Blount and Beyond Online Magazine - Magazine - Page 87
Take a spring walk with me!
Take a spring walk with me through this story. I hope you enjoy our walk.
Many flowers are blooming now in the foothills of the smoky mountains.
The mountains are always beautiful in the spring.
In this area we still have many cooler days, the weather is unpredictable.
The trees are beginning to bloom. Animal families are running about, the
rabbits, chipmunks, and squirrels just to name a few, families of all kinds
of birds, red birds, blue jays, owls, whippoorwills, bob whites, and wild
turkeys are just a few of the birds we see when we are out walking. If you
take a walk, please remember to stay on the trails because some birds
make their nest on the ground and a person could step on them.
Also, when walking near waterways remember the spring lizards, they
are near the waterways nesting, where you are walking. Please do not
destroy any creatures or any plants because they all have a reason to be
there.
Many wildflowers are in bloom, like the wild azalea the wild iris (which is the state flower), firepinks, wild sweet
williams, violets of all colors, and many many more. While on your walk just take in the smell of the fragrance in the air,
all the smells blend into the air is like no other smell on earth.
I hope you have enjoyed our walk today and we will take another walk later.
Gail
The Broadhead Skink’s scientific name is Eumeces laticeps. It is between 4 and 5
inches inlength. It is an active hunter and normally eats insects, spiders, centipedes,
snails, and earthworms. It prefers moist woodlands near streams or rivers and is one of
the most common lizards found in Tennessee. Its brownish-gray coloration, broad head
and smooth scales on its back makes it easy to identify. The Broadhead Skink is found
throughout most of Tennessee except for the extreme western portion of the state.
Killdeer nest on the ground.
……
Wild violets of all colors.
Photos Public Domain