The first of two pages taken in or around Branson, Missouri.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Branson walkway at the edge of Lake Taneycomo near the downtown area
June 25, 2013

Walkway along Lake Taneycomo
[A curved black metal railing winds through the middle of the image segregating the water on its left and the sidewalk with lamp posts on the grassy edge on the right. In the distance are tree-covered hillsides.]

Restaurant on Lake Taneycomo
[Sidewalk at the top of the hillside slopes downward to the water. Ahead a restaurant with its supports in the lake sits aboe it.]

Two sleeping female mallards at the water's edge
[The nearly all light brown feathers of the birds blend very well with the rocks upon which they sit. Their heads are turned back with their beaks buried in the feathers (and thus are not visible).]

Not yet been able to identify this bird, but it posed well for me. (It's standing atop the rope handrail to the restaurant.)
[Small brown bird with large, conical beak standing atop the rope handrail leading to the restaurant.]

American Cliff Swallow homes on the underside of a bridge
[Four homes touching each other each with a small hole at the end. Looks like they were built of seeds or mud mucked together.]

American Cliff Swallow
[Bird resting on a tree leaf branch. It's head, throat, and top of chest are dark colored while the rest of the underside is mostly white. Back side is dark. Has a conical beak.]

Snoozing Canada geese (These are geese growing new flight feathers which would normally cover part of their back ends. Notice the blue of the growing feather shafts on the front goose on the right.)
[Four geese at the water's edge with their heads tucked back into their feathers. Two geese have their back ends facing the camer highlighting the brown feathers tailfeathers sticking out of the snowy white rump.]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Branson, Missouri - Table Rock Lake Visitor Center trail views
June 27, 2013

Some shade available on a day the temperature hit 103F
[Paved blacktop approximately six foot wide with approximately one foot of light-colored pea gravel at the edges. Plenty of 50-60 foot leaf-laden trees line the path with some shading it.]

Pearly-eye butterfly amid the leaves
[Amid the brown, curled leaves on the ground is the wing of a buff-colored butterfly with many dots lining the wing. The dots are ringed similar to a bulls-eye with a tiny white center, a much bigger black ring, then a buff ring, then the black outline of a ring. The lower edges of the wing are scalloped.]

This bird is watching me.
[Bird with its head bent to see directly below the branch on which it stands.]

Scissor-tailed flycatcher
Its tail is several times the length of its body and scissors when in flight.
[Light-colored bird with dark wings and tail perched atop a bird-feeder near a tree.]

Interesting tree trunk
[Tree trunk with hollowed opening about a foot above the ground. The opening is in the shape of a fat L.]

Continue to the remainder of the Branson photos. (page 4 of 4)

Return to top of page.

All photos © S. M. Garver