Pretty and Ugly - Part 2

[SCraig]

These were all shot at Radnor Lake which is Nashville's version of a No Trespassing area. Never ending "Do Not" rules, one of which is "Do Not Get Off The Paths". The fine for that one is $250. The bottom line for photographers is that you do NOT get any closer to the birds. What you get is what they give you and that is all. The Wood Ducks were in a swampy area that I could have waded into to get closer, but not there. Same for the Wild Turkey. I could have walked up the hill and got a much, much better shot but not at Radnor Lake. They have several rangers that wander around the park all day long looking for people doing that. So, I got what I could get.

The Pretty ...

The Ugly ...

 

[oldhippy]

like the duck, but love the turkey. 2 seemed a little soft..maybe my monitor.. later Ed

 

[e.rose]

These were all shot at Radnor Lake which is Nashville's version of a No Trespassing area. Never ending "Do Not" rules, one of which is "Do Not Get Off The Paths". The fine for that one is $250.

I can't see your images, but this^^^^^ is seriously disappointing. I kept saying how much Keith and I love hiking and stuff and everyone was like, "Well if you want a nice walk, go to Radnor Lake!"

But now that you've said that, I have ZERO desire to go there. What fun is it if you can't explore? :er:

 

[SCraig]

These were all shot at Radnor Lake which is Nashville's version of a No Trespassing area. Never ending "Do Not" rules, one of which is "Do Not Get Off The Paths". The fine for that one is $250.

I can't see your images, but this^^^^^ is seriously disappointing. I kept saying how much Keith and I love hiking and stuff and everyone was like, "Well if you want a nice walk, go to Radnor Lake!"

But now that you've said that, I have ZERO desire to go there. What fun is it if you can't explore? :er:

Nope, you cannot explore. Getting off the designated paths is absolutely forbidden. My recommendation for that would be Couchville Lake at Long Hunter State Park (maybe 8 miles from Hickory Hollow Mall out I-24 and then Old Hickory Blvd). It's a land-locked lake with a paved walking trail completely around it. There are also some other trails taking off in various directions, but if you just want to wander around in the woods nobody is going to say a word.

Second would be Shelby Bottoms. Big nature area and no ridiculous rules like Radnor Lake. It's on the opposite side of I-65 from downtown Nashville.

Radnor Lake is a beautiful place but the rules are absurd. No swimming, no picnicing, no fishing, no running or jogging except on the paved road, no pets except on the paved trail, no musical instruments, no weddings, no getting off the designated paths, no picking the flowers, no feeding the ducks. Pretty much anything you'd expect to be able to do in a state park is prohibited. Think I'm kidding? Click Here. I love the very last line.

 

[SCraig]

like the duck, but love the turkey. 2 seemed a little soft..maybe my monitor.. later Ed

Not seeing any softness here, Ed. Maybe the female Wood Duck in the second since I was focused on the male.

There are a bunch of Wild Turkeys there. I can hear them just about every time I go over there, and frequently run across them.

 

[Overread40]

Turkey's are mad birds - that last picture shows well all the mad colour and shapes to their body! So much to them and the poor devils then went and spoilt it with their rather odd faces and heads - silly birds; but good shots considering the limitations at the time.

These were all shot at Radnor Lake which is Nashville's version of a No Trespassing area. Never ending "Do Not" rules, one of which is "Do Not Get Off The Paths". The fine for that one is $250.

I can't see your images, but this^^^^^ is seriously disappointing. I kept saying how much Keith and I love hiking and stuff and everyone was like, "Well if you want a nice walk, go to Radnor Lake!"

But now that you've said that, I have ZERO desire to go there. What fun is it if you can't explore? :er:

To be fair at many popular places keeping people on the paths is the only way to protect the site. A lot of people wandering can cause wear on the ground (all those feet following similar pathways wears them down, if they are random pathways they can wear down without any repair and thus the ground goes dead).
Then there is protecting mating and breeding species by not letting people get closer and closer as they wish.

One photographer here and there often won't make a difference, especially if they are aware of their own impact and take measures to reduce it. Sadly when one runs a national park with large numbers of the visiting public suddenly the rules tend to change as you've not 1 you've 100 a day photographers.

Ps try chatting with the park rangers, sometimes you can work you way in to get closer or get off the beaten track.

 

[e.rose]

These were all shot at Radnor Lake which is Nashville's version of a No Trespassing area. Never ending "Do Not" rules, one of which is "Do Not Get Off The Paths". The fine for that one is $250.

I can't see your images, but this^^^^^ is seriously disappointing. I kept saying how much Keith and I love hiking and stuff and everyone was like, "Well if you want a nice walk, go to Radnor Lake!"

But now that you've said that, I have ZERO desire to go there. What fun is it if you can't explore? :er:

Nope, you cannot explore. Getting off the designated paths is absolutely forbidden. My recommendation for that would be Couchville Lake at Long Hunter State Park (maybe 8 miles from Hickory Hollow Mall out I-24 and then Old Hickory Blvd). It's a land-locked lake with a paved walking trail completely around it. There are also some other trails taking off in various directions, but if you just want to wander around in the woods nobody is going to say a word.

Second would be Shelby Bottoms. Big nature area and no ridiculous rules like Radnor Lake. It's on the opposite side of I-65 from downtown Nashville.

Radnor Lake is a beautiful place but the rules are absurd. No swimming, no picnicing, no fishing, no running or jogging except on the paved road, no pets except on the paved trail, no musical instruments, no weddings, no getting off the designated paths, no picking the flowers, no feeding the ducks. Pretty much anything you'd expect to be able to do in a state park is prohibited. Think I'm kidding? Click Here. I love the very last line.

Good lord.

We need to reschedule our trip, by the way... :sillysmi:

 

[e.rose]

Turkey's are mad birds - that last picture shows well all the mad colour and shapes to their body! So much to them and the poor devils then went and spoilt it with their rather odd faces and heads - silly birds; but good shots considering the limitations at the time.

These were all shot at Radnor Lake which is Nashville's version of a No Trespassing area. Never ending "Do Not" rules, one of which is "Do Not Get Off The Paths". The fine for that one is $250.

I can't see your images, but this^^^^^ is seriously disappointing. I kept saying how much Keith and I love hiking and stuff and everyone was like, "Well if you want a nice walk, go to Radnor Lake!"

But now that you've said that, I have ZERO desire to go there. What fun is it if you can't explore? :er:

To be fair at many popular places keeping people on the paths is the only way to protect the site. A lot of people wandering can cause wear on the ground (all those feet following similar pathways wears them down, if they are random pathways they can wear down without any repair and thus the ground goes dead).
Then there is protecting mating and breeding species by not letting people get closer and closer as they wish.

One photographer here and there often won't make a difference, especially if they are aware of their own impact and take measures to reduce it. Sadly when one runs a national park with large numbers of the visiting public suddenly the rules tend to change as you've not 1 you've 100 a day photographers.

Ps try chatting with the park rangers, sometimes you can work you way in to get closer or get off the beaten track.

I'm not talking about going to photograph. I'm just talking about going as a normal person who enjoys being outdoors. Park rangers aren't going to give a sh*t about me or what I have to say. They're just gonna point the sign and say, "Get yourself in line, or get out."

 

[SCraig]

Turkey's are mad birds - that last picture shows well all the mad colour and shapes to their body! So much to them and the poor devils then went and spoilt it with their rather odd faces and heads - silly birds; but good shots considering the limitations at the time.

That they are! The sheen in their features changes color as the light hits it differently. They could be very pretty birds except for that record-ugly face

To be fair at many popular places keeping people on the paths is the only way to protect the site. A lot of people wandering can cause wear on the ground (all those feet following similar pathways wears them down, if they are random pathways they can wear down without any repair and thus the ground goes dead).
Then there is protecting mating and breeding species by not letting people get closer and closer as they wish.

One photographer here and there often won't make a difference, especially if they are aware of their own impact and take measures to reduce it. Sadly when one runs a national park with large numbers of the visiting public suddenly the rules tend to change as you've not 1 you've 100 a day photographers.

Ps try chatting with the park rangers, sometimes you can work you way in to get closer or get off the beaten track.

I understand that. I've seen what unrestricted activity can do to a site. A lot of this is politically motivated though. The people in this particular area manipulate laws just for the fun of it.

The site is a relatively small park. I don't know the exact size, probably about 200 acres or so. It was originally a hunting preserve for executives of the former L&N Railroad. Now it is surrounded on all four sides by affluent residential areas, and many of the residents tend to believe it's their own personal playground. The city street that runs through the middle of it was closed because they got tired of vehicle traffic going through the park. It is now in such a state of disrepair that no car could get through there if it tried.

They have signs up all over the place that state "Fragile Forest - Do Not Enter" however the "Fragile Forest" is no different whatsoever than the properties surrounding it. If I were to walk up to the fence dividing it from the adjoining properties why is one side of the fence a "Fragile Forest" while the other side is nothing more than Tennessee wooded area?

I've been to dozens of state parks and state natural areas around Tennessee and I have never seen one as restrictive as this one. This is the ONLY one I have been to anywhere in Tennessee that requires visitors to stay on the designated trails (I normally try to do so wherever I go but this place REQUIRES it, and it is the only one I have seen to do so).

The rangers are quite friendly, and I have talked with them many times. They are completely unrelenting about the rules though. I've never seen anyone get fined, but I've been told on several occasions to get back on the path or I WOULD be fined I was wrong about the cost of the fine I mentioned above to. It isn't $250 it's $196.50.

 

[SCraig]

We need to reschedule our trip, by the way... :sillysmi:

Yeah, have to see what the weather is going to look like (word of advice: NEVER trust a weather forecast more than 24 hours in advance around here this time of year. They LIE!). Plenty of places around here to go, even Radnor Lake