Friday, October 12, 2012

Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park

I am sharing some of our birds, critters and scenes from the Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park  for Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

 I did not have much luck birding in the Smokies, some of the common birds I saw were the Dark-eyed Junco and lots of Wild Turkeys. I could hear Blue Jays, American Crows, Turkeys Vultures,  unknown Warblers, Titmouse, Chickadees and Nuthatches but none of them wanted their photo taken. In the creek near our hotel and town  I saw some Mallard Ducks.


 

Above are shots of the Grotto Falls, A Dark-eyed Junco, Fall colors, Cades Cove horses, Wild Turkey, behind Grotto Falls, Smoky Mountain colors, deer, Cades Cove.



On our first full day, hubby and I drove to the Roaring Fork Motor Drive and headed for the parking lot for the Grotto Falls before it got too crowded. At the beginning of the drive we saw a black bear, I did manage a blurry photo before the park ranger clapped it away. We did the 2.6 mile roundtrip hike to the waterfall. I even walked behind the waterfall, a first for me after many different waterfall visits.


 








I was checking out the color along the Grotto Falls trail.






Later in the day we headed to the Cades Cove drive, here we saw horses, wild turkeys and some deer.  It was very crowded and took a while to do the 11 miles of the motor tour.

 





Some of the pretty Smoky Mountain colors.

 





Since, the birds were hiding from me and my camera I decided to take some shots of the horses. They are pretty.






I was happy hearing and seeing the birds moving quickly all along this Grotto Falls trail. It was very birdy trail, just not a good day for taking bird photos.  I hope you enjoyed hiking to the waterfall with me and seeing the Cades Cove Horses.


To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit: Green Day  and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

61 comments:

  1. may not have found many birds, but those colors, mountains and horses make up for it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous shots, Eileen. What a fantastic trip! Stunning views.
    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. those smoky mountains are gorgeous, beautiful colors and pretty shadows!!

    love the horses, the white with the brown is really special!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Eileen...Loved this post..the photo of the mountain is marvelous!
    I do love waterfalls, have never been behind on either!
    Awesome photos!
    Have a great weekend!
    Grace

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't have much luck birding in the Smokies either --but there are plenty of other things to do.

    Glad you checked out Grotto Falls. We like it too.. Rainbow is another one in that area --but a longer hike.

    I don't care much for the Smokies in October due to the traffic. BUT--we want to go up there one day while the trees are still gorgeous...

    Have a great weekend/week.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  6. The birds were at some where enjoying beautiful Nature.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely walk -- I remember Cades Cove from our visit to the GS.....

    Sometimes I have to remember to think back to the time pre-digital and pre-blog when I was thrilled to just SEE or even hear birds -- I didn't need to get a picture to be happy! (You are good at identifying by bird call -- I have never mastered that skill.

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gorgeous captures.
    Thumbs up for the waterfall shot.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very nice Fall scenes, especially with the waterfall. And the Turkey in the Fall colour seems appropriate for Autumn time of year. Well, at least the one in the collage,

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Eileen,

    Eu amo os passarinhos, tanto como você. Quando penso em não fotografá-los, eles aparecem na minha frente e não resisto.
    Mas, como sempre, suas imagens são lindas, e dessa vez a natureza sobressaiu mais que os pássaros.
    Abraços.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Que maravilha de fotos e cores!!Adorei! beijos,chica

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful photos Eileen,
    really beautiful.

    You always post the most wonderful pictures.

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.

    I hope the sun shines on you.

    Take care

    x Fiona

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great shot of the waterfall. The colors in the mountains are beautiful. Shame that it was so crowded and you couldn't capture any birds.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sem dúvida um belo passeio. Estar com a natureza é uma das melhores formas de esquecer o stress. Um abraço, lindas fotos!

    www.omirantedaimagem.blogspot.com.br

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awesome scenery on your trip. I love all your photos!

    ReplyDelete
  17. wow what a wonderful day in the Smokies! I've never been but you photos are fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Smoky Mountains are great for seeing wildlife but too bad about the birds. Are birds shy this time of year? I just started birding last autumn so I really don't know the answer. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Eileen, your pix from the mountains are beautiful - Autumn is always the loveliest time of year here in the southeast.

    My recent trip to Western Australia turned up a lot of beautiful birds................and of course crocodiles..........when we were out on the water. Many sea eagles, kites, jacanas, cormorants, darters, egrets, herons, storks etc. and the prettiest duck ever, the plumed whistling-duck!
    Amazing bird life in the Kimberley Region, and Kakadu Natl. Park, NT.

    Thanks for stopping by - happy birding days.
    Fondly, Mary

    ReplyDelete
  20. Beautiful shots Eileen, when there's a lacking of birds, try nature, this is perfection.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'll enjoy going on nature walks with you. Thanks for stopping by Just Cats so we could meet. Deb Ontario, Canada

    ReplyDelete
  22. Another lovely series of photos Eileen. I loved them all but particularly enjoyed the one you took behind the waterfall. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Some days the birds just don't want to play ball with us photographers or birders Eileen.I swear tht as soon as wea re out of sight they come right out and show themselves. Never mind you got some great landscape pictures and the birds will save until another day. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Bilder wie aus dem Märchen..

    DANKE sagt das katerchen mit einem LG zum Wochenende

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Eileen!Beautiful pictures!The mountains, the water fall the hourses,all those amazing colors!!Thank you for sharing them with us!Have a lovely weekend!
    Dimi..

    ReplyDelete
  26. Beautiful shots of scenic place.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Admire your shots, Eileen. Love them all.

    http://www.1sthappyfamily.com/2012/10/a-giraffe.html

    ReplyDelete
  28. What gorgeous fall color you found in the mountains!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Eileen I love all your photos from the Great Smokey Mountains! What a gorgeous area of the country!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Beautiful shots!
    What a fantastic trip you had.
    Hope you're having a great weekend.
    Mette

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a wonderful grouping of pictures! Sounds like an amazing trip! I love that area so much.

    ReplyDelete
  32. What a beautiful place, Eileen! I love the colorful leaves in the mountains.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Oh !What a wonderful post !I liked the photo with the gold-red trees !
    Full of autumn's colour !
    Olympia

    ReplyDelete
  34. I wish i can jump NOW to this photos a live a bit of this moments, stunning

    ReplyDelete
  35. Amazing photos. You may not have been able to capture the birds, but you did capture some very beautiful scenery. Love the fall foliage and the waterfall.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I do like the waterfall shots - the one from behind is a different kind of view point.

    Stewart M - Australia

    ReplyDelete
  37. Dearest Eileen,
    Wonderful pictures of nature, haha birds hid from you. Well, srry for my silliness but I have just noticed your Smugmug and enjoyed the pictures in your side-bar. Nice idea to keep your GORGEOUS pictures, isn't it(^_^)v
    Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow what gorgeously mellow shots!

    ReplyDelete
  39. you have so many gorgeous places to visit Eileen. You probably never get bored. :) Have a great sudnay.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Great photos and a great photo opportunity location. I love waterfalls and autumn colours and of course birds. A bear sighting! how exciting! What a wonderful trip you had.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  41. Wonderful photos Eileen, love the colors you captured. Have a great rest of the weekend.

    dan

    ReplyDelete
  42. what a beautiful place, lovely waterfalls and stunning autumnal colours!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Great series Eileen!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  44. wOw!! gorgeous smoky mountain colors!!! and the waterfalls!!

    mountains, horses and a bear, OH MY!! =)

    happy sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Such gorgeous nature photos! I love the waterfall one.

    ReplyDelete
  46. the water fall is amazing, incredible light!!

    beautiful post from top to bottom :)

    ReplyDelete
  47. I love the red color tones in the wood, but alos the lovely waterfall and the beautiful horses. Great !

    ReplyDelete
  48. magnifique,merci du partage !

    bonne semaine ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Someone else had a dark-eyed junco today, they're gorgeous. I've not seen one here, and now wonder if they ARE in this area. Eileen, LOVE the back side of the waterfall image. Wow.

    Thanks for linking up at the Bird D'Pot this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Beautiful colors and I love both waterfall shots.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Oh, I would love to visit the Smokey Mountains. All the photos are wonderful, but my favorite are the behind the waterfall and the Smoke Mountain colors!

    ReplyDelete
  52. You never know what will present itself. In this case....autumn!!! I'd love to have some of that color here:)

    ReplyDelete
  53. WOW!! The scenery is stunning and those Autumn colours on the mountain are breathtaking!!

    ReplyDelete
  54. These are all great shots. I love the color on the mountains and the waterfalls.

    ReplyDelete
  55. What a beautiful place Eileen! I'm sure you saw some good birds even if you didn't get photos, so what. That waterfall would be worth the trip all on its own!

    ReplyDelete
  56. That mountainside is on fire! Love the horses!

    ReplyDelete

Hello, thank you for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.

BTW, Anonymous comments unless a name is included will not be published. Also, comments with links will be deleted.

Have a happy day, Eileen

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts." Rick's Cafe, N...