Mammoth at Cagle, and return

 Friday 3/4/2022


Leaving day and not too soon. The campground had filled up a good bit on Thursday and it was sure to be a crowded mess by Friday. I wish there was some way to go interesting places without ever having to camp on a weekend.

Nothing especially exciting happened--other than the red-cockaded woodpeckers coming thorugh the campground as we packed up and prepared to leave. I'm not sure I want to camp at this place again anytime soon, but I have to say, there are a whole lot of birds here. I am almost completely sure I saw a Hairy Woodpecker on the second day, but I just didn't get a good enough look to put it down. So that is worth coming back for at the least.

One of these days.

The return trip took four hours and two minutes. Three minutes shorter than the trip out. I don't get it at all--I was expecting it to be much faster because we didn't lose the time at the gas station waiting for a trucker to "get his Wendy's." Only excuse was the traffic slowdown in Dallas

Bird list
Tern; American White Pelican; Double-Crested Cormorant; Kingfisher. Goldfinch. Pine warbler, lots. White-throated sparrow. White-eyed vireo. Chickadee, Titmouse, White-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker. Cardinal, bluejay, phoebe. Turkey vulture.  Wood duck!!! Bald Eagle. Pileated Woodpecker.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker!!!

Notes

1. Take the camera when you go on a bird-watching-slash-exercise-the-dog walk. It will save a lot of backtracking and unnecessary anxiety. At least when you're in a forest where endangered species are likely to be found.
2. Seriously debate pros and cons before taking day trips of more than one-hour's drive to see parks that you don't know exactly what you hope to see there. A 20-minutes drive is okay.
3. Don't do the dirty rice. You don't like it all that much.