> Day 3
> Studying the map i found my error. What i thought was an interstate exit
was
> not, so had started to far east. Reorienting i quickly found myself at the
> remembered site from several years prior. As i parked on the bridge and
made a
> faltering mobile phone call an overall clad fella walked out to me along
with
> his dogs. He began telling me how everything was posted, and about snakes
and
> about a boy dieing in a diving accident just downstream off some bluffs. A
very
> odd fellow i thought him to be a bit touched as they say in these parts.
Nice
> enough but a wee bit unsettling in his manner and questions. He gave me
> permission to park but at the same time warned me of his brother and the
fella down
> the way who owned the property were the boy had been swimming. I knew
there
> were a couple more crossings upstream and i told the fella i would scout
ahead
> and would likely return later. A short distance upstream another crossing
> provided a more inviting opportunity. I parked and jumped into clear
water. Nearly
> every site during these 3 days had provided excellent visibility and i was
> very grateful. I worked my way up and down the stream checking out pools
and deep
> flows. A submerged car filled with silt lay in one upper bend. Haunting as
i
> approached it, ffirst i saw the tire, then the door and Oh my! its a car!
> Nearby i was able to clasp the large branches of a submerged tree and peer
10 or
> 12' deep into the slabbed depths. I hoped to see a HellBender searching
out
> crayfish but Rainbow Trout and Red Horses filled the deep water. Masses of
> Rosefin Shiners, a few more Blenny Darters and all the regulars from the
days
> before. I had remembered more confusion from unknown species in my past
visit but
> believe my identification skills have much improved. i was only miffed a
few
> times in all. I found a creeping outflow a ways downstream and eased into
it.
> Clumps of an tighter Anacharis type plant were about. The water was not
much
> cooler but very calm. I pulled myself through the water just inches above
the fine
> silty substrate being very careful not to disturb it. The habitat felt
> leechy, snakey. I carefully peered ahead and a Pickeral raced by me. Only
6 or 8"
> but at home in his lair. I had caught a tiny grass pickeral in this
stream,
> downstream at the first bridge in the prior visit years before. The Duck
River is
> just a few miles downstream so probably offers some unusual river fish
coming
> upstream at times. I kept my eyes alert, more dense clumps and finally
lush
> growths of the plant covered the bottom. A few Snubnosed Darters scimpered
about
> and very quick Newts dashed by. The Newts would not allow me to get
anywhere
> near them. I suspect they were Red Spotteds as i see them at other
regional
> sites to the east. I worked my way back out to the main stream and noticed
a new
> species of fish. I think they were Creek Chubbsuckers. I have seen these
but
> only once or twice before in mid and south Alabama. Their dorsal fin's
black
> leading spine flicks straight up and the fishes body is short and stubby.
This
> was a school of juveniles it appeared numbering about 8 or 12. I did not
> observe them as much as i should have as the creepies were a bit unnerving
in this
> tiny back water. A interesting microhabitat that yielded a couple more
> species.
> I headed upstream in the van and snorkled another site that yielded the
same
> species more or less. I decided to try to visit the convergence of the
Duck
> and Tumbling Creek. No trespassing signs and the wide flow of the Duck
river put
> the fear in me from attemping to swim across to the joining. I returned to
> the first site i had visited the evening before during my scout run. Again
a
> pretty site on the same stream though no new species. I did note that the
River
> Chubbs were actually Red Tailed Chubbs. The smaller one's tails and fins
were
> very red. I collected a few and some of the Tennessee Shiners. I loaded up
and
> headed to a smaller trib of this creek known as Sugar Creek. It passed
just
> under the freeway and hosts a Trout farm and spring just upstream. In it
were
> even less diversity though a very healthy population of fish and crayfish
> resided. Greenside, Snubs and Rainbow Darters. A proliferation of Rosyside
Dace and
> Stripe Shiners. I collected a couple Rosysides to observe and a fella from
the
> Tennessee Water, Conservation and Environment drove up. We discussed the
> species i had observed, the health of the stream and the concerns of the
proposed
> landfill upstream. I had read about it in the local paper the night before
and
> how the community was riled up against it. Several folks claimed how the
> project was going ahead without the proper permission. He assured me it
had not
> begun and in all likelyhood the land fill would not be permitted. The land
> upstream at the proposed site had already been clearcut but the streams
substrate
> seemed healthy silt free. I certainly hope it remains so and that the
little
> town of Bucksnort will prosper with such a cool name and beautiful water
flowing
> through it.
> The day was wrapping up and i wanted to be back home and in my bed by
> midnight. I stopped at Rudy's Restaurant and had one of the finest catfish
dinners i
> have ever sat down to. These 3 days had been the best snorkeling foray i
had
> yet experienced. 3 days of clear water, many new species and the pulsing
orange
> orb. Very fine. I would like to strap on a snorkel cam to share some of
these
> images. A autofocus digital motion camera strapped just above my face mask
> with a flexi cabled switch and a small flip down monitor beside my mask.
:)
> Something i saw a few streams back was a full tilt Fantail Darter.
Intricatly
> and distinctly pattered along his side as if by an ultra fine tattooist.
His
> head was black and his dosal fin was tipped w/ egg mimics. When i came
across
> him he was darting about a beautifully patterned Crayfish. He repeatedly
> darted in and nipped at the crayfish. The crayfish had backed into a small
crevase.
> The darter plunged into the crevases shadows and the crayfish would jerk
and
> twitch. Out would come the Fantail his head jet black and then circle back
in.
> Eventually he found the tenderspot on the crawdad and sent him on his
way. I
> carefully lifted the rock and underneath laid neat patterns of egg
clusters.
> The Fantail had been hard at work defending his nesting site. The whole
> episode took several minutes. The Fantail's head would blacken intensely
at times
> and after the crayfish had left the black head faded to the straw color of
the
> body. An impressive and defensive display, that would have made a cool
video
> indeed.
> Casper
-- > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes > / Association" > / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association > / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word > / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to > / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to > / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. > / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org /----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org