I went to a new area of Arkansas yesterday morning and explored Sunnymede Trail Park which is in Fort Smith on the banks of the Arkansas River with Steve Creek.
See some of the photos Steve has taken at the park here.
Sunrise and the Arkansas River at Sunnymede Trail Park – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/3200, ISO 1600, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 124mm, natural light
I don’t know precisely what caused all of the smoke in the air yesterday, but I smelled it all morning long, even hours before daylight and getting to the park.
The smoky air added to the drama of sunrise though so just know I am not really complaining. As a rule, the air here in Arkansas is ever so much better than where I lived in Utah.
The Arkansas River, the on the other side, and the glowing light all combined, delighted me. There were also more than a hundred cormorants on the water along with a few Canada Geese, some ducks, a Bald Eagle, and a chattering Belted Kingfisher. One American White Pelican also flew past.
Smoky sunrise on the Arkansas River at Sunnymede – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/8000, ISO 1600, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 117mm, natural light
In addition to the birds on the river, I saw two barges in the dim light at dawn.
The main trail is easily walkable and wheelchair accessible. Some of the secondary trails might not be wheelchair accessible.
We were a bit early for spring migrants, but I did see my first Tree Swallow of the year. Other birds seen from the trail included Eastern Phoebes, numerous sparrows, American Robins, Eastern Meadowlarks, Northern Mockingbirds, European Starlings, Eastern Bluebirds, and more.
I hope to head back to Sunnymede once more migrant birds arrive, which should be any day now!
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Arkansas landscape photos.
Soft, radiant and beautiful. Great pics. Thanks Mia.