Central Ohio NatureFirst Snow
Posted on December 2, 2020
It was a cloudy windy morning with temperatures near the freezing point. While not a day that beckoned, the enticement to get outdoors was season’s first snow. In this time we’ve learned to celebrate each day, “welcome mat” or not. Wishing that there had been a little more snow we contented ourselves with only a light dusting. It was enough to outline the sometimes graceful arc of a nearby branch or a pine tree’s seasonal shape. The path along the reservoir’s shore was quiet. With few people around there was no real need to worry about a Covid mask or social distancing. Walking, the north wind was strong enough to remain us that a scarf, as well as mittens rather than gloves, would have been a good idea, but we were thankful for the promise of the day.
Griggs Reservoir.
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Not far from shore a pair of Hooded Mergansers were seen. The first spotted on the reservoir this season.
Hooded Mergansers are not a common sight on the reservoir.
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With the snow, hidden beauty.
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A few moments later a Bald Eagle passed high over head, flying out of sight so quickly that it was just captured by the camera.
Bald Eagle over Griggs Reservoir.
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Through the trees.
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On a day that held low expectations, with the sighting of the mergansers, the eagle, and a Carolina Wren that was almost close enough to touch but evaded the camera lens, we were awake to the moment. Having barely gotten out of the car, the question of what would be seen next was answered by downy woodpeckers, chickadees, and robins but only one other bird chose to pose . . .
In a landscape of black and while, color. Eastern Bluebird.
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A hint of things to come.
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The coming of the first snow opens a door into a world of new perceptions, awaking the awareness of time passing and change, and leaving us with thoughts of things lost and things to be.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Autumn Quiet
Posted on November 16, 2020
While walking a few days ago we witnessed a unique display of natures beauty. Unlike many times in November when wind tears at trees and sends autumn color spiraling high overhead and then down to a final resting place, on this particular day the almost bare branches stood completely motionless, in the absence of even the lightest zephyr, while the late afternoon sun seem to transform their remaining leaves into glass sculptors of translucent amber and gold. An experience easily missed had we been absorbed in thoughts of the world or our country’s woes, past, present, or future.
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In spring and summer we enjoy the warm embrace of life in the form of trees, flowers, insects, birds, and other living things. Now we must quietly look much closer. Sometimes in doing so we may be rewarded with with a fleeting glimpse of a wren.
A Winter Wren moves mouse-like among the low laying exposed roots and branches at rivers edge.
A Carolina Wren adds it’s cheerful, bigger than life, voice to the autumn air.
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River reflection.
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Often when surveying the dull landscape of late fall, it’s hard to believe anything else will appear that will be as charming as the wrens, but surprisingly:
Fortified by poison ivy berries and similar delicacies Yellow-rumped Warblers often hang around well into the fall.
A Downy Woodpecker uses it’s tongue, (Donna).
A tiny group of mushrooms add their color.
Eastern Bluebirds also seem to enjoy Poison Ivy berries.
A lonely sentinel defies the season, (Donna).
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet refuses to display it’s crown.
A Golden-crowned Kinglet is a little more cooperative, (Donna).
While hiking at Battelle Darby Creek MP in early November, after already having a period of cold weather, we were surprised by the emergence of Eastern Comma butterflies. There were so many that we lost count.
A Song Sparrow poses, (Donna).
Late autumn color collage, (Donna).
With most leaves down, the Brown Creepers are much easier to spot.
A male House Finch enjoys an invasive honeysuckle berry. Probably the main way this plant has spread, (Donna).
Winter can’t be far away when Dark Eyed Juncos are seen foraging for fallen seeds below your feeders.
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The late morning November sun plays in the branches of an old oak.
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Looking ahead to days wrapped in winter’s brittle chill I’m remined that no matter whether one spends time with a friend or among the trees there are always opportunities for discovery if one doesn’t live by rote and is truly present in the moment.
A Gray Squirrel huddles against a cool breeze.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Wonder Of Change
Posted on November 4, 2020
Along the path
a spot where water collects
is now a puddle of autumn’s amber leaves.
A few months ago,
as cliff swallows collected material for their nests,
it was place for spring rain, mud, and new life.
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Yesterday, as we walked, it was quiet,
nothing competing with the small voice of a chickadee in a nearby tree,
while along the path,
the leaves, in gentle release, drifted down like soft snow
and the sun struggled to warm us,
as it danced between the clouds.
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Today, into the wind, I lowered my head and grabbed the brim of my hat,
as leaves in wild flight,
having lost the battle,
were torn from almost bare branches.
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Tomorrow,
the journey continues
and with it
the wonder of change.
rsp
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Autumn On Griggs Reservoir
Posted on October 27, 2020
By mid to late October in central Ohio, should we be blessed with a nice day, we wonder if it might be the season’s last opportunity for an enjoyable paddle.
It’s true that on days with little wind, if colder temperatures can be tolerated, one can usually paddle through December on Griggs Reservoir. But once the trees and leaves part company, the landscape takes on a stark appearance, and the experience becomes less intimate. One feels more exposed with only bare branches to separate the paddler from shoreline homes and the now much louder traffic noise from the adjacent highway.
Of the larger birds that can still be enjoyed; gulls, Great Blue Herons, and Belted Kingfishers will remain throughout the winter in areas where there is open water. There is also some compensation in the fact that, along with the Red-tailed and Coopers Hawk, the bare branches make spotting the resident pair of Bald Eagles much easier. Concerning living things other than birds, on a December paddle a few years ago we did see a few turtles enjoying the sun. However, that was a rare exception as, for the most part, by mid-November wildlife becomes scarce. Great Egrets, cormorants, vultures, and osprey have all headed south. Of the smaller birds, with the exception of a few yellow-rumped warblers that may hang around all winter, the others warblers have long since passed through.
Motivated by these thoughts a few days ago, we put the boat in the water on what could turn out to be the last really nice day.
Looking for birds and other critters.
Those of you that have followed this blog for a while may have heard us reflect that one never knows what will be discovered when paddling our local reservoirs. We often go some distance without seeing anything other than a few of the usual suspects,
High overhead this Great Blue Heron watched as we paddle by.
. . . then just when we’re about to assign the outing “well, it was a nice paddle . . .” status, we stumble upon something that charms and amazes us. Such was the case when we happened upon three killdeer at water’s edge engaged in what seemed to be some sort of dance. They postured, positioned, and pursued each other for as long as we chose to watch. Mating behavior in autumn? We were left to wonder.
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Griggs Reservoir is a long narrow body of water bordered by homes on one side and a highway and city park on the other.
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Paddling into a breeze that reminded us how long it had been since we were in the canoe, we left the killdeer behind and headed back to our launch site still excited about what we’d witnessed and telling ourselves that, even if we saw nothing else, it had been a great day.
A small Map Turtle cooperates for a picture which is not usually the case for these very wary turtles, (Donna).
A female Wood Duck’s portrait gets photo bombed by a mallard, (Donna).
These mallard Ducks are apparently not “locals” as they took flight as we got close. The year round residents would not have flown, (Donna).
We actually got close enough for an acceptable picture of this male Belted Kingfisher. Anyone who has ever tried to photograph these birds realizes it’s not an easy task, (Donna).
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While not possessing the beautiful autumn color of a Vermont maple this sycamore does it’s best.
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As we “headed for the barn”, our day just about complete, we noticed commotion in a dead tree at waters edge. Moving closer, a number of Eastern Bluebirds were observed very actively checking out what had been a tree swallow nesting cavity earlier in the year. Surely they weren’t getting ready to make little bluebirds this late in the year. (It turns out the bluebirds may nest more than once a year.) We were almost as entranced as we had been by the killdeer and moved on only when our curiosity had been satisfied and maintaining the boat position, in the increasing windy conditions, started to seem like work.
Male and female Eastern Bluebirds check out a nesting cavity, (Donna).
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A few hundred yards later, we pulled the canoe out of the water and stowed the gear in the car. It had been a good day. Would it be the year’s last nice one for a paddle?
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Thanks for stopping by.
Embracing Autumn
Posted on October 18, 2020
On a recent hike on a rather cold but clear autumn morning a friend exclaimed how good it was to be outdoors on such a beautiful day, and that at this point in her life she is really trying to embrace autumn. She related that she was hoping to shed the, all too easy to acquire, mindset that autumn is just that beautiful but fleeting season between summer and winter. She was going to look closer, be in the moment, and appreciate. An admirable goal any time of the year, but particularly in the ever shorter days of early October when it all seems to go by quickly.
The morning sun accentuates the color across the reservoir, Griggs Reservoir Park (GRP).
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She talked about sketching, and how looking at a flower or other object in the effort to draw it really enhanced her seeing and appreciating. I couldn’t help but think of it as a meditation. Certainly photographs and words can also lead to a more intimate relationship with nature as we compose a picture or reflect on things not capable of being being expressed in a picture.
Autumn reflection, Wahkeeva NP.
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Fall warblers are sneaky. With the exception of the Yellow-rumped Warbler that stick around to enjoy poison ivy berries, warblers move through central Ohio on their way south quickly and quietly without the spring’s distinctive calls. Along with other birds that don’t have to depend on insects for food, cardinals, eastern bluebirds, and woodpeckers, some of which may be from further north, hang around all winter. Interestingly a fair number of Great Egrets, which don’t typically winter in Ohio, are still in the area. Some Great Blue Herons manage to make a living here throughout the winter but their smaller cousin the Green Heron has already left.
A Black-throated Green Warbler passes through (GRP) on it’s way south, (Donna).
Magnolia Warbler (GRP), (Donna).
Eastern Phoebe (GRP).
For obvious reasons this Eastern Phoebe won’t be in the area much longer (GRP), (Donna).
Here some tapping? Look up, it’s probably a Downy Woodpecker, (GRP).
Cheerful Carolina Chickadees keep us company year round (GRP).
Great Egrets, O’Shaughnessy NP
Eastern Bluebirds seem more common in the autumn, (GRP).
A recent arrival from the north, revving up it’s motor, this Ruby-crowned Kinglet left the branch bare a fraction of a second later, O’Shaughnessy NP.
Some days if it wasn’t for the cardinals things would be pretty dull (GRP) (Donna).
A Coopers Hawk waits patently for a meal. It’s a year round resident (GRP).
The White-throated Sparrow is a migrant from the north. Some will spend the winter in central Ohio, Wahkeeva NP.
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Autumn along the reservoir (GRP).
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The flurry of insect activity has slowed down considerably over what it was just two weeks ago. Butterflies, and especially bees, had been incredibly active during the last warm days before the occurrence of a few cold nights where the temperature hung just above freezing.
Bald-faced Hornets nest (GRP), (Donna).
Traffic jam at the entrance to the nest, (Donna)
Eastern Commas are fairly common in the fall, Stages Pond State NP.
Green bee on aster (GRP.
The Common Checkered Skipper is usually seen in late summer and fall (GRP).
A busy bee (GRP).
Monarch on aster, Stages Pond State NP.
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Autumn color (GRP).
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Chipmunks were also in on the activity.
Chipmunk (GRP), (Donna).
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I finish writing this with memories of the smell and color of the autumn woods graced by the light of the seasons low laying sun and transformed into a branched “stained glass” cathedral of yellow and gold. Outside under gray 50 F skies a light rain is falling, perhaps nature’s way of saying in a quiet voice, “Pause, give thanks, for those warm, sunny, autumn days, and for all things with which you have been blessed”.
Cathedral in the woods, Boch Hollow State NP
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Late Summer Along The Rifle River
Posted on September 25, 2020
In northern Michigan, early September weather has a edge to it. Nights can be cold, and even when it’s sunny, mornings are slow to warm. Just a few weeks earlier, the midday sun meant a warm embrace. Now lower, it warms only one side of our face, pierces the landscape, and evokes a feeling of uneasiness and foreboding of things to come.
Early morning on Devoe Lake, Rifle River Recreation Area.
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We were spending a few days at Michigan’s Rifle River Recreation Area to explore nature and do a little fishing. What birds would we see? How about wildflowers? What other wildlife would be spotted on this later in the year visit? Would any fish be caught?
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Amazingly there were a good variety of late summer wildflowers to enjoy. The most striking may have been the Burr Marigold that lined a creek explored by canoe. On this year’s trip we found a wonderful natural area adjoining Au Sable Lake, a short drive outside the park boundary. The launch site is surrounded by cottages and hardly an encouragement to the explorer, but it wasn’t long before we were exploring a creek flowing from Au Sable to Little Au Sable Lake and beyond. An area with no development and unique natural beauty.
Blue Vervain, not only lovely to look at but a herb that can be used to treat depression and promote sleep, (Donna).
Burr Marigolds along the shoreline of Little Au Sable Lake.
The closed flower of the Bottle Gentian make entrance to feed on pollen or nectar difficult for many species of insects. Those strong enough to enter through the top of the flower include some digger and bumblebee species. The eastern carpenter bee chews a narrow slit at the base of the flower and “steals” nectar without pollinating the plant, a behavior known as nectar robbing. The holes in the petals created by this carpenter bees allow smaller insects to also access the nectar and pollen, including the honeybee, the green sweat bee and the eastern masked bee. Ref. Wikipedia, (Donna)
The fascinating turtlehead is a plant used in natural medicine. Traditional practices create a tonic that is claimed to be beneficial for indigestion, constipation, and stimulating the appetite. It is also an anthelmintic (de-wormer) and a salve from the leaves may relieve itching and inflammation. Ref. USFS, (Donna)
The berries of Jack in the Pulpit.
In the woods, asters add a splash of color.
Exploring a wildflower lined creek that flows into Little Au Sable Lake.
A late in the season water lily showing some signs of wear, (Donna).
The seeds of the Yellow Pond Lily were frequently collected by native Americans as a nutritious raw food source. They were also used in the making of bread by grinding the seeds to create a flour, (Donna).
Brook Lobelia, (Donna).
Near the end of it’s blooming season, the beautiful flower of the Grass of Parnassus, (Donna).
Swamp Loosestrife was found along lakes and wetlands in the park, (Donna).
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Our campsite was in the woods, surrounded by maple, poplar, and birch. In their embrace the light of the late summer morning came slowly, and unlike the openness of the lakeshore nearby, evening seemed to greet us before it should. Only occasionally would the sun find it’s way through a small isolated opening and warm my face. But as I sat there in the shade of early evening after a good day, sunlight and a soft wind played in the leaves high overhead, and in a quiet voice reached out as if to say, stay a little longer, be here with us, don’t leave.
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It’s just you, the canoe, the paddle, a pole, and the fish. A beautiful aesthetic for those so inclined.
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It was a great time to see fungi, albeit sometimes impossible to positively identify. Recent wet weather was undoubtedly the reason for the profusion. Fortunately, given the cooler than normal temperatures, the rain was very light and sporadic during the day which actually made for good hiking weather.
Along the trail colorful but tiny unidentified mushrooms emerge, (Donna).
Three, what we believe to be, Parasol mushrooms.
Yellow Patches Mushroom.
Different stages of development.
Another tiny mushroom, perhaps Orange Mycena, pokes through the leaf liter.
A bolete with a few friends.
Recently emerged Emetic Russula.
A striking display of Sharp-scaly Pholiota.
Another bolete.
Perhaps a type of chanterelle, (Donna).
Jellied False Coral, (Donna).
Toxic False Morel, (Donna).
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Lodge Lake, Rifle River Rec Area.
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The first few days of our stay, warm sunny afternoons really brought out the insects.
Autumn Meadowhawks were common along the park roads, (Donna).
A Slender Spreadwing perches along the Rifle River, (Donna).
Milbert’s Tortoishell, a first ever sighting for us, (Donna).
American Copper, (Donna).
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We were concerned that by early September the loons normally inhabiting the park’s lakes earlier in the year would have already headed south. With the exception of the one juvenile seen on Little Au Sable Lake, that proved to be the case. We did see kingfishers, bald eagles, and a few warblers, but the eastern kingbirds, so common around the lake in midsummer, were gone. Fishing on Devoe Lake one cloudy damp afternoon it was a real treat to see a merlin, perhaps a migrant from further north, as it flew from tree to tree noisily protested a group of harassing blue jays. A snapshot in time passing.
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In the late afternoon near weeks end I found myself paddling into a stiff breeze on a wind swept lake having recently left the shelter of a lee shore at it’s far end. A contest between muscle and wind where there there could be no truce, no middle ground. I was glad only a few waves broke near the canoe as spray blew over the windward gunnel. It was such a contrast with the glass smooth surface that had greeted us in the early hours of that day. The cool quiet of the September morning and the wind and spray of the late afternoon, as the sun hovered above the horizon, was once again a summons, a reminder, to embrace the present and live life fully.
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Creek flowing into Little Au Sable Lake, (Donna).
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Thanks for stopping by.
Robber Fly
Posted on August 29, 2020
In central Ohio it’s been several weeks since we’ve had any appreciable rain. Add to that numerous days with temps greater than 90F and you have the recipe for a very dry landscape. On concrete hard ground, if it has been walked on at all, as dust rises grass seems to break apart under foot. For the grass it’s hard to believe life will return before next spring. In what seems almost a miracle, the green of most trees continues to contrast with the brown of the grass. Perhaps we should plant more trees. The water level in the reservoir near our home has held up well, and is amazingly clear with little rain to stir it up. In contrast a reservoir a little further away, that supplies water to the city, is down over six feet. Now, with it’s expanse of dry clay lake bottom between the water and shoreline trees, I tell myself it looks better if I just imagine it’s “low tide”.
Trees do their best to maintain the green canopy along the Big Darby, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
It’s hard to have high expectations for seeing wildlife in these conditions. But in the middle of the day, as we cower in our air conditioned homes, life goes on. Unlike buzzards, smaller birds, that typically don’t catch thermals to the higher cooler air, are more likely to restrict their activity to the morning and evening. On the sun baked ground at noon I try to imagine what it would be like for an ant to travel any distance. I don’t see many travelers. However, as long as they have access to sources of food, the airborne insects seem unfazed by it all.
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Recently, in the morning’s relative coolness, we found ourselves walking at waters edge in the park near our home, Only a couple hundred yards into our walk a very small bird or large insect was spotted hovering, flying around, then perching on the branches of a partially dead tree. It was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and a “free range” one at that, how exciting. It’s always so much more rewarding to see a creature, not all that often seen in it’s natural habitat, in it’s natural habitat.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird takes a brake while on the prowl for insects.
Another look.
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After the hummer just disappeared into thin air, as they have a habit of doing, we wondered what the rest of our time in the park would offer up.
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New England Asters
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Actually I’ve wandered of topic a bit because I started out with the thought of highlighting the really good day we had with robber flies. They seemed to be everywhere on a recent hike of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. They’re not an insect that other members of the bug world are happy to see. From the perspective of other insects they are a very efficient killing machine usually waiting in ambush and going after just about anything no matter it’s defenses. Click here for more information. What made the day really good was not only seeing numerous robber flies, but seeing a number chasing and then with captured prey. At one point one loudly buzzed the top of my head as it unsuccessfully pursued a Zabulon skipper. The erratic flight pattern of the skipper undoubtedly contributed to it’s escape.
Red-Footed Cannibalfly perhaps 1 1/2 inches in length. There are over a thousand species of robber fly in the US.
Robber fly with a moth in it’s spiny, not easy to escape, clutches. Barely visible is the piercing-sucking proboscis which is used stab and paralyze it’s prey, inject liquefying enzymes, and then extract the nutritious snack.
. . . with what appears to be a grasshopper nymph.
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Morning light faintly touches Crimson-Eyed Rose-Mallow
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Robber flies weren’t the only insect on the prowl.
Unlike the robber fly, solitary wasps do not consume their prey but instead lay their egg(s) in a nest near or within an insect that has been captured and paralyzed with venom. If all goes as planned, as the larva develops the insect will be it’s food, (Donna).
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Other creatures were also eating other creatures.
Low clear water in the Scioto River made crayfish easy pickings for this Great Blue Hero, (Donna).
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Green-Headed Coneflowers with a visitor.
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Nature always seems to be generous as long as you hold your expectations in check. Often when looking for one thing other things will become part of the mix. It’s usually best to just see what you see.
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail hides in the foliage.
When one thinks Monarch one thinks milkweed, but there are a variety of other flowers they enjoy. In this case it’s thistle.
The only Little Wood Satyr seen during a hike of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Question Mark Butterfly, Big Darby Creek Metro Park
A tiny, but very common, Pearl Crescent on a New England Aster, Griggs Reservoir Park.
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In the summer I sometimes just like to sit in my small canoe or walk slowly with no particular focus but only to let nature speak with a more all embracing voice. Realizing at that moment just how much is going on around me that I have no knowledge of, much less understanding. Perhaps a lesson in life in these trying times as I strive not to be ignorant of my own ignorance.
How you choose to look at something determines what you see.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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August Ramble
Posted on August 23, 2020
In August insects catch our attention more often than birds. Compared to the frenzied activity of spring it can seem very quiet unless you look closely. In some ways feeling a bit like the “dead of winter” except that it’s summer. During a recent visit to Prairie Oaks Metro Park it was hard not to notice the toll that a few weeks of dry weather had taken on a wetland that relies on regular rainfall to stay healthy.
I would have been standing in water to take this picture a few weeks ago.
But as the water disappears a lone immature wood duck, with a few friends peering above the waters surface, holds out for the promise of rainy days to come.
This pic leaves a little to be desired in terms of sharpness but can you see the wood duck’s friends?
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Not far from the wetland are three ponds (Darby Bend Lakes) formed when old quarries filled with water from underground springs. Surrounded the ponds, and interspersed with plant life, is fine gravel undoubtedly left over form the quarry days. We were looking for dragonflies but were immediately stopped when we noticed a number of very large wasps. They were Cicada Killers, a member of the family of digger wasps that make their home underground. As the name indicates, this one provisions it’s nest with the cicadas. One one egg gets implanted in each cicada. The female is noticeably larger than the male, up to 2 inches long, and of the two, it is the only one able the catch the rather large cicadas. Click here for more information.
Cicada Killer exits it’s nest, (Donna).
Cicada, (Donna).
Wasp with cicada, (Donna).
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This time of year at waters edge the landscape is graced with the large flowers of the Swamp Rose-mallow.
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We weren’t disappointed in our quest for dragonflies. No new discoveries but the fascination is always there. I was once again reminded that it’s truly a jungle out there when a catbird swopped down to snatch a dragonfly as I moved closer hoping to identify it. No matter what one thinks about the level of consciousness of a dragonfly, this one, now a nutritious snack for the catbird, no longer exists. It’s demise, the flow of life from one from one creature to the next.
Eastern Pondhawk, (M), (Donna).
Eastern Pondhawk with prey on Blazing Star.
Halloween Pennant, (M), (Donna).
Halloween Pennant, (F) .
Common Whitetail, immature male.
Widow Skimmer (M).
Eastern Pondhawk, (F).
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Black-eyed Susan’s are also part of the Darby Bend Lakes habitat.
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Moths and butterflies were also enjoying the sunny day.
Monarch on Swamp Milkweed
A Monarch and Hummingbird clearwing moth enjoy the flowers, (Donna).
Hummingbird clearwing moth, (Donna).
A Great Golden Digger Wasp also enjoys the swamp milkweed.
Zabulon Skipper (M) on Chicory.
A female Zabulon spurns the affection of a male.
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Great dragonfly habitat adjacent to one of the Derby Bend Lakes, Prairie Oaks Metro Park.
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Mid-summer flowers and other critters made the day complete.
The unique beauty of False Dragonhead is part of the cicada killer habitat..
It was a real treat to see a Red-headed Woodpecker in the tree right at the edge of one of the Darby Bend Lakes. The first I recall seeing at Prairie Oaks Metro Park.
Purple Prairie Clover is also part of the cicada killer habitat. it’s occurrence in this habitat can be explained by the fact that it “is used for revegetation efforts on reclaimed land, such as land that has been strip mined. It is good for preventing erosion and for fixing nitrogen in soil. Though it is often found in mid- to late-successional stages of ecological succession, it may also be a pioneer species, taking hold in bare and disturbed habitat, such as roadsides”. Ref: Wikipedia
A small Painted Turtle enjoys the morning sun.
This year early August has been a great time for Ironweed.
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It’s been a good year for Red-headed Woodpecker sightings which, due to their rarity, are always very special but seeing the very large cicada killer wasp was what really created a sense of wonder on this day.
Mid-summer and low water along the Big Darby.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Measuring Wealth
Posted on August 2, 2020
Certainly not an original thought, but most would say that if you have your health, enough resources to ensure adequate food and shelter, some leisure time when you are not dealing with “resources”, and good friends with whom you enjoy sharing life’s adventure, additional wealth is probably not going to contribute to life’s meaning or happiness. It also doesn’t hurt to have a curiosity about life as It will keep you engaged and seeking until the day your number gets called.
So what does any of this have to do with nature and where is Central Ohio Nature going with this? Well to get to the punch line without further delay, it has to do with an awareness of wealth that was experienced after a recent outing in the canoe. Of course this awareness doesn’t just drop out of the sky, it is facilitated by reading and enough research to appreciate what is being seen and experienced, good health and fitness to undertake the adventure, and last but not least, the company of a willing co-conspirator (in this case my wife) never hurts.
So what exactly contributed to the awareness of wealth on this particular day?
First, there’s the aesthetic of the canoe, it’s graceful purposeful shape, and the way the paddler and the canoe become one as they quietly move through the water with only the sound of the paddle as it brakes the water’s surface, is drawn back, and then, with droplets shed from the blade playing the stroke’s final notes, it leaves the water and returns to the beginning. A meditation; paddler, canoe, and water.
The north end of Griggs Reservoir. It’s hard to believe we are in the middle of a metropolitan area. We had the place to ourselves that day.
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Secondly, along with a good cast of supporting characters, at the north end of the reservoir in a stand of dead trees we had our first ever sighting of red-headed woodpeckers at that location.
Red-headed Woodpecker
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The supporting characters, not all of which are pictured, included osprey, juvenile spotted sandpiper, great blue heron (common), green heron, great egret, black-crowned night heron, belted kingfisher, great-crested flycatcher, wood ducks, double-crested cormorants, mallard duck, map turtle, large eastern spiny soft shell turtle, and a large snapping turtle.
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Great Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Female Belted Kingfisher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Mother Wood Duck with young.
A large Eastern Spiny Softshell.
With the exception of the canoe all other photos are by my wife.
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The well connected lawyer or successful entrepreneur measures their wealth in a different way than most equally successful individuals who love nature but may have a less demanding career. The “buy in” on a wealthy street in our area may require that one to be engaged with a community of like minded individuals who have also attended prestigious institutions of higher learning. This coupled with a family legacy, and the “cross pollination” with other like minded established families may be key stepping stones to shared values and wealth which include the necessary hard to fake accoutrements, such as a large beautiful house and luxury cars, which signal one’s membership in the tribe.
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But we are all destined to travel a narrow path and are all members of a some tribe. A path taken often excludes others. There is only so much life we can live. While there are undoubtedly exceptions, one would not expect that a successful high net worth entrepreneur would consider it a worthwhile use of their limited free time to walk a wetland path learning about dragonflies. Perhaps a business ski vacation to Colorado would serve their purposes better. However, is the person with more limited resources, for whom Colorado ski vacations are a bit out of reach, but who spends their time in the company of dragonflies and thus the interconnected web of life, any less “wealthy”?
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So the challenge for us all is to increase our wealth in ways that speak to our soul. The sacrifices that an entrepreneur makes to be successful in their realm are significant. From the point of view of a lover of nature they will miss out on at lot. The wealth bestowed from time spent in nature comes from a deep sense of connectedness that transcends our own self, allowing us to no longer think it terms of boundaries but instead to embrace the whole. It is something that money cannot buy and is beyond valuing. Perhaps Thoreau said it better than anyone has since:
A Quiet Voice
Posted on July 10, 2020
One of the wetlands in Prairie Oaks Metro Park, a park located not far from our home, is easy to pass right by as you drive into the west entrance. Unlike the grand vistas of Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon that overwhelm one’s senses making it hard to look away, wetlands speak with a quiet “voice”. A voice that can only be “heard” if one gets close, stops, listens, and looks. Usually at first little will be seen, but as one waits life will slowly announce it’s presence.
Wetland, heavy vegetation around the perimeter made getting to the waters edge difficult.
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It was a hot steamy early July morning that, given the recent prolonged hot spell, possessed nothing to set it apart from the day before or the day after. With the warm temperatures the goal was to see what we could see during a relatively short visit.
Not far from the water in an area of restored prairie, White Wild Indigo, “It’s habitats include moist to dry black soil prairies, sand prairies, thickets, edges of marshes and sandy marshes, borders of lakes, limestone glades, and dry clay hills. Bumblebees pollinate the flowers and the caterpillars of some skippers and butterflies occasionally feed on the foliage, including Wild Indigo Duskywing, Hoary Edge, Southern Dogface, and Orange Sulfur. The caterpillars of the Black-spotted Prominent moth can also be found on the foliage. The Wild Indigo Weevil and their grubs also feeds on this plant. White Wild Indigo is poisonous to mammals“. Ref: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info
At water’s edge a very tiny Blanchard’s Cricket Frog that the casual observer could easily mistake for a grasshopper if it weren’t for the water. “Ohio Distribution: Occurs in the western 2/3 of Ohio. Appears to be more common in southwestern Ohio than in other parts of the state. Status: This species is declining rapidly across much of its entire range. In northern Ohio it appears to be less abundant today than in the past. No apparent declines in southern Ohio have been noted to this point“, Ref: OhioAmphibians.com. (Donna).
The wetland is an oasis for dragonflies.
Male Blue Dasher, they are most common around shallow marshy ponds, (Donna).
Female Widow Skimmer, common around rivers lakes and ponds, (Donna).
A striking male Twelve-spotted Skimmer.
Bull Thistle adds color to the wetland environment.
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With the prolonged hot spell and little rain the wetland’s days may be numbered which may pose a challenge for this painted turtle.
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Milkweed flowers and leaves attract numerous insects not the least of witch is the Monarch Butterfly.
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Perhaps to become a gray tree frog, a tadpole rests near the water’s surface.
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A Green Heron lands in a tree overlooking the water. We wonder if he sees any tadpoles.
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Nearby it was hard to ignore the striking color of a male American Goldfinch.
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The Big Darby flows through the park not far from the wetland.
Lazard’s Tail, with it’s lovely fragrance, is currently very common along the river.
This Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly was seen along the muddy banks of the Big Darby. I’m always grateful I’m not a gnat when I see those eyes.
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Water Willow, with it’s small but beautiful flower, is a very common aquatic/semi-aquatic plant in Ohio and can be found along most reservoirs and rivers. “Habitats include sandbars, gravel bars, or mud bars of rivers, low islands in rivers or ponds, shallow water or muddy banks of ponds and rivers, shallow water of rocky upland streams, shallow water or wet areas of swamps, and sandy marshes. Water Willow occurs in wetlands with either stagnant water or slow to moderate currents of water. The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by bees. Other floral visitors include various wasps, flies, small butterflies, and skippers. These insects obtain primarily nectar from the flowers, although some bees collect pollen and some flies feed on pollen. Water Willow is one of the host plants for the caterpillars of Hydrangea sphinx moth which feed on the foliage. This plant is also a minor source of food for muskrats“. Ref: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info
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We hope you enjoyed this brief early July visit to Prairie Oaks Metro Park. The wetland left us with the heightened realization that nature contains universes within universes, all interconnected, but each with a magic and beauty all their own.
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Thanks for stopping by.
