Rock Island State Park Tennessee

Visit the 883-acre Rock Island State Park and you’ll get the chance to hike wooded trails and photograph several waterfalls. Between 1964 to 1971 a local citizen’s steering committee spearheaded efforts toward establishing a park at Rock Island, TN. The committee worked with both the Tennessee Valley Authority and state officials and managed to acquire, through purchase, several tracts of private property. In 1971, 350 acres were leased from TVA. The TVA lease, the private tracts, and additional land leased from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers comprise the present park.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Every fall an estimated 35,000 Sandhill Cranes migrate southward through the area and stop over at the refuge in route to Central Florida for the winter. Located northeast of the city of Chattanooga. The refuge has an excellent viewing area just off of Hwy 60 near the Birchwood Community.
After driving about 1 mile down a gravel road, we came upon the small parking
lot provided near the viewing platform. When we exited our car, we heard the
honking sounds of the thousands of cranes! It was almost deafening.

The viewing platform is a gazebo structure with a porch built completely around it. The Refuge is fenced and gated from November through February. So, the viewing platform is the only place to observe the cranes. It overlooks the
Hiwassee River and its associated wetlands. From the platform we saw thousands of Sandhill Cranes. They feed in the surrounding fields during the day
and then fly in and roost in or near the water at sunset.

We visited the Refuge at sunrise and at sunset. I found the afternoon light to be the best for photographing the birds. During the morning hours, I was content to watch and listen to the sounds of the birds as they moved out for the day.
An added bonus on our trip was seeing 5 bald eagles and 1 golden eagle flying over the waterways of the Refuge.

Venice Rookery

The Venice Rookery is an excellent place to photograph water birds. It is in the city of Venice on the west coast of Florida, just south of Sarasota.

What is special about the Venice Rookery is that it is located in a city.. The rookery is actually a small island in the middle of a small lake. The lake forms a natural barrier such that the island is a safe place for the birds to nest. Photography is done from lakeshore.

The best time of the day to photograph is early morning and late afternoon when the bird are most active and the light is at its best. I prefer to visit the Venice Rookery in the morning as the sunlight illuminates the entire side of the rookery that faces the shore where photographers can set up their equipment. In the afternoon, only a corner of the rookery is under direct sunlight..

Nature photography is seasonal. While there are birds at the Venice Rookery year round, the best time to photograph there is from winter to early spring. In particular, during February and March, most birds will have their mating plumage on. Some birds will display their courtship ritual while some others may be feeding little chicks, thus providing excellent photo opportunities.
Encompassing more than 5000 acres, this extraordinary refuge on the north side of Sanibel Island provides nesting sites for over 200 species of birds, many of them threatened or endangered, and an ecological system that is sanctuary for hundreds of species of wildlife. We visited in mid- February along with thousands of other tourists. The main road leading to the Refuge was constantly clogged with traffic.

The Refuge Wildlife drive was busy at times, but not to the point where it became a problem. We drove the loop around the Refuge at least 3 times a day. Most lodging was expensive, but we found a quaint place near the Sanibel Lighthouse. The Tarpon Tale Inn is family owned and operated. We found the rooms to be very spacious and tastefully decorated in Seascape motif. The staff was very friendly and most accommodating. Visit them at Tarpontale.com

Bridger-Teton National Forest

Bridger-Teton National Forest located in Western Wyoming offers more then 3.4 million acres of public land for your outdoor recreation enjoyment. With its pristine watersheds, abundant wildlife and immense woodlands, the Bridger-Teton National Forest comprises a large part of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem - the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 United States. Offering nearly 1.2 million acres of designated Wilderness, over 30,000 miles of road and trail and thousands of miles of unspoiled rivers and streams, the Bridger-Teton offers something for everyone. We encourage you to visit this beautiful landscape and experience this unique piece of American Heritage. One part of that beautiful landscape is the Grand Teton National Park. Located a mere eleven miles from downtown Jackson Hole, the Park offers visitors everything from history to big mountains to scenic trails. Drive north from Jackson, past the National Elk Refuge to the entrance at Moose Junction. Later, visit historic Mormon Row. Just one mile north of the turnoff to Moose, follow Antelope Flats Road east along Ditch Creek.

The much-photographed old farm buildings known as Mormon Row have withstood the elements for more than a century. The farmland here was homesteaded by predominantly Mormon settlers from Utah in the early 1900s. It was later purchased by Rockefeller;s Snake River Land Company and then transferred to the Park Service. Although the famed Oregon Trail remained south and didn;t technically pass through Jackson Hole, many emigrants who were traveling west made trips to the area in search of the Promised Land.

The Moulton Ranch, which is the main attraction, nestled in a cluster of old wooden structures, still has an acre that is privately owned. The other buildings were allowed to decay until the 1990s when the Park Service realized their worth and took measures to preserve them. With roaming bison and blossoming arrow leaf balsamroot dominating the landscape in summer, these open fields also provide awesome views of the Teton Range and great photographic opportunities. Whether you prefer sunrises or sunsets, a trip to Mormon Row is a must-do.

Another worthy side trip in the area is to the small settlement of Kelly, which borders the southeastern end of the Park. With a handful of small log homes and a cluster of Mongolian-style yurts, the Kelly establishment is certainly one of the most unusual dwellings in Wyoming. We drove this road several times a day to photograph the Buffalo with the Teton Mountain Range in the background. This loop offers many photographic opportunities.

For more information http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/