(If you are looking for my Music Moves Me post, please click here. )
Conastee Nature Preserve is a 400 acre preserve along the Reedy River in Greenville, South Carolina.
Conastee has an interesting history. In 1892, a dam was built to generate hydroelectric power and created Conastee Lake. Over the years, the lake slowly filled in with sediment from industrial waste. In fact, the site was once designated as a Superfund site. There are various educational plaques showing pictures from the past that I didn't photograph.
In February, 2023, spouse and I made two visits to the Nature preserve. There is a $3.00 suggested donation for walking the miles of trails (some paved) but no one is denied entry. Come join us for some of our walking.
Welcome.
Something under the water. I was able to see tadpoles and small fish but they didn't come out in the photograph.
We were also doing some birding. We added a red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) and a Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) to our life list at Conestee. We got quite a good look at the red-headed woodpecker through binoculars and what a beautiful bird it is. We were saddened to discover its conservation status is "near threatened". It was too far away to photograph.
We were also hoping to see the Rusty Blackbird, (Euphagus carolinus) which winters there, but our visual skills may not have been good enough, and our Merlin app didn't pick one up. We still consider ourselves beginning birders.
Meanwhile, we saw this mallard drake feeding and watched it for a few minutes.
You have to watch where you are going, even on the paved trails. (We tried a harder trail along the river, but I would have needed a walking stick, and I hadn't brought one.)
Snake!
I tried doing some research, zooming in on my picture. Based on coloring, size, and fact that it was up in a tree, I think it's an eastern king snake, which is not venomous. It had white stripes although they don't seem to be as close together as on some pictures I saw online. I know my blogger friends will help me here.
Join me again tomorrow for more Outdoors. My theme this year is: Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.
What an intriguing location - industrial waste doesn't sound very nice but I guess it doesn't necessarily mean toxic waste and there seems to be plenty of nature to look at...
ReplyDeleteI was expecting a tale of pollution after the mention of "industrial waste" but the reserve looks healthy enough! Enjoyed the ramble with you...
ReplyDeleteVisiting from
https://how-would-you-know.com/2023/04/n-nutty-slack-a-tale-of-nudity-naturism-and-coal-oh-and-town-planning-nail-your-colours-to-the-mast.html
King snake looks so scary to me!
ReplyDeleteSounds like your birding skills are coming along just fine. Those Rusty Blackbirds you were unable to find will soon be heading our way to breed for the season. As for the snake, I would agree with Eastern King Snake, although there is not quite enough detail for me to be hundred percent sure - and it's not a reptile I would encounter here anyway.
ReplyDelete...beaver start the job, but let the wind finish it.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting place
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a scary looking snake! I love nature, but wildlife can be a it off-putting at times if you're not careful.
ReplyDeletethecontemplativecat here. Great nature walk. Lots of things can be learned from simple walks in the woods. Snakes are the one very scary creature to me. Does your neck of the world have morel mushrooms growing in the woods?
ReplyDeleteI'm told that we do have morel mushrooms, but I've only had them once (long ago) and that was in Iowa. My late aunt living in Iowa grew up in a rural area and still would hunt for morels - while visiting she honored us with a meal that included them. They were so delicious!
DeleteGreat pictures!
ReplyDeleteSound like a great place to visit.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe.
That looks like a great place to explore. Although, I think the snake in the tree would have freaked me out.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting place. The snake in the tree would've given me pause, but it seemed harmless enough. Still, yikes!
ReplyDeleteI love places like this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Alana - I'd love to see Coastee National Park - while that snake ... well at least it's non-venomous ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteSnake eek! not a fan, venomous or not.
ReplyDelete