Busiek Beauty

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I am quickly becoming addicted to taking nature nerd photos with my iphone.  After photographing some of my favorite spring wildflowers, I realized there were a few more that I wanted to add to my collection and I knew just where to find them.  Busiek Conservation Area has always been a favorite of mine and no matter what I am seeking, I always leave that place feeling happy and satisfied.  Before heading to Busiek, Kimmel and I made a stop at North Beach Park in Branson, MO.  This small park is bordered by Lake Taneycomo and Roark Creek.  We had seen bald eagles there before, so we took a walk to see if we could spot them.  Unfortunately, we didn’t see eagles, but we did see mallards, coots and pie-billed grebes.  Not bad for a city park.  At Busiek there are miles of trails to enjoy, but it seems like my favorite thing to do is simply wander through the service road area, food plots and creek banks. On this trip we parked in the east lot and kept walking east until we hit the creek. It was quiet and lovely, with signs of new life sprouting all around us. I found the flowers I was hoping for like toothwort, bloodroot and dutchmen’s breeches along the mossy bluffs. When we made it to the creek, Kimmel got just wet enough to get muddy on the way back to the car and I heard and briefly spotted a bird with a rust-colored belly. Don’t know what it was, but it sure was singing its heart out.

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Boston Ferry Conservation Area

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It was a really brutal winter. I mean I hated it. Spring is finally here and you just can’t keep me inside.  Saturday I decided to check out Boston Ferry Conservation Area in Branson, MO.  I had never been to Boston Ferry Conservation Area before and it’s close to home so Kimmel and I grabbed the binoculars and cell phone and drove there! The short trail on the area actually used to be the road that led travelers to the Boston Ferry, which carried them across what was then the White River in the late 1870’s.   The trail is only half of a mile in length, but it does not loop so you will walk a mile completing it and coming back.  Don’t let the short distance on this trail fool you, there is plenty of Ozarks beauty to behold on this quick jaunt.  I encountered some of my favorite spring wildflowers such as wake robin, wild sweet William, false rue anemone and service berry – all very welcome sights.  The trail goes through rocky, wooded hillsides, down into a valley.  We could hear a small stream gurgling in places as we walked.  We also heard two barred owls calling to each other.  Barred owls are Missouri’s most common owl and also the least nocturnal.  They can often be heard calling out “Who Cook for You?” during the daylight hours.  The trail will end at a gate with a sign reading “End of Public Use Area”.  Boston Ferry Conservation Area is a beautiful place and totally worth an hour or so of your time while in Branson.

I decided to take a detour and drove through Forsyth before heading home.  We stopped at Shadow Rock Park, where Swan Creek meets Bull Shoals Lake.  There were about 15 people fishing there, some on shore and some in boats.  We watched them for 20 minutes, but nobody caught a thing. I always thought this little park was pretty. The bluffs along Swan Creek next to the bridge are beautiful and in the summer, Shadow Rock Park is a great swimming hole.

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