Tag Archives: Arkansas River

Saturday’s Critters – Pelicans and More on the Arkansas River

I went on a bike ride along Tulsa’s RiverParks trails the other day. I took my SuperZoom camera with me hoping that I would see something. It turns out that American White Pelicans were on the river that day. This is a group I spotted near where I started at 71st street. They were on a sandbar near the other side of the river.

Here is a closeup of them. I find them kind of comical on land. They are very graceful in the water and flying.

And here is five miles north at the newly reconstructed Zink Lake Dam. They were paddling around fishing.

Another closeup.

And maybe 50 yards downstream of the dam this group of pelicans and great blue herons were trying their luck in the shallows.

The pelicans and herons seemed to tolerate each other’s presence pretty well.

In the calm waters up stream of the dam a flotilla of geese were cruising.

I am linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Go check it out.

Skywatch Friday – Sunset, Eclipse, River Views

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I went on a walk one evening and found this sunset at the end.

We got a new backyard fence a couple months ago. I finally got my weather station reinstalled.

My sister and her husband came to visit. One day we had an eclipse party in the backyard. Everyone had the special sunglasses except for Kodi the dog but he doesn’t care about eclipses so it was all good. After this shot, I wished I had thought to launch my drone. Not to look at the eclipse but looking down at this group as it went up in the air. It would have simulated the rapture for me. Don’t worry, I’m not a rapture but I thought it would have been fun to simulate it.

I took a short bike ride and checked out the water behind the new dam on the Arkansas River here in Tulsa. The river sure looks like nice full of water.

I feel kind of guilty because the Arkansas River is braided prairie river. They have sandbars and multiple channels and support lots of wildlife. So I am conflicted. But the “new” river sure makes nice photos.

And another Lego animal from our trip to the Tulsa Botanic Garden a few weeks ago.

So that is it for this week. I am linking to Skywatch Friday and My Corner of the World.

Skywatch at Tulsa’s Gathering Place

Last week before the weather got bad son Logan and I had a walk at Tulsa’s Gathering Place. One of my favorite spots is the sensory garden. All sorts of fun stuff here including mirrors and a geocache.

We checked out one of the play towers. When there are no kids around I have been known to climb up into these things. We just looked at it today.

And the beach. Too cold for anything beach related besides taking photos.

And the small lake, not much happening there.

I love the big timbers holding up the elevated trails. They have trails going this way and that and some of them cross over others. It’s quite the maze. Fun though!!

I violated a photography rule by shooting into the sun. I also got a crooked pic. Somehow, it worked for me.

And the roof the boat dock.

And then we ventured over to the nearby Arkansas River where the a new dam and pedestriana bridge are being built. The stuff in the foreground is where a new kayak park is going in. All this is going to be ready late next year.

And we saw two Cats.

And a Deer!!

Nope, this is not in Tulsa. I finished another jigsaw puzzle on my ipad. This one kicked my butt pretty good. I’m getting to where I like the tough ones.

If you want to visit the Gathering Place check out their web site. It’s free!! Bring money for drinks and food but you don’t need tickets or anything. Just come on down. Tell them I sent you.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday. Check it out. You’ll like it. I promise.

Shadowy Bollards along the River

The concrete bollards cast shadows along the Arkansas River in Tulsa one recent frosty morning.

Linking with Shadow Shot Sunday 2

A Walk Along the River in Tulsa

The other day I went on a geocaching hunt on the Arkansas River. The hunt was fun but I really loved the walk even more.

It was very chilly, windy, and sunny. The sun was getting low and I loved the light on the trees and leaves against the clean blue sky.

It was magical.

So I took my time.

At one point I could look all the way down the river to downtown Tulsa.

A closeup.

Back to the sunlight and trees.

What a nice break in the afternoon! Tulsa has lots of nice winter days like this. Of course Winter is 35 days or so away.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday. Come join in!

Skywatch Friday – Tulsa Skies

On a bike ride a week or so ago I stopped and took a photo across the Arkansas River to this power plant. Yep, I used a filter.

From the same spot I turned about 30 degrees to my right and captured this scene of the new pedestrian bridge and low water dam going on. They are really busy, busy, busy with all the work going on. Who knows when it is going to be done.

A few days later I took my bike back to the river to do another dam inspection trip and the skies opened up. Fortunately, I hadn’t started my ride yet.

A few days later I was walking in a park and captured this scene.

I took a hike on Turkey Mountain and captured a scene at Pepsi Lake.

The trail I was on came out on a powerline right of way and hey, there is the office building I worked in for about half my career way on downtown. I waved, “Hey guys, get your butts back to work.”

That’s about it for this week. I’m linking with Skywatch Friday. Come join in the fun!!

Skywatch Friday – Oklahoma and Wyoming

Below is not my photo. This is a jigsaw puzzle I did on my Ipad of the Mouton Barn at Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. This may be the most photographed barn in the world!!

I’ve always loved Mormon Row, it reminds me of a ranch that my aunt and uncle had in Idaho not that far from this scene in Wyoming. The closed up barn with great patina. The brutal winters mean not too many windows.

This is a photo I made a few years ago. Just looking at how the west barn eave cuts into the tree line I think I was standing just 10 to 20 feet west of where the person who took the photo for the puzzle was standing.

And while we are loosely of the subject of architecture. Above is a photo of Westhope here in Tulsa. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I think it is one of only three of his designs in Oklahoma. I knew of it but had never chased it down until last week when I did a geocaching AdventureLab focusing on oil millionaires houses in Tulsa.

And this is from a bike ride I did earlier this week in Tulsa. The river is the Arkansas River and the hill across the river is Turkey Mountain. An Urban Wilderness in the middle of Tulsa.

And here is the monarch waystation I help take care of on Turkey Mountain.

And a couple of sky photos from a hike at Oxley Nature Center.

And a shot of a prairie at Oxley.

And a drone shot from our backyard in south Tulsa looking west toward the sunset.

That’s all I got this week. I’m linking with Skywatch Friday. Come check it out!!

Tulsa Wildlife Update

I went hiking earlier this week on Turkey Mountain here in Tulsa. I came across this tiny frog traversing the trail.

I also went for a bike ride and took my camera with me again. As I was going down the trail I spotted a bald eagle flying high over me but headed down to the river. So I pulled out and spotted this guy fishing. That’s two weeks in a row I’ve seen a bald eagle in approximately the same location. Sorry for the fuzzy photo. I was at the far end of the range of my Canon Superzoom.

I also found this egret, or white heron or something several miles north of the Eagle out in the river looking for lunch.

And white pelicans on a sandbar.

And a log with two pairs of turtles. I didn’t know that momma turtles gave baby turtles piggy back (turtle back?) rides.

And a great blue heron. Again at pretty good range. They are skittish!!

That’s it for this week. I am linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Lots of really good posts there. Check it out.

Arkansas River Critters

Last Monday I braved the heat for a bike ride on Tulsa’s RiverParks trails bordering the Arkansas River as it flows through town. I took my Canon SuperZoom camera along in a backpack hoping to take some photos.

I found what I think are great egrets. (I’m not a very good birder so if you have better ID I would appreciate it very much.) This one was looking for lunch in the shallow water.

This nearby group seemed more into grooming than eating.

Further down the river I spotted this great blue heron. They are very skittish and so by the time I stopped my bike, and retrieved the camera from the backpack and focused, this guy was ready to leave.

Nearby, this group of pelicans were hanging out together.

I saw something black with a white spot almost clear to the other riverbank. It turns out that it is a bald eagle. The first image of one I have captured in the wild. Sorry about the poor quality but it was at the far range of the camera.

I was pretty happy with my photos. Again, if I have misidentified any of them please let me know.

I’m linking with Eileen’s Saturdays’s Critters.

Skywatch Friday – Construction Stuff

I went on on another bike ride the other day on Tulsa’s RiverParks trails along the Arkansas River. I took my Canon Superzoom Camera with me. I stopped again at The Gathering Place to check on the new pedestrian bridge and new dam being constructed. Not much progress so I focused on the construction equipment being used.

In the bed of the river they had this huge concrete pump putting concrete around boulders on the riverbed. So it looks like in addition to the bridge and dam maybe they are shaping the river for other purposes. I’ll have to check into that.

There were lots of tracked backhoes at work (I call them track hoes.) This one was actually on the west side of the river doing something not related to the bridge or dam.

Here are several more on the riverbed. The contractors have constructed a huge cofferdam to divert the river flow to the west side of its banks to make room for construction.

And another trackhoe

And yet another. Not too many of them were being operated the day of my ride. I have no idea why. The weather was great.

And this one had a jackhammer type attachment.

As you can tell, I love construction equipment and checking out construction and trying to figure out what they are doing and how they are going about it.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday. Come check it out.

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