Topic: Great Blue Heron

What’s going on at Dunbar Cave

By Dunbar Cave State Natural Area | May 30, 2009 |

What’s going on at Dunbar Cave is an occasional piece written by Park Interpreter Amy Wallace

We did our last school group yesterday. It was a fun time, considering we had to slog through four to five inches of mud to get through the first room of the cave. The heavy rain we had the weekend of Mother’s Day flooded the first room of the cave and halfway into the first passageway, depositing sticky slippery clay mud. On that Saturday morning, the water was up to chin height (estimate, we didn’t wade in to see exactly how high it was).

While I was sitting at the cave entrance waiting for a group one day, I saw an Eastern Phoebe feeding her young at the nest at the cave entrance and a Carolina Wren flying to a nest in the window of the old concession stand. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure | No Comments

Great Blue Herons: wild creatures, not pets

By Beth Britton | September 11, 2008 |

The Great Blue Heron (andrea herodias)
Length: 36-54 inches; Weight: 4.8-8lbs
Wingspan: as much as 6 feet at times

Wounded Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is common in North America and can be found along water habitats such as fresh and salt-water marshes, rivers, swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, and shorelines. Their diet consists of small fish, which they spear with their long sharp beak. They are amazing creatures, able to fly at great speed from the air to the water to spear fish with powerful force.

The first time I saw one of them was beside a small creek. When it flew out in front of me up in the air screeching with its hoarse croaking squawk, I thought I had seen a long lost prehistoric pterodactyl! This bird looks tiny but is very large when in flight.

Walden’s Puddle is a wildlife refuge and rehabilitation center in Joelton,Tennessee, that takes in wildlife creatures that have been injured and helps them heal and be safely re-released into the wild. As interesting as this was to see, it was very sad to see such a magnificent creature slightly askew inside this box. However, even though it was still in the box, Elle-girl and I kept our distance. For this is a wild creature that does not understand the situation that it has been placed in. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Education, Opinion | No Comments

December boating: Who would have thought it?

By Debbie Boen | January 1, 2008 |

Boating in December, who would have thought it?

Most of our Tennessee December temperatures threatened ice and snow and one morning we were in the below 10 degree temperatures, but surprise; two days after Christmas and we are in the 70’s.  A few of us decided to go with Dan Rachlin as he tried out his new (to him) kayak and also to enjoy this, oh too warm, December weather.  Six of us went to Sycamore Creek near Ashland City.

Kerry Alsbrooks, Randall Boen, Nathaniel Alsbrooks, Dan Rachlin & David Boen

The water was frigid, as tested out by me when I immediately fell in while pushing off my kayak.  I’ve pushed off my kayak hundreds of times so falling in like that seemed kind-of (all-the-way) stupid.  Just to keep me company, Kerry’s little dog fell in also in a separate incident and shortly after me.  Kerry’s dog had Chihuahua-like leg shaking for awhile but we were both fine and the air was so warm that I chose to kayak in wet clothes and was totally comfortable.   Wet clothes, on the river, two days after Christmas.  That’s warm. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Opinion | No Comments

© 2009 Clarksville, TN Online is owned and operated by residents of Clarksville Tennessee.
» We are Hosted by Compu-Net Enterprises; In Partnership with Discover Clarksville and Discover Paris