HTBT: Natchez Trace Nature

a foggy day on the Father of Waters

this "buttermilk" sky reminds me of the Turtle Rocks at Petit Jean

there's so much love in the south, even the clover has hearts on it (Spotted Burclover)

cotton boll

soft, loess soil around here leads to frequent erosion

the beautiful dirt road near where we are staying

makes for a great walk in the woods

Mixu-ziipi-ojibwe "very big river"

one of the first things that caught my eye by our camper

guessing some kind of milkweed

December 2014 and January 2015:

We are seeing some great nature this winter on the Natchez Trace Parkway and surrounding area! It's a birder's paradise as well as some great plants and trees! (Audubon actually taught at the Elizabeth Female Academy, the remains of which are on the Natchez Trace) Always my fave part of our adventures.

I even kinda like snakes, but I'll admit I'm glad we're not here during the summer because they tell me rattlesnakes, water moccasins, and copperheads are all over. Those are 3 I don't want to have an encounter with. There is a nice looking (from the outside) in-ground tornado shelter just behind our camper. However, Ranger Mike told us they all went to get in it one day during a storm and there was water standing inside and a snake swimming around. We won't be using that shelter. I'm a little sad that it isn't gator "season" because we are down the road from some creeks that are sure to have them.

We hear coyotes from time to time, but so far the only 4-legged creature that has wandered near our camper is an armadillo. He and Rocky are fairly disinterested in each other.

Nearly every time we get out on the Trace we see wild turkeys hanging around. They scoot pretty fast when we slow down to take pictures, but we'll keep trying.

Red-Headed Woodpeckers are everywhere here

I caught this little fella, possibly still in the nest, watching me take a walk

his little red head just kept peering out of the hole in the tree

he was looking left and right for his peeps

David caught this Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker up by the house

Red-Headed Woodpecker

many of the dead trees in the area look like this due to the woodpeckers

there's a Kingfisher in here that we spotted on a walk near a swampy area

This place is loaded, loaded, loaded with woodpeckers! Downy, Red-Headed, PILEATED, and other varieties that we identify as David catches a pic!

Woody Woodpecker (Pileated) is at the base of this tree

still there

He was a big ole fella --- hoping for a better pic soon

There is what's left of a dead tree standing just outside the visitor center window. One
day I heard some drumming and looked out to see a Pileated Woodpecker. Now, we've been hearing them a lot.......they even sometimes answer our Sibley calls........, and we occasionally see one. But we can never get close enough for a pic. Well, I kinda freaked and all I could do was grab my phone. I did get some pix with that, but of course they're not that great. I walked outside ever so quietly with David's camera. But a little Red-Headed woodpecker was chasing him off. In the process he buzzed right over me calling all the way. I was just in awe looking at him and didn't get a picture. Maybe next time.

Cardinals are abundant

always a pretty pop of color in the winter woods

red-breasted nuthatch

We see a ton of Cardinal families along the Parkway, too. That'll always be one of favorites! Love watching them "train" their babies.

Gotta love the owls! So majestic and in charge. At night we frequently hear a Great Horned in the woods near us. When we visited Windsor Ruins we heard 2 nearby Barred Owls asking who cooks for you.

Even the buzzards are cool here. A group of them will fill up a tree on the Trace just waiting and watching.

this red-tailed was "grazing" beside the camper and when we walked out buzzed us then landed in the White Ash tree

a hawk on the trace

and another

One of the coolest birds of prey we see a lot is the hawk -- mostly the Red-Tailed, some Red-Shouldered. In fact, we have one that sporadically hangs around on the ground near our camper. One evening as we were driving down the Trace, David saw a pretty red fox running across in front of us. I didn't see him because I was watching the sudden movement of a huge hawk flying low past our truck in the same direction as the fox. Wonder how that ended up?

Chipmunk

they love hanging around the split rail fences

The gray and red squirrels are all around us. And very vocal! One of the cutest things around here are the chipmunks! That's something I'm not used to seeing, so I really enjoy watching them. Would love get them to let me feed them.

sign around Vicksburg

Mississippi has a black bear program to try to re-introduce them to the area. Back in the day the hunters could kill in the neighborhood of 100 or so on a hunt. Today, they have recorded about 40/ 50 in the state. Northern MS has the American black bear, while the southern part of the state has the Louisiana black bear. We've talked to a couple of folks who think they may have seen one on the Trace, but we haven't. There are signs as close as Vicksburg, so it's probably just a matter of time.

One of the coolest sounds we have heard are the breeding frogs! Either the Eastern Cricket frog or the Upland Chorus frog. I mean for 2 days they didn't even take a breath! It was really cool. Sounded like a million of them in the woods next to our camper.

Of course, the deer population is very well stocked out here! The other day we went to Jackson and didn't quite make it back before dark. We counted 59 whitetails within about an hour and half beginning at dusk. On the roadway. No doubt, #60 was out there watching us and we just didn't see her. The speed limit on the Trace is 50, but we slowed it down to about 40 most of the way because at night, they think the road is theirs.

Southern Magnolia next to Melrose

David next to the Magnolia by our camper

we have one of the largest and prettiest Holly trees we've ever seen, too

Mississippi has many of the same trees that I grew up around in SW AR and NE TX. However, I thought we had a lot of Magnolias there....but they grow like weeds here! And they are beautiful!! The Southern Magnolia is the prominent one.

Kudzu is EVERYWHERE! I know it's invasive, but it's soooo pretty. Well, maybe not so much this time of year because there is no green to it. But come spring and summer it'll live up to it's name as "the vine that ate the south"!

Resurrection Fern

pretty black and green shot

it grows on the Pecan and Live Oak trees, logs, ground near the water

giant Live Oak at Melrose

more Resurrection Fern on a loose
log

White Ash

White Ash with a Sweetgum Ball tree in background

Samaras from the White Ash Trees

Some of the prettiest sights along the Natchez Trace are the lush Magnolias, the huge Pecan trees and Live Oaks --- many with Spanish Moss and Resurrection Fern all over them, and the dangling samaras from the White Ash Trees.

very tall Tulip Poplar by our camper

one of the tulip hulls

Across from our camper is the tallest Tulip Tree (also known as the Yellow Poplar) that I've ever seen. This time of year it's loaded with the hulls of the tulips. Hopefully, we'll get to see it budding out in March before we leave.

Honey Locust pod by Elizabeth Female Academy on the Trace

they are supposed to be edible

And there is the Honey Locust!

the Beech Trees are stealing the show all along the Trace

quite beautiful

Some of the prettiest sights throughout the woods are the Beech Trees! I think they are every bit as lovely as the Dogwood Trees in the Ozarks. These trees' leaves do die and turn light brown in the winter, but they hang on. So they are spattered all over the woods and really a sight to behold.

David spotted a little color left on some Sweetgum Trees

American Winterberry aka Possumhaw

red berries are everywhere!

This area has some majestic, old Crepe Myrtles

This is one of the blooming seasons for the southern Camellias

this "winterized" vine at Melrose is Chinese Wisteria- one of the most fragrant blooms in the South

interesting, velvety pods

some were just single pods

some twigs had 4 or 5

Trifoliate or Hardy Orange

it has some hardy thorns!

We've been here 2 months. The weather has varied from warm and muggy, to just warm, to cool and crisp, to below freezing! Although the locals say it's unseasonably warm, we're getting a decent taste of the winter nature in Mississippi. Looking forward to seeing a little spring pop up before we roll out at the end of March.