Theropods

I go to the river. I see dinosaurs. Very cool.

Olmsted Island

"To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."--Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. regarding the National Parks.

Just off the C & O Canal towpath, south of the old Tavern Visitor Center in Potomac Maryland, there is a raised boardwalk with a series of footbridges that leads to Olmsted Island. At the end of the walk is an overlook which affords a spectacular view of Great Falls.

Protecting rare plant species found only in this unique habitat by concentrating all foot traffic in one place, the 1/4 mile long boardwalk and the overlook embody the spirit of conservation expressed in the above quote. It is a very small footprint upon this large yet fragile landscape. Thanks to Mr. Olmsted and like-minded others and their inspired words and deeds, future generations will be able to enjoy all the many and various aspects of our National Parks, including this island, the flora and fauna within, and that wonderful view of those turbulent falls.

The images below are a small representation of this area. All were shot from either the boardwalk or the overlook.

Wildlife Series. #6

Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

Want to hear a Vulture? Well, just click here. And, yes, it sounds just as beautiful as it looks!

Again, we're out over Great Falls. The first shot is an adult. (note the red head) The second, immature. (grey head) You very rarely get to hear vultures in the wild. The sound above was taken from an injured vulture in captivity.

These birds, like the herons in a previous post, never fail to give me an opportunity to practice my panning technique. Elbows in, eyebrow pressed to the viewfinder, steady breathing, turn at the waist, don't twists your wrists. And, oh yeah, hold the shutter button down for LOTS of shots! (don't forget to edit!)

You can see these creatures soaring (and not too far overhead) from the observation deck on Olmstead Island within the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Maryland.

This post concludes (temporarily, at least) our wildlife series. Will try to get back to posts of greater variety next week. Hope you enjoyed this brief venture into the wild.

Later!