Central Ohio NatureA Stage Perfectly Set
Posted on January 6, 2020
On a long urban hike to work off the transgressions of the holidays, the morning was dark, cold, and wet, with light rain trying to turn to snow, and wind periodically gusting to remind one that it was colder than originally thought. Heading for the park through quiet residential streets, I wondered if any of the small friends that often inhabit the trees and brush along the river, would be there to greet me.
Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Easter Bluebird, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing.
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Perhaps it was the chill and dreariness of the day, kept at bay by the pace of my stride, until, pausing for a time, I was warmed by the sight of such seemingly delicate creatures “cheerfully” going about their business. I do not know for sure. But in the contrast of the moment I was captured by their magic. A play of pure joy and color acted out against the seasons dull colors of gray and brown on a stage perfectly set.
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Thanks for stopping by.
A Rare Bird
Posted on December 8, 2019
From time to time during our walks close to home we see a rare bird. Two days ago we were excited to see an American Kestrel in an undeveloped area south of Duranceaux Park which is located on the west side of Griggs Reservoir. A particular treat as this small falcon has been in decline in recent years. As with many birds this is most likely due to the destruction of suitable habit. In years past, when more time was spent bicycling Ohio’s quiet rural roads, this small robin size bird was seen on a regular basis, sometimes in the middle of a “lunch” consisting of a field mouse, but always taking flight from the roadside power lines before one could get very close. If not perched, they were often seen hovering over an adjacent field waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey.
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Much more common than the American Kestrel, a number of Red-tailed Hawks have been seen recently.
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Some of the more usual suspects have also graced us with their presence, providing an affirmation that much is well with the world. We’re endlessly fascinated by their behavior as they go about the day making a living in the trees and low lying brush of Griggs Reservoir Park.
Female Northern Cardinal
Male Eastern Bluebird, (Donna).
Red-bellied Woodpecker, (Donna).
Song Sparrow
Cedar Waxwing, (Donna).
Downy Woodpecker
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During this stark, seemingly lifeless, time of year it’s not always easy to be optimistic about what will be seen when heading into the woods. But even in December’s landscape we seldom return home with empty hearts.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Beauty In Transitions
Posted on November 23, 2019
It’s hard to think of the period between autumn color and the arrival of colder temperatures and a land covered in snow, as anything other than a time of transition. Ohio’s late November sepia-tone landscape makes one wish for somewhere else, past or future. If we find ourselves walking along a wooded trail or stream our curiosity is challenged in ways not encountered as spring unfolds into the warmth of an endless summer day. Better to be home in a favorite easy chair with the warm glow of a fireplace, a cat curled up on your lap, and a good book as the season’s birds occasionally visit the feeder just outside a nearby window. But the magic of late November is that, surrounded by muted color, the endlessly varied dance of birds not present or as easily noticed during other seasons, is hard to ignore.
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A window into the future, wintry bare branches reflect on the surface of a small pool.
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A year round resident, the cheerful Carolina Wren comes into it’s own as the landscape darkens in late November.
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Tufted Titmice seem more common this time of year. Some migrants from the north?
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A Red-winged Blackbird confuses us by it’s presence. Shouldn’t you be further south?
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In perhaps it’s last “voice”, a oak leaf graces the surface of a small stream.
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Few leaves obscure our view as we watch the comical journey of a White-breasted Nuthatch as it forages for food.
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A tidbit (perhaps a spider’s egg sack) is found, (Donna)
Woodpeckers are noticed at almost every turn, some of which are undoubtedly also northern migrants.
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker, (Donna)
Red-belied Woodpecker, (Donna).
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Before being caught by the wind and carried away, a lone Sycamore leaf catches the morning sun.
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Gray Squirrels are common and always easy to spot but they’re not always so busy eating.
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Almost invisible when trees are fully adorned with leaves the nervous movement of Golden Crowned Kinglets catches our eye.
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***(Donna)
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On mudflats left behind as a nearby reservoir is lowered for the season, a solitary oak leaf comes to rest.
Oak leaf
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With feeders out, other birds brighten the day with their presence.
House Finch
American Cardinal
Blue Jay
Carolina Chickadee
But not far away, a Cooper’s Hawk waits.
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Autumn’s fading color comes to rest among stream-side rocks.
Scioto River landscape.
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In the chill of the morning, birds enjoy the river without complaint.
An American Robin takes a bath.
Cedar Waxwings stop for a drink.
Blending into the bark, unless your eye catches it’s movement, the Brown Creeper is almost impossible to spot.
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“Snowbirds”, the presence of Dark-eyed Juncos alert us of what is to come.
***(Donna)
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Transforming place, an ephemeral first snow blankets the ground.
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As a metaphor for life, the passing seasons, particularly early spring and late autumn, may have something to teach us when in the midst of life transitions we wish for somewhere else. Perhaps the key is to look closer, be open to the beauty of the present time and place, and then in that moment allow ones self to be caught in it’s embrace.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Neighborhood Migrants
Posted on October 16, 2019
Warm days, now noticeably shorter, are giving way to colder nights with the landscape increasingly graced with the colors of autumn in Ohio.
Autumn reflection in central Ohio.
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During the past couple of weeks we’ve made a concerted effort to look for birds passing through Griggs Reservoir Park on their southern migration. We’ve avoiding the temptation to travel further afield thinking it would be fun just to see what is or isn’t passing through our “neighborhood”. There have been reports of birds that have eluded us, such as the Blackpoll and Yellow-throated Warbler, but all in all the effort has been rewarding.
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The Black-throated Green Warblers were very cooperative:
***, (Donna)
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Only one Cape May Warbler was seen:
Female Cape May Warbler
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A fair number of Northern Parula Warblers were spotted:
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This Yellow-throated Vireo is not sure he wants to eat a stink bug:
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We had only one sighting of a Black-throated Blue Warbler:
Good enough to ID the bird but that’s it.
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The fairly common Yellow-rumped Warblers are often seen eating poising ivy berries:
***, (Donna)
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A Nashville Warbler was also part of the mix:
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One Ruby-crowned Kinglet tries it’s best to hide while another jumps right out and poses. To date more kinglets have been heard than seen.
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Contrasting with last year, this has not been a good year for seeing Black-crowned Herons on the reservoir. However, on a resent paddle we were rewarded:
Juvenile, (Donna).
Adult, (Donna).
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While looking for warblers a group of very active Blue Birds was hard to ignore:
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A young male Wood Duck has been hanging around the park for the last couple of weeks. By it’s association with a group of mallards it appears to think it’s one:
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We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge some of the other birds that have fascinated us while we looked for fall migrants.
An immature Red-tailed Hawk seemed curious about what we were up to.
Something has this Juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker’s attention, (Donna).
A Mallard Duck, bathed in autumn light, swims across the reservoir.
A pair of Northern Flickers, (Donna).
A Tufted Titmouse acts cute like titmouse do, (Donna).
A White-breasted Nuthatch goes about it’s day.
One of the many Cedar Waxwings seen in the park in recent weeks.
A female Downy Woodpecker poses for a picture.
A Great Blue Heron strikes a graceful pose along the Scioto River, (Donna).
This Blue Jay has quite a mouthful, (Donna).
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It’s a dark gray rainy morning as I finish writing this so it’s hard to imagine what nature will offer in the coming days and this is the time of year when things tend to wind down. However, if past experience is any indication, it will only take another walk in the woods to again experience the magic. Thanks for stopping by.
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The Rifle River and A Mystery Bird
Posted on July 14, 2019
It’s that time of year again when we travel 6.5 hours north from our home in central Ohio to the Rifle River Recreation Area. Usually we enjoy checking out different areas for new adventures but this park’s unique beauty keeps us coming back. Whether paddling on the park lakes or hiking the trails there is always something to discover. From one week to the next different wildflowers can be seen. Spring warbler activity is complimented by the evening call of a Whippoorwill or Barred Owl and there’s always the distant call of a loon on Devoe Lake.
(click on images for a closer look)
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This year’s late June visit meant that in addition to increased warbler activity we’d also see blooming lady slippers and pitcher plants. Of course there would also be more mosquitoes to deal with and they’re always particularly pesky when one crouches down to study a flower or take a photograph.
A shaft of sunlight highlights a fern along the trail.
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My wife was nice enough to contribute the bulk of the pictures for this post as much of my time was spent fishing. However, to start the post off on a curious note I did notice something interesting one afternoon while hiking.
These rolled up birch? leaves littered the forest floor.
A closer inspection revealed a small caterpillar within the shelter of the rolled up leaf. It was in the process of eating it’s way out. Another egg sac near by? Based on an educated guess it would appear that a moth deposited it’s eggs on the underside of the leaf which then caused it to roll up and fall to the ground. Inside the leaf the caterpillar is safe from the prying eyes of birds until it escapes into the leaf litter and pupates soon to emerge as a moth and continue the cycle.
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When my wife wasn’t hiking and I wasn’t trying to catch a fish we did a fair amount of exploring by canoe.
Yours truly with a Devoe Lake Large Mouth Bass.
Exploring Grebe Lake
Common Loon, Devoe Lake.
Take two, (Donna).
Yellow Pond Lily, Grebe Lake.
Painted Turtle, Loud Pond, Au Sable River, (Donna).
Paddling trough the lily pads, Grebe Lake.
Trumpeter Swans, Grebe Lake.
A Mink checks us out along the Au Sable River, (Donna).
Au Sable River Walleye.
While Water Lily, (Donna).
Kingbirds entertained us as we paddled the Devoe Lake shoreline, (Donna).
Morning on Devoe Lake.
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One day as we drove back to our campsite after a morning paddle we came upon an unusual discovery in the middle of the road.
Our first thought was to move it along before it became the victim of a less observant driver.
But a closer look revealed that it was a Blanding’s Turtle something we’d expect to see in a nearby lake but not in it’s present location. Since it’s not a turtle we often see we were pretty excited, (Donna).
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However, perhaps the most unusual thing seen during our week long stay was the bird spotted while hiking along Weir Road.
The best ID we could come up with was a partially leucistic White-breasted Nuthatch but it’s beak didn’t look right. The mystery remains.
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We’d be remiss if we didn’t give special mention to the Ovenbirds and Yellowbellied Sapsuckers that entertained us each day at our campsite.
Ovenbird, (Donna).
With a white moth.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, taken while hiking but representative of the activity around our campsite, (Donna).
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While on the subject of birds, while hiking a park trail my wife was excited to see a Black Billed Cuckoo. It was a life bird for her.
Black Billed Cuco, (Donna).
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Finally, below is a summary of other things seen as we explored the park trails.
A recently emerged mushroom translucent in the sunlight.
A family of very colorful but small mushrooms.
Wild Columbine along the trail.
Hawkweed and fern.
The Rifle River
Showy Lady’s Slippers along the park road. A real treat to see.
A closer look, (Donna).
Bunch Berry Flower
Spotted Thyris Moth on fleabane.
Deep into the woods.
Red-spotted Purple
Another view, (Donna).
Yellow Lady’s Slippers were also seen, (Donna).
The flower of the Pitcher Plant. The plant gets it name by the shape of the leaves at the base of the plant which trap insects in water the leaves collect.
Overlooking Pintail Pond
Hover fly on dogwood blossoms.
This fairly large moth has yet to be identified.
Fleabane
Eastern Wood Pewee, (Donna).
Elfin (not Slaty) Skimmer.
Yellow Goats Beard, (Donna).
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, (Donna).
Another view.
Sheep Laurel, (Donna).
American Redstarts were fairly common, (Donna).
Blue Flag Iris, (Donna).
Dot-tailed Whiteface, (Donna).
River Jewelwing (M), (Donna).
River Jewelwing (F), (Donna).
Cedar Waxwing, (Donna).
Four-spotted Skimmer, (Donna).
Wood Frog, (Donna).
Coral Fungus, (Donna).
Chaulk-fronted Corporal
Wild Geranium, (Donna).
Little Wood Satyr.
Indian Pipe (before), (Donna).
After? (Donna).
A Green Heron stalks prey along the Devoe Lake shore, (Donna).
Black-shouldered Spinyleg, (Donna)
Another interesting plant we have yet to ID, (Donna).
Dead Mans Fingers, (Donna).
Delaware Skipper, (Donna).
Baby Robin, (Donna).
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As each day passes nature evolves. A wishful thought would be to spend one week each month in a place such as Rifle River Rec Area. Then one would truly appreciate it’s wonder. Thanks for stopping by.
Misty Day, Devoe Lake.
The Show
Posted on July 9, 2019
Recently we were flattered with an invitation to exhibit some of our photographs at the church we attend. The invitation was undoubtedly the result of this blog as well as various Facebook posts that friends and acquaintances have seen over the years. A friend commented that they might not be able to get over to the exhibit so the thought occurred that perhaps a post showing the pictures was in order. We hope you enjoy them.
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Lilly Pads, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, FL.
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Blackburnian Warbler, Magee Marsh, OH, (Donna).
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Wild Geranium, Glenn Echo Park, OH.
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Hummingbird Moth, Griggs Reservoir Park, OH, (Donna).
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Leaf, Griggs Reservoir, OH.
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Wood Duck, Griggs Reservoir, OH, (Donna).
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Squiggle, Griggs Reservoir, OH
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Prothonotary Warbler, Griggs Reservoir, (Donna).
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Branches, Griggs Reservoir, OH.
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Red Winged Blackbird, Griggs Reservoir Park, OH, (Donna).
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Misty Morning, Devoe Lake, Rifle River Recreation Area, MI.
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Spring Azure on Phlox, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, OH, (Donna).
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Tree, Salt Fork State Park, OH.
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Cedar Waxwings, Griggs Reservoir Park, OH, (Donna).
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Tree and Rock, Big Bend Natl Park.
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Purple Gallinule, Lake Kissimmee SP, FL, (Donna).
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New Art Exhibit at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus 93 W. Weisheimer Rd. Columbus, OH 43214-2544, “The Eye of the Beholder,” July 2- August 25. Join the artists for a reception: Sunday, July 14, 11:30-1pm. Food, conversation and photos.
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Approach photography playfully, you’ll have more fun, and your photographs will speak with a new voice. Thanks for stopping by.
The Orioles Fledge
Posted on June 30, 2019
It seems like just a few days ago that the Baltimore Orioles arrived in central Ohio. But in the bird world things happen fast and now their young are ready to fledge. Spring offers up a bounty of insects and berries so whether it’s a warbler or an oriole it’s no accident that it’s a popular time to raise young. Chickadees have also fledged and we were fortunate to be able to observe the young begging for the next morsel the parents offered up.
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Mature Baltimore Oriole at the nest in Griggs Reservoir Park.
Someone wants breakfast.
Breakfast is served.
Food keeps coming whether in the nest or out, (Donna).
Not long before the first flight.
. . . and finally away from the nest.
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Two young Carolina Chickadees beg for a meal in Griggs Reservoir Park.
They’re not much smaller than the adults.
And just as cute!
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Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also observed busily flying about perhaps also collecting food for their young.
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher in Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
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Some mom’s seemed to have a little more than they could deal with.
Female Mallard with young in Griggs Reservoir.
But that doesn’t seem to bother the males.
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While looking for fledglings we were charmed by the presence of other birds in Griggs reservoir Park.
A Catbird sings.
With the presence of berry rich trees Cedar Waxwings were everywhere.
My wife spotted this Hairy Woodpecker, a bird not often seen in the park, (Donna).
A Spotted Sandpiper forages on a log in the rain swollen reservoir.
This Great Crested Flycatcher has a nest somewhere nearby.
It won’t be long before we see this Kingbird with young.
Redwing Blackbird nests are always hard to find but this female is happy to pose for a picture, (Donna).
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Even with the departure of most warblers a couple of weeks ago, there was still plenty of bird activity to observe in the park.
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Hay, what about me!
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Thanks for stopping by.
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