Fall in a Cypress Swamp
In the Southern U.S., many people feel that we only get two seasons, hot and hotter! We may not have mountains with sugar maples that turn a fiery red in the fall, but we do have bald cypress trees. The bald cypresses turn a brilliant shade of gold in the autumn. Their golden needles contrast magnificently with their grey trunks and Spanish moss. These shots were taken last week at Rines Lake. Rines Lake is a wildlife management area that lies along the Pascagoula River. In the spring it is a wonderful location to look for migrating song birds. This area is comprised of two partially open water oxbow lakes; Upper Rines Lake and Lower Rines Lake. Both lakes are surrounded by bottomland hardwood forest. A large sandbar lies next to the Pascagoula River just a short ways from the lakes.