Central Ohio Nature. . . With A Little help From Our Friends,
Posted on January 1, 2021
Yesterday, at a park near our home on a rather nondescript winter day, we ushered out 2020 with a little help from our friends. These friends have been reliable companions through a difficult year, but on the year’s last day, or perhaps because it was the year’s last day, their importance hit home more forcefully. There is no need to reflect on the love that develops between a person and their pet as most of us have known that. However, to experience a similar connection with creatures that make a living in the environment of trees, brush, fields, and waterways that surround us, owing us nothing, is truly special. Some days, as we walk, their numbers may be less, and the cast of characters may vary, but with their often cheerful dispositions and curious antics they are always there. For just a moment in time we celebrate the shared experience of life.
Downy Woodpeckers are common winter residents in central Ohio,
There are always Mallards but in December we’ve also been fortunate to see Hooded Mergansers on a regular basis along the Scioto River.
The White-throated Sparrow is a favorite winter friend,
A few days ago we spotted Sandhill Cranes heading south. On that day there were numerous sightings around the city.
Song Sparrow.
In the past week we’ve enjoyed numerous Hermit Thrush sightings along the Scioto River.
It was a good December for Brown Creeper sightings.
We can always count on hearing, then seeing, Carolina Wrens.
Numerous pairs of Eastern Bluebirds occupy Griggs Reservoir Park in the winter. There almost electric blue never fails to put a smile on our face.
As long as there’s open water the Great Blue Herons will be busy.
On quiet cloudy mornings Bald Eagles can be seen along Griggs Reservoir.
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Wishing everyone all the best for the coming year. One where time spent with friends and family again becomes the norm.
Woods along Griggs Reservoir.
First 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.
Celebrating The Season
Posted on December 22, 2019
When I was a kid growing up in Michigan, I wished for a white Christmas and hoped the snow, with periodic additions of fresh whiteness, would stick around until spring. While my wish was never completely realized, being 150 miles north of where I live now, winter was a more satisfying if not tiring experience.
(Images may be clicked on for a better view)
The low December light pierces the open canopy revealing patterns in leaves and the geometry of trees and river.
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A few days ago, we woke up to a light covering of white. We rushed down to our local city park before too many foot steps marred it’s beauty. Now, despite colder temperatures, the snow is mostly gone, the victim of wind and sublimation. Winters are like that in central Ohio. Cold temperatures, when they come, often leave the dry, naked, and shivering landscape wishing for a warm white blanket. But while not a paradise for lovers of snow, for those willing to venture out and look carefully, this time of year provides an opportunity to enjoy a subtle beauty and be entertained by creatures making this place their winter home.
With snow, the forms of water and trees becomes sublime.
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It was very faint but unmistakable. You know how woodpeckers can be. Looking up into branches in the adjacent woods, it seemed hopeless. How about just looking for dead branches . . .
Working on a warm winter home?
A female Downy works away.
. . . as the male goofs off on a nearby branch.
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Quiet early winter morning along the Scioto.
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One advantage to living in an area subject to cold temperatures, but with little snow, is that ice is free to express itself.
Small icicles and patterns in ice.
Interesting shapes form as river levels recede, (Donna).
Near the river, a small frozen pool, and solstice ice.
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In the summer we don’t notice as many Eastern Bluebirds, a gift of the colder months?
Male Eastern Bluebird, (Donna).
Taking flight.
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Not far from their downriver nest, Bald Eagles are seen more often along the reservoir this time of year.
Perched across the reservoir and too far away for a really good shot..
Doing it’s best to avoid a photograph.
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At river’s edge, the roots of a sycamore struggle to maintain their hold.
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With the reservoir frozen, a pair of Hooded Mergansers were spotted in the open water of the river just below the dam. Eventually, if the reservoir stays ice covered, they will be joined by Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, and other waterfowl not commonly seen in the area.
Hooded Mergansers on the Scioto River.
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These images were taken before realizing that the White-breasted Nuthatch it was eating lichen. An unexpected revelation.
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A quick look through the binoculars revealed it to be a Mockingbird which was a real treat as we couldn’t remember the last time one was seen in the park . . . then, one very average photo, and it was gone.
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There are a countless number of American Robins in the park this time of year. They are everywhere, and with their antics provide endless entertainment.
***, (Donna).
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Brown Creepers are not easy to spot. Sometimes their faint call is heard before they are seen. Their erratic movement make them a difficult subject to photograph.
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While working on a dead branch, this male red-bellied woodpecker really showed off it’s red head.
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Other local residents, as will as migrants from the north, have also entertained us in the last few days.
Tufted-titmouse, (Donna).
Carolina Chickadee, (Donna).
White-throated Sparrows can be found in Ohio in the winter but call the forests across Canada, the northeastern U.S., and the northern Midwest their summer home.
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A fox squirrel ran up the tree and hid just as I walked up causing my wife to miss a “good” picture. She had to make due with the image below.
***, (Donna).
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Winter along the Scioto River.
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This morning while standing in front of our church greeting incoming worshipers, a ruby-crowned kinglet flew into a nearby evergreen, paused for a moment as if to look my way, then flew off. Enchanted by what was an unusual occurrence, I had an extra big smile for the next group of parishioners. In nature the usual can also become enchanting, and in that enchantment, we may lose ourselves and in doing so find that we have become part of something much greater. We wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!
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Thanks for stopping by.
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A Favorite Florida State Park
Posted on April 3, 2019
After the previous post about early spring in Ohio we thought we’d travel back in time to late January and explore the natural beauty of Florida’s Lake Kissimmee State Park. After our third visit we now consider it a cornerstone for any winter camping trip to Florida.
Live Oak
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An advantage to many of the parks we visit in Florida is that they’re not separated by great distances so it’s an easy matter to pull up stakes in one and head down the road to the next. Lake Kissimmee SP is not far from Little Manatee River, is a much larger park so there is plenty of nature to explore without ever leaving the park. The greatest variety of birds can be seen if one quietly paddles the lake shore, Zipper Canal, or Tiger Creek but birding is also very rewarding along the hiking trails. When not observing warblers, gnatcatchers, or kinglets. the trails are a great way to see the park’s many Red Headed Woodpeckers and there are rumors of Scrub Jays although that’s one we have yet to see.
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Folks sometimes ask if we’re concerned about taking expensive camera equipment in a canoe. The answer is yes, but we’ve been blessed to see many birds that we wouldn’t have otherwise and are sometimes lucky enough to get a picture so we feel it’s worth the risk. Within reason the canoe doesn’t limit the amount of equipment one can take and while you may get lucky from time to time don’t expect tack sharp “tripod” images. Where the canoe fails as a photography platform is when wind and water conditions create excessive motion or make the boat hard to control leaving little opportunity for pictures. Although some might not agree, a bonus when exploring overgrown Florida shorelines in a small boat is wondering if around the next bend one will startle a large gator. It’s an experience of “wildness” not availible in places further north. With that intro, below are some of the “canoe” birds seen during our two weeks at the park.
A favorite Lake Kissimmee perch for a group of Anhingas
A closer look at a male.
Paddling Zipper Canal between Lake Kissimmee and Rosalie Lake.
A Bald Eagle along Tiger Creek which flows from Tiger Lake to Lake Kissimmee.
A Bald Eagle peers down at a prospective meal . .
. . then dives.
Hundreds of Tree Swallows in an early morning feeding frenzy on Lake Kissimmee.
A few take a break from the hunt, (Donna).
Clouds over Lake Kissimmee.
Immature Snail Kite along the Lake Kissimmee shoreline. The kites were a real treat because during last year’s visit, which was right after a hurricane, there were none to be seen.
Mature Snail Kite with snail, (Donna).
Mature Snail Kite.
A Glossy Ibis reveals how it got it’s name, (Donna).
Rosalie Creek between Rosalie and Tiger Lakes.
Young Alligator along Tiger Creek.
Tri-color Heron along Tiger Creek, (Donna).
Black-crowned Night Heron along the Zipper Canal, (Donna).
Great Egret with fish, (Donna).
Little Blue Heron, (Donna).
Lily pads, Lake Kissimmee.
Swallow-tailed Kite over Tiger Creek. Observing them it appears that they often catch their prey in their talons and proceed to devour it on the wing.
Common Moorhen along the grassy Lake Kissimmee shoreline, (Donna).
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The hiking trails offer a different mix of birds and wildlife. The length of hike often dictates the type of equipment one decides to take along. Lugging ten pounds of camera equipment for seven or eight miles is not fun. One solution I saw this year was to modify a light weight golf cart to haul your equipment if the trail conditions and other restrictions allow.
The type of golf cart that would be easy to modify to carry a tripod and camera with long telephoto lens.
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When hiking park trails one thing that always amazes me is how different species of birds stay together or flock. One can walk for miles and not see much of anything and then all of a sudden there will be birds everywhere. Chickadees, titmouse, kinglets, gnatcatchers, and warblers are often seen together and often there will even be a blue jay in the mix. With the Live Oaks draped in Spanish Moss, the palmettos, and the pines, the landscape is enchanting so if the birds aren’t cooperating there is always something to appreciate.
Tufted Titmouse often alert us to the fact there may be warblers in the area. (Donna).
Sure enough, a Black and White Warbler makes an appearance.
Along the trail.
Blue-headed Vireo, showing tail and flight feathers.
We weren’t quiet sure what this Red-bellied Woodpecker planned to do with the acorn, (Donna).
White-eyed Vireo.
Eastern Phoebe, (Donna).
Sandhill Cranes. As common as they are we did not have the many opportunities to photograph them.
Pine Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Bald Eagle and nest on Buster Island near the Cow Camp.
The Great Crested Flycatcher showed up near our campsite. It’s the largest of the flycatchers, (Donna).
Sunlight and Spanish Moss.
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
A Northern Flicker shared the Red Headed Woodpeckers territory.
Buster Island trail.
Red-headed Woodpeckers are quite common in the park.
Yellow-rumped Warblers competed with Palm and Pine Warblers for most common status.
If Florida had a state hawk, it sound be the always vocal Red-shouldered.
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The other things:
Curious deer, (Donna).
Bark Anole.
A large Golden Silk Orb-weaver.
A Golden Silk Orb-weaver sun lit with a background of dark shade.
Fascinating fungi along the trail.
Female Band-winged Dragonlet
Yellow Milkwort is native and found throughout most of the Florida peninsula. Interestingly, the only place in the world it grows is Florida.
Grass highlighted by the winter sun.
The long burrows, up to 40 feet long and 10 feet deep, of the endangered Gopher Tortoise are home to over three dozen other animal species that use them for shelter from harsh weather and predators.
Anole displaying.
The winter light often highlights the Spanish Moss and creates deep shadows.
Yellow Jessamine is a common flowering vine in January and February.
A Spiny-backed Orb-weaver suspends over the trail.
Florida Baskettail.
Oak Toad, (Donna).
Eastern Racer, (Donna).
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Lake Kissimmee SP is one place we will be returning to next year. With its long hiking trails and extensive areas to explore by canoe there is always a new adventure waiting.
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Tiger Creek
Under a clear blue sky,
with the winter sun warming skin exposed to cool morning air,
paddles rhythmically break the still surface,
as the canoe glides with anticipation along a winding creek
wrapped in sage, bulrush and lily pads.
A solitary alligator swims slowly ahead
then slides below the surface and disappears
while not far away
herons, hawks, egrets, and eagles announce their presence.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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A Sense of Expectation and Wonder
Posted on January 2, 2019
As undoubtedly mentioned before, one of the rewarding aspects of visiting a park on a regular basis is that one can observe nature’s subtle changes as well as the coming and going of various critters that visit the park throughout the year. Many these forays are part of longer urban hikes and are accompanied by fairly low expectations so our gear often consists of an easily packable super-zoom and a small pair of binoculars. With such equipment we are limited in the types of photographs we can obtain but we do have a camera with us.
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Recently we’ve been encouraged with the prospect of seeing the unexpected when Eastern Bluebirds made a Christmas day visit to our front yard suet feeder. We had never seen them in our yard before.
A male Eastern Bluebird gets a drink from a mostly frozen bird bath, (Donna).
One bird with a small piece of suet, “Hey guys go get your own!”, (Donna).
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Yesterday, there were no Bluebirds at the suet feeder so before our new years day tradition of pork, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut we decided to take a walk in Griggs Reservoir Park. It was a cloudy gray-brown day and certainly not one that would beckon a landscape photographer so we walked with the hope of observing a bird or some other small manifestation of nature. I mostly occupied myself with the never-ending task of picking up trash. It’s an activity I always find strangely rewarding especially if the ‘birds’ aren’t cooperating.
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We were almost back to the car after our three-mile saunter when I noticed a small hawk preening itself at the top of a large Sycamore tree. A quick look through the binoculars did not provide an obvious identity so I pulled out my camera and started taking “data acquisition” shots.
Critical tail feather ID shot. The bird was to far away for a good photograph. All shots are heavily cropped, Panasonic FZ300.
Another look for markings.
. . . and on more.
It was a Merlin, and even though there had been reports of them at other central Ohio locations it was a bird we had never seen in the park before. How exciting! A dull gray day made magical. The sighting was all the more special because the last time we had seen one was some years ago while hiking the Centennial Ridges Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park. While looking through the binoculars at a dragonfly flying high over head a black streak went through the field of view and the dragonfly disappeared. Looking up a small bird was seen flying towards a tiny island in the center of the lake where it joined others on a perch high over the water.
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As a bit of a postscript, Bald Eagles nest about two miles from our house making it not highly unusual to see them along the reservoir, so as if the reinforce the magic of the place that’s exactly what happened a few days back while on an urban fitness walk.
Bald Eagle over Griggs Reservoir, again the bird was too far away for a good photograph. image heavily cropped, Panasonic FZ150.
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These recent holiday sightings have blessed us with a sense of expectation and wonder for the new year. Our wish is that you to will be blessed in the new year.
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Thanks for stopping by.
A Special Place In Michigan
Posted on July 24, 2018
At least once a year for the last number of years we’ve traveled seven hours from central Ohio to the expansive 4500 acre Rifle River Recreation Area in Michigan. With it’s fairly extensive system of hiking and mountain bicycling trails, plus lakes that don’t allow motors, it’s a beautiful quiet nature lovers paradise. The park’s woods contain conifers, including some fairly large White Pine, as well as deciduous trees like oak and maple making it home to a great diversity of insects, plants, birds, and animals. The park has two campgrounds, one with electrical hookups, and one that is rustic. We prefer “tent” camping in the Devoe Lake rustic campground with it’s pit toilets and handpumps, whether in our small trailer or in a tent, because the sites are bigger, more secluded, and a variety of birds often come right to your campsite. In addition the rustic campground communicates with park’s best hiking trails without the need to get in your car.
Park Map.
A south loop hiking trail cuts through meadows interspersed with stands of trees that attract numerous species of butterflies and dragonflies not mention birds such as Indigo Buntings that love that type of habitat.
South Trail
The northern loop takes the hiker on much more rolling terrain interspersed with swamps and culminating along a ridge that provides a panoramic view of four of the parks lakes.
Grousehaven Lake from the park loop road.
The lakes offer a variety of fish species to attract the angler including Brook and Brown Trout, Northern Pike, Large Mouth Bass and panfish.
Typical catch and release LM Bass on Devoe Lake.
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Many of the lakes just outside the park boundary offering public access are heavily developed with boat and dock filled shorelines and large year round homes which in recent years have replaced many smaller cabins set back in the trees. Some of the larger multistory dwellings seem almost ready to topple into the lake giving these small bodies of water more the feel of a large recreational swimming pool. Even so, the lakes do offer good fishing even if with somewhat diminished natural aesthetic. However, if communing with nature is your goal, it is worth it to travel away from the park to the nearby Au Sable River and it’s chain of lakes which offer a rewarding undeveloped destination for the photographer, fisherman, and nature lover.
Loud Pond, Au Sable River chain of lakes.
Loud Pond Au Sable River chain of lakes.
Loud Pond Au Sable River chain of lakes.
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Within the park, even without a very special species of bird, there is ample reason to return year after year to enjoy the park’s beauty. But the very special bird that makes the park so irresistible is the Common Loon. Numbers seen vary year to year but they’re always there with their haunting cry breaking the silence of the night. To our knowledge it’s the closest location from central Ohio where nesting loons can be found.
Common Loon
With young, (Donna).
Another view, (Donna).
Meal time, (Donna).
The young are growing fast.
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Lodge Lake.
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An equally enchanting bird usually seen on Grebe Lake is the Trumpeter Swan. During one paddle the call of the adults across the lake gave ample evidence as to how they got their name.
Trumpeter Swam Family, (Donna).
Another look.
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Being old enough to remember when they suffered the ravages of DDT and were very rare Bald Eagles always have a high wow factor. We had a number of sightings in the park and at least five the day we paddled Loud Pond along the Au Sable River.
I control the canoe and my wife often takes the pictures.
Where there is a nest there is usually an eagle.
Donna get’s a picture of one of the Bald Eagles seen on Loud Pond.
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Equally fascinating were the other birds seen during our hikes and paddles.
A Great Crested Flycatcher over looks a meadow on the south trail.
An immature Great Crested Flycatcher asks to be fed, (Donna).
A Catbird puts everything into it’s song, (Donna).
A good day for the Cedar Waxwing, not so much for the dragonfly, (Donna).
Along the south trail in the very top of a tree a Chestnut-sided Warbler sings it’s heart out, (Donna).
A Green Heron makes a living along the shore of Devoe Lake.
Too far away for a good pic, perhaps an immature Rose Breasted Grosbeak?
Ever on the lookout for flying insects, like sentry’s Kingbirds lined the shore of Devoe Lake.
Another look, (Donna).
Near water’s edge a Kingbird sits on it’s nest, (Donna).
Donna catches this female Kingfisher along the shore of Devoe Lake.
A Tree Swallow party along the shore of Devoe Lake,(Donna).
Numerous Rose Breasted Grosbeaks were seen but they proved a challenge to photograph, (Donna).
Spotted sandpiper along the shore of Loud Pond, (Donna).
Immature Spotted Sandpiper along Loud Pond, (Donna).
Immature Baltimore Orioles hang out in a distant tree.
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The Rifle River just downstream of Grousehaven Lake.
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If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you know we love dragonflies. While butterflies may initially catch your eye very few creatures fascinate in the air like the dragonfly. But the relationship fraught with conflict because we also love birds and the dragonflies maneuverability is often not enough to avoid becoming a tasty high protein snack.
Calico Pennant, (Donna).
Female Ruby Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher, (Donna).
Chalk-fronted Corporal.
This Damsel fly on flower illustrates the capability 0f the micro 4/3rds Panasonic (Leica) 100-400mm lens, (Donna).
Dot-tailed Whiteface, (Donna).
Mating Ebony Jewelwings, (Donna).
Twelve-spotted Skimmer.
Female Lancet Clubtail, (Donna).
Female Calico Pennant.
Male Halloween Pennant.
Mating Halloween Pennants, (Donna).
Slaty Blue Skimmer, Tamron 18-400mm zoom.
Most of the time when we take a picture we have a pretty good idea what the subject is. When we don’t part of the fun is during the research to figure out what it is. So far the ID of this rather nondescript dragonfly remains a mystery.
The Vesper Bluet is a late afternoon and evening damselfly, (Donna).
Mating Vesper Bluets, (Donna).
River Jewelwing seen along the Au Sable River, (Donna).
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The Rifle River near the park’s southern boundary.
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Butterflies live a rough life. Subject to the effects of rain, wind, sun and sometimes attempted predation they often become rather tattered with age. Like wildflowers much of their magic come from the fact that they are only here for a short time. During this most recent visit it was interesting because we didn’t see as many as expected and often the ones seen were rather tattered. However, the few that were in nice enough shape to merit a photograph took up the slack.
Common Wood-Nymph, (Donna).
Northern Pearly-eye
Northern Pearly-eye another view.
American Copper, (Donna)
Another view, (Donna).
Great Spangled Fritillary, Tamron 18-400mm zoom.
Peck’s Skipper with a partially shaded wing explores an iris.
Northern Cloudywing Skipper
Eastern Comma.
Monarch, (Donna).
The very small and seldom seen Banded Hairstreak, (Donna).
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No matter when one visits the park in spring and summer there are some flowers that are seen and some that are not. Turtleheads and Cardinal flowers usually appear in August so we missed them this year but others were present.
Certainly not a flower but one of a number of very large White Pines in the park. How do you capture it’s impressive size in a photograph?
St. John’s Wort, (Donna).
Yellow Water Lily
Black-eyed Susan’s appear to take flight, (Donna).
This American Wintergreen was growing in a very moist area, (Donna).
Spotted Knapweed along the Lake Huron shore.
Pickerel Weed on Grebe Lake.
Water Lily.
Water Lily times two, (Donna).
A hover fly checks out a water lily.
Clustered-leaved Tick-trefoil.
Small and very common in the meadow areas along the south trail this one has eluded identification.
Bladderwort seen along the north trail, (Donna).
New Jersey Tea or Wild Snowball, interestingly it has been used for treated such things as gonorrhea, syphilis, colds, cough, fever, chills, spasms, bleeding, . . . “.
Monkey Flower, (Donna).
Swamp Milkweed, (Donna).
Indian Pipe, (Donna).
Jack-in-the-Pulpit.
Fern.
At their peak these Picture Plant flowers will turn a deep burgundy. See below for the leaves.
The leaves resemble a picture, imagine that!
Daisy Fleabane, very small, very common, very beautiful.
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Early morning on Grebe Lake.
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When out on a day’s hike looking for birds, flowers, or butterflies it’s hard not to notice other things and sometimes they become the most memorable.
Painted Turtle, Devoe Lake.
Pixie Cups, north trail.
We saw quite a bit of this colorful fungi the day we hiked the south trail.
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle along the trail, (Donna).
American Toad, (Donna).
Garter Snake in an unusual location, Devoe Lake.
A beaver lodge on Grebe Lake.
British Soldier Lichen seems to love old fence posts.
Early July is apparently not the best time for fungi. This was one of the few not very colorful examples seen.
Crown-tipped Coral Fungi near our campsite.
A Map Turtle catches a few rays, (Donna).
A large Porcupine is spotted along the south trail, (Donna).
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So much natural diversity in one Michigan state park! This year we left the park wishing for a few more days to explore, to look more closely with intention, to breath in the fragrance of balsam, or just to gaze up into the splendor of the green canopy of trees surrounding our campsite. Perhaps that’s the best way to leave.
Devoe Lake.
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Thanks for stopping by.
