REELFOOT LAKE VISITOR’S CENTER, LAKE ISOM NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ETC.
Day 210 – Brrrr, 22 degrees this morning, partly cloudy and windy. But the heat is working in the RV. YAAAA. We had another Wildlife Refuge to visit today. The weather is supposed to be warmer tomorrow, our last day here, and we wanted to go kayaking, weather permitting. We wanted to finish visiting all the places in this area so we could determine which place would be the best place to go kayaking.
We left the campground and headed southwest on Route 213, taking the first small road we came to, and turning left. We found ourselves in a place called Black Bayou Refuge. We drove thru the 2 roads of the Refuge and saw more Egrets & Herons, including 2 Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage. Then we drove south on TN Highway-78 and saw a large amount of white birds in a field – WOW, had we found Snow Geese still here in the south? We stopped to make sure, and to get a picture. No, it was just many white trash bags tossed full of garbage into the middle of a field. ICK. Onward on the 78 to Carrington Road which took us through a section of the Reelfoot Wildlife Management Area that has been set aside for wheelchair-accessible hunting. Interesting, never seen that before. Saw more of the Egrets & Herons & a flock of White Pelicans, and no hunters. We drove south again on the 78 to Highway 21 east to the Reelfoot Lake State Park Visitor’s Center. We saw a large amount of Great Egrets perched in trees at the Spillway by the road. What a site that was! We stopped for pictures, but what ended up also being the attraction was the many Tree Swallows & Barn Swallows flitting about. They move so fast, they’re very hard to photograph.
At the Visitor’s Center we walked through and looked at all the displays, then went outside to the raptor rehab area. There were four bald eagles in one large containment, and five owls & hawks each in other containments. There was also a boardwalk through Bald Cypress Trees on the Lake, but it was windy & cold so we opted to sit in the car & eat the lunch we’d brought with us instead.
Next we followed signs on Highway 21 which directed us to Lake Isom National Wildlife Refuge, about 3 miles south of Reelfoot Lake. This Refuge had several roads to drive on through fields and woods and to the boat launch near the Lake. We’d heard about the Bald Eagle nests but did not find them. We saw deer, Egrets, Herons, Yellowlegs, and many Red-winged Blackbirds. This Refuge also had the heavily-gravelled roads. We hope we don’t end up with another flat tire.
Red-Winged Blackbird, Lake Isom NWR, Tiptonville, TN
Lake Isom NWR, Tiptonville, TN
The high today was only 44 degrees, windy and quite chilly. Still supposed to warm up tomorrow though. We drove back to the RV and cuddled up with the girls to get warm. There’s still no one camping here but us. The one tent is still pitched in another area but no one is ever there. Couldn’t get much quieter…..End of Week 30, Trip #3.