Coleman by a Do Not Enter Trail Post on the Rocky Branch Trail
Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachment; 2-6) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Locations: 1-2 & 4-5) The Trailhead Store, Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont, North Carolina; 3 & 6) Rocky Branch Trail, Cramerton/Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week’s host Elke from pictures imperfect blogis askingus to select images that are naturally monochrome. I searched my photos and think I came up with a few that might work for this week’s challenge.
DSBG Dog Park Entrance Daniel Stowe Conservancy Belmont, NC
Garden Metal Wind Spinner The Farmhouse Garden Center The Daniel Stowe Conservancy Belmont, NC
Airplane Overhead in Grey Cloudy Skies Riverside Park and Greenway Cramerton, NC
South Fork Catawba River Riverside Park and Greenway Cramerton, NC
Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Locations: 1-2 & 5) The Farmhouse Garden Center, Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont, North Carolina, USA; 3-4) Riverside Park and Greenway, Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
My Sky photos this week are actually from Tuesday evening. We had some colourful clouds prior to the moon rising.
I tried staying awake until the moon was at full illumination on Wednesday morning around 3:44am EST, but failed miserably. The shots of the moon I did manage to capture were taken at 9:26pm on Tuesday evening. I was hoping to catch June’s full strawberry moon when it would be its brightest. This was the best I could do however, since I was unable to be awake at such an early hour .
I’m a few days behind, but it’s still Springtime. While Coleman and I were on our long (just shy of 5 miles) hike on Saturday we noticed a few sections of the trail lined with beautiful Wildflowers.
Here are my Wildflower contributions …
Wildflowers on our Hike for National Trail Day June 07, 2025
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments
Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Have a Walk Amongst the Trees. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
As I sat thinking about these two challenges, I began to ponder what I could use and what might be best to fit each of these challenges. Then it dawned on me, Dan from No Facilities has chosen a theme of Things Made of Woodfor Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge and Dale who hosts theThe Cosmic Photo Challenge has selected a prompt of Bridges, both of these challenges might actually work out well combined together into one post.
Now you are thinking how might that be possible? Well, let me explain myself to you. There are many Bridges which are constructed out of wood, especially Bridges engineered to make it easier to cross creeks, streams, rivers, and or lakes. Many Wooden Bridges are built strategically in much needed areas throughout campgrounds, greenways, and hiking trails.
Coleman and I go hiking together every week and sometimes several times throughout the week. We do encounter Wooden Bridges along the trails we hike almost everywhere we venture to hike in the Woods. Hey, I just thought of something when I wrote that last statement … Trees are Made of Wood and when we cross Bridges Made of Wood we are surrounded by Trees.
Enough jibber-jabbering around, here’s my contribution for #CFFC and #CosPhoChal.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55/250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton & Belmont, North Carolina , USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
You might want to see what’s up next on the Which Way homepage. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s Which Ways come Friday.
Also Known as Bee’s Nest-Plant; Bird’s-Nest; Devil’s Plague; Queen Anne’s Lace; and Wild Carrot
Queen Anne’s Lace is a summer biennial wildflower from the Apiaceae (carrot) family. In some states it is considered invasive. It has naturalized in many states and can be found in sun to partial shade along roadsides, old fields, and waste places. In our area of North Carolina Queen Anne’s Lace can be found along trails, in wooded areas, and near the Catawba River.
The 2 to 4 foot tall umbels of white flowers appear in its second year of growth from mid-summer to mid-fall and have a lacy look. The basal rosette consists of 5-inch long arching leaves with a few leaves occurring alternately up the main stem.
Instead of looking straight at these flowers I chose to shot them looking up at them from underneath for a unique perspective.
Remember your Which Ways can be any way one travels, whether on foot, or other means. This week we are focusing on people in our Which Ways. And as always, Be sure to have fun.
For other Which Ways, check out the links below. Thank you to all who contributed to the Which Way Challenges.
Caneberries are a group of berries which includes Blackberries, Raspberries, Boysenberries, Loganberries,and a few more varieties. Caneberries grow on tough, woody stems called canes. They are a part of the Rosaceae family and are also known as bramble berries. Caneberries are aggregate fruits, which means that they are made up of many clusters of individual drupelets. They thrive in cool, moist climates.
They are popular for their nutritional value and can be used in various culinary applications. Caneberry harvest typically occurs from June through August.
Caneberries are grouped by four plant characteristics: 1) growth habit (trailing, semi-erect, or erect); 2) fruiting habit (primocane or floricane); 3) presence or absence of thorns (thorny or thornless); and 4) fruit color (raspberries only).
These particular Caneberries are semi-erect; growing upright in the beginning and bending over to trail along the ground if not supported. In the Southern region of the United States, blackberries and raspberries benefit from a trellis for commercial production.
Caneberries are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Caneberries can be enjoyed fresh, frozen, or used in jams, cobblers, ice cream, and other dishes. When they are ripe they can be eaten straight from the plant, which Coleman would have loved to do on our latest hike. Unfortunately for him, they were not ripe yet.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments
Location: South Fork Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Enjoy Nature. Capture its beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Leanne Cole has chosen the theme of Woods, Rainforests, and Bushland for this week’s Monochrome Madness Challenge. For Coleman and I, every time we go hiking we are hiking through the woods along one trail or another. These are from our hike on Saturday at Riverside Park and Greenway.
There is a dirt trail a few feet away from the main fishing pier which Coleman loves to hike. A few yards down the trail is a large sand area close to the South Fork Catawba River. It has been raining quite a bit here lately, so the trail was muddy but still doable.
Here you can see Coleman hiking along the muddy dirt trail through the Woods pulling his Little Tike Dump Truck/Excavator. He enjoys playing the sand and this trail and sand pit is conveniently close to our home.
Coleman Hiking through the Woods beside the South Fork Catawba River
Brian from Bushboys World gives these rules forThe Last on the Card Challenge. 1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th April or whenever your last photo was taken. 2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate. 3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do 4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments 5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard
Pond Sliders are a species of common, medium-sized, semiaquatic turtles. The most recognized species are the Red-eared slider (T. s. elegans), which is popular in the pet trade and has been introduced to other parts of the world by people releasing it to the wild.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Settings: f/5.6 • 1/250 • 187mm • ISO100
Location: The Pond; The Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have an adventurous weekend. Discover the wonders of Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Goat Island Park & Greenway Goat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayGoat Island Park & GreenwayRiverside Park and GreenwayRiverside Park and GreenwayRiverside Park and GreenwayRiverside Park and GreenwayRiverside Park and Greenway Riverside Park and Greenway Crowders Mountain State Park Anne Springs Close GreenwayAnne Springs Close GreenwayPiedmont Medical Center TrailPiedmont Medical Center TrailAndrew Jackson State Park Andrew Jackson State ParkAndrew Jackson State ParkAndrew Jackson State ParkAndrew Jackson State ParkBy the Water
Click on photos to enlarge for enhanced viewing.
Judy’s suggestions for how to play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in Judy’sNumbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number.
On most hiking trails which Coleman and I there are there are sporadically placed benches Conveniently placed for hiker’s Convenience to rest, relax, and rejuvenate to continue one’s hiking adventure.
Here are a few benches Conveniently placed for hiker’s Convenience…
Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCCatawba Park Tega Cay, SCCatawba River Trailhead Rock Hill, SC Ed Yount Trail South Fork River Park Gastonia, NCLake Haigler Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCRiverside Park and Greenway Cramerton, NC
Breaking the Rules? Whoever said one had to follow Rules in photography? Up, Down, Sideways, it doesn’t always matter if you shoot straight, point and shoot vertical or horizontal. Instead follow your own instincts, make your own interpretations on your shooting style. After all, you are the one you need to please.
What’s your angle?
Mine are whichever way I so desire
Shooting across the river from a laying down position …
Shooting Subject Slightly off-center … background slightly blurred ( might be a rule though – who cares, I don’t read rules).
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Any Which Way (Your Choice) for this week’s theme. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
My Choice of Which Waysfor this week’s theme are in two segments. The first Which Waybeing a paved pathway, aka nature trail) some with people and some without.
My second segment of Which Waysare of a dirt pathway within a baseball field.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Locations: Segment One) South Fork River Trail; Carolina Thread Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Segment Two) C.B. Huss Recreation T-Ball Field; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with e. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: Next Week’s Theme => CWWC: Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails
It is Springtime, the Canada Geese are flocking to the rivers. In the past few days as Coleman and I have visited the South Fork Catawba River and Goat Island Park and Greenway, we have noticed more and more Canada Geese enjoying the riverbanks as well as swimming and gliding in the waters of the South Fork Catawba River.
Here are a few photos of Canada Geese Trios captured this week.
Camera: 1-2) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 3-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fabulous week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Be sure to check out Friday’s Which Way Challenge. This week I am allowing y’all to choose your own Which Ways to share with us all.
To do so, simply share the photo* you have set as your wallpaper;
Provide as little or as much detail as you wish;
Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun;
Then finally, share the fun around.
I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
From My HP Laptop:
Desktop Background Wallpaper
Coleman in Goat Island Playground
Desktop Screensaver
Canada Geese South Fork Catawba River Goat Island Park and Greenway
From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Personal Focus
Coleman Goat Island Park and Greenway
Reading Focus
Coleman sitting on a pipe at Goat Island Park and Greenway
Hiking Focus
Coleman Tree Climbing at Riverside Park and Greenway
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; South Fork River Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a sunshiny day. Observe Nature. Thankful for local wildlife. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Anas Platyrhynchos also known as Mallards are one of several varieties of duck species, which include both resident and migratory birds. The Mallard is the most abundant duck in North America, often found in a variety of habitats. Even though apparently abundant, we have not seen many of the Mallards in or around the Catawba River.
The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a widespread dabbling duck with a long body and high tail. The Mallard is easily identified by the male’s iridescent green head, white neck collar, and black tail curl. Females and juveniles have mottled brown bodies and dull orange bills. Both sexes have iridescent blue wing speculums. Mallards breed in fresh marshes surrounding lakes, ponds, beaver ponds, impoundments, open swamps, and such like areas, however, they do have a propensity to avoid nesting in brackish marshes.
Mallard ducks in the South Fork Catawba River
Coleman and I went hiking on the South Fork River Trail, a part of the Carolina Thread Trail, in Goat Island Park and Greenway on Saturday watching a partial day without rainfall (it rained again after we were safely home). While hiking the trail, Coleman and I were looking for the Turtles that often sun themselves on logs in the South Fork Catawba River. What were spotted prior to the Turtles were a pair of Mallards standing on a log checking out the River area. [This was the first time we’ve seen the Mallards in this region of the South Fork Catawba River.]
As we continued our hike we did encounter a lone Turtle sunning on a log which dove quickly into the river. But alas, we ventured on down the trail to find more Mallards on logs and in the river. It was fascinating to see and watch them especially since we had not previously seen the Mallards in this section of the Catawba River before.
Mallards feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive. They can be very tame ducks especially in city ponds, and often group together with other Mallards and other species of dabbling ducks.
Mallards are able to live in almost any wetland habitat, natural or artificial. Look for them on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and coastal habitats, as well as nearby city and suburban parks and residential backyards.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Settings: f/6.3 • 1/320 • 250mm • ISO800-2000
Location: South Fork Catawba River; South Fork River Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get outdoors and enjoy nature’s beauty and natural wildlife. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judyfrom Life Lessonshosts The Numbers Game.I’m a week behind, but I figured better late than not at all. Her number for the Numbers Game Challenge #71 is 192. I didn’t have any luck finding photos matching 192, so I am doing as suggested in showing images of a common word.
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Here are my contributions to the album.
My Word I am using is Coleman. I am posting the images in a video format for your enjoyment.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers and those as close as a Mother, and those soon to be Mothers. Treasure your family and remember the Mothers who only remain in our hearts. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 