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Showing posts with label Noxubee Wildlife Refuge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Noxubee Wildlife Refuge. Show all posts

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Azalea along the Appalachian Trail


"When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a flower with the other." ~Chinese Proverb

Photo taken in early May along the Appalachian Trail.  

Humor for the day - The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig. - Texas Bix Bender

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Appalachian Trail Gear Mods and Noxubee Refuge


I made a few changes to my gear that I wanted to post prior to starting my trip on Monday. Instead of going with the jetboil stove I opted to go with a the giga stove and snowpeak mug/pan titanium cookset. I wanted something a little more versatile for cooking different meals and a little lighter weight. I also purchased tree huggers for my hammock and few raynox micro adapter for my FZ28 digital camera.



I wanted to make a trip back to Noxubee Wildlife Refuge to visit the baby eagles prior to my A.T. Hike. I was pleased to see the babies more active than last time and even though the weather and cloud coverage were not cooperating, I got to see one of the parents flying into the nest with a duck and watched it for another 20 minutes while it plucked the feathers. While they did not seem to notice me there, I still did not want to spend anymore time there so headed back to bluff lake where I had seen several herons earlier.


If you are heading over to Noxubee Wildlife Refuge and have the time, one of my favorite trails is the beaver dam trail. Instead of taking the out and back, I continue walking along the levee of Green Timber Reservoir 1 and then walk back up River Road to Bluff Lake. It is not uncommon to see hawks and woodpeckers on the trail and you will usually spot alligators, herons, and waterfowl along this section of Bluff Lake.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Noxubee Wildlife Refuge

It had been 12 years since I last visited Noxubee Wildlife Refuge. I spent a considerable amount of time there while I was at Mississippi State University. 12 years later and I remember my way around the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge more than I did my way around Mississippi State University. I guess that should be expected since the refuge served as my study hall many times. The way I figured it, why sit in your apartment and do homework or sit in a library when you can sit on the banks at bluff lake or study at one of several overlooks.

Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge is located in east-central Mississippi about 20 minutes South of Starkville, Mississippi. It contains 48,000-acre of which about 42,500 acres consist of hardwood bottoms and upland woodlands offering prime habitat for deer, turkey, quail, woodpeckers, waterfowl, etc. Several endangered species are located within Noxubee Wildlife Refuge including the Bald Eagle and Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker is a resident bird to Noxubee Wildlife Refuge and receives a considerable amount of attention from the park staff. The Refuge goes to great lengths overseeing the habitat to ensure the bird continues to thrive. Management includes control burns, removing hardwood in pine forest, and installing manmade cavities in select trees that birds to for nesting. (This is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker pictured)






Noxubee Wildlife Refuge consist of two lakes, several ponds, and several creeks and rivers and areas flooded for waterfowl management. The main lake within the Refuge is Bluff Lake and is a great spot for viewing waterfowl. The Refuge has an overlook at the lake where you will more than likely see deer or turkey in addition to waterfowl. It is not uncommon to see alligators along the banks.




While visiting the Noxubee Refugee I was able to photograph two Bald Eagles and with two babies. These eagles have been visiting the park the last couple of years and hopefully will continue to return to the Refugee. If you are visiting, please keep your distance and do not disturb the eagles.