Reelfoot Lake is a shallow natural lake ocated in the northwest portion of Tennessee. Much of it is really more of a swamp, with bayou-like ditches (some natural, some man-made) connecting more open bodies of water called basins. Reelfoot Lake is noted for its bald cypress trees and its nesting pairs of bald eagles.
Between mid-December 1811 and mid-March 1812 a series of catastrophic earthquakes shook West Tennessee and the rest of the Central Mississippi Valley. Judging from reports and eyewitness accounts, the quakes would have measured among the highest ever recorded on the modern Richter scale. Some reports said that the quakes were strong enough to awaken sleepers in Washington, D.C., and allegedly some tremors were felt twelve hundred miles away in Quebec City, Canada. (see http://www.reelfoot.com). Our guide Daniel said that it even rang church bells in Boston! The quakes led to the creation of Reelfoot lake.
It was a tremendous trip...I've never seen a bald eagle up-close and personal before, and it truly took my breath away. These birds are entirely majestic and beautiful! Enjoy this slide show with pictures of the surrounding area, some eagles nesting, some owls and other fowl, and even feeding time for the snakes...
1 comment:
Looks pretty amazing, guys! Nicholas, we're so glad you got to have this neat experience. The only time I've seen Bald Eagles was at the Raptor Center in Statesboro and at the Jax Zoo, and unfortunately both times I was more moved to tears than to awe. Both birds I saw were injured. It's heartbreaking to see such a majestic bird handicapped. I've never seen one in the wild, though, and I'm sure that was quite an experience!
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