Last summer I had a chance to look closely at some of the pines cut at the Whispering Pines cabin. The pictures pine is 109 years old and the oak is 121 years old. These are not the largest trees. I suspect that this hill was “logged” in about 1895-1900. Most all pines were taken and a few larger oaks. This co-insides with Missouri’s Logging days. The state’s river hillsides were stripped of almost every pine tree between 1880-1910.
Many people ask how a float on the upper river would differ from floats around River of Life Farm ? Still beautiful, and smaller and more intimate, the smallmouth bass fishing is excellent. These photos were from a flat I took last May 5, 2008. These pictures are from Topaz to Hale.
Only two of these photos can be actual location identified. The trip from St. Louis to Dora took two full days; have fun …….. take plenty of patience, auto parts, water, and food. Notice how desolate some of the hills were due to over harvesting the shortleaf pine.
Ospreys have always been my favorite raptor. I saw one dive several hundred feet and hit the water to retrieve a fish. That sounded like a rifle shot. I believe that was in the 1970’s. Since then , I have only seen them seasonally at River of Life Farm, on the North Fork River. They can be spotted from September until November and again for a few months in the spring on the North Fork.
This past fall 2008, when I went to ROLF in September, I stayed in the tree house by the river, knowing that I would great photographic opportunities for Ospreys and Eagles. For the most part, the songbirds had lost their voice for the year; expect an occasional Common Yellow Throat Warbler and a White Eyed Vireo or two. Also, there is always a Carolina wren calling.
I arrived on a Monday evening; after saying “hello” to Myron and Ann, I unloaded my camera equipment, fly-rod, and clothes and laid on the bed to rest about an hour before taking a walk. No sooner did I lay down, than I heard a great screeching outside the cabin. A magnificent osprey had a large fish help under his talons. I jumped up and saw a juvenile osprey perched on an old dead tree across the river. I quietly got out my camera, twisted on a long lens and tried to sneak out onto the deck for a few quick pictures. Just as I got the camera lifted and steadied, a territorial kingfisher, angry by the ospreys intrusion, attacked the drove the osprey off the perch.
I was so disappointed. The next morning another osprey (possibly the same one) was again squawking from the same perch. At this time I set up a tripod with a very long lenses to try for a photograph again. I scared him when I raised the tripod. Another opportunity missed.
During the next 4 days I had at least four more missed chances at a good photograph of this bird and each time he was attacked by the same kingfisher. I finally got a flying shot on the last day; which was far from what I expected after the first day; but still nice. I used a Canon 5D with a 400mm f/5.6L + 1.4 TC Canon lens – handheld.
I noticed on the USGS website, that the North Fork of the White River rose about 4 feet (2080 CFS) after the heavy rains of earlier this week combined with the melting snow/ice left from 2 weeks ago. This pictures is looking at the falls from slightly upstream. Pretty good canoe run right now. Courtesy the McKee Family.
The last few pictures of the great fall colors for 2008 on the road into River of Life Farm on the North Fork of the White River. Picture taken about noon with a Canon 5D and 24-105 mm f4 lens. The colors where in pockets this year, more than usual.
Click on image to enlarge
