Life-giving Trees!

Maple Tree

This is the tree I'm looking out my office window at right now!

One of the best things about McKendree Village is

the large number of beautiful, mature trees!

Indigo Bunting

His head is peaking from behind one of the leaves in lower left quadrant. I've seen several Indigo Buntings along the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, always flying. They don't sit around on branches like some birds. And this tiny glimpse is the only photo I have managed so far - though not much. Click to see larger version. Made with my little pocket camera, Canon Powershot. I'll keep looking for a better shot.

Indigo Bunting Peeking Over a Leaf

Wildflowers on the Greenways

All but three of these photos were made today as I biked along both the Stones River Greenway and the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. They are just one of many reasons I enjoy biking the greenways. Plus today I again saw an Indigo Bunting, just not a very good photo yet of this beautiful bird that doesn't stay still long.

The first of Spring - Wood Sorrel in front of Redbuds

And yes this is the only one that was shared earlier.

But has to be a part of the flowers post! :-)

And sad to announce that they are turning this beautiful spot into a dog park.

Common Daylily, shot last summer in July

Wood Sorrel up close

Red and White Clover

If you click image you can see difference in leaves & flowers

Beardtongue

This could be Smooth or Long Sepal

Smooth Vetch

Japanese Honeysuckle

Smells good but a vicious invasive species not good for local plants

Nodding Thistle

Another invasive species not good for local wildflowers

What a joy to ride by all these flowers 3 times a week!

And there will be new ones during the summer. 

All of these were shot on my little Canon Powershot pocket camera

River Shore Roots

Roots washed up the Cumberland River banks

On my bike ride today

Shelby Bottoms Greenway

My regular routine three days a week is to bike the Stones River Greenway five miles to the Shelby Bottoms Greenway pictured here, three miles to the Nature Center giving me a round trip of 16 miles. Shelby Bottoms is an easier greenway because there are few hills, unlike Stones River with many steep hills. When more ambitious I go downtown making it a 22 or 23 mile trip or to Bicentennial Mall and Farmers' Market for a 28 mile round trip. Shelby Bottoms is mostly level and wooded like in this photo.

Red Kangaroo Boxing

I saw two of our Nashville Zoo male Red Kangaroos "Boxing" today.

Young males do this to establish dominance by knocking the other over.

The one who eventually is dominant will have the females.

After a few minutes, they went back to eating grass.

Click to enlarge

Clover Overtaking Mustard Flowers

My last two bike trips on the Greenway have been only to the Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, but I have noticed all along the greenway that clover has suddenly appeared and becoming dominant over the yellow flowers of last week. Plus it was fun to find one little patch of Red Clover near the skatepark in Two Rivers Park. Maybe I'll get a photo of them Wednesday when I hope to go all the way to downtown Nashville which gives me 23 miles instead of the 16 ridden today. It is so good to have a nature-filled greenway to bike on!

Nature on my Adventures Blog

Wednesday morning I rode my bike to Farmers' Market north of downtown Nashville for lunch and then back. On the way there I photographed this huge Pileated Woodpecker, Wild Tom Turkey with tail spread, and some wildflowers. Could have been posted here on Nature Notes just as well. See the photos at:
http://charliedoggettadventures.blogspot.com/2014/04/biked-to-farmers-market-for-lunch-today.html

My Adventures Blog often includes nature, so consider following it as well as this one.