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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***, (Donna).
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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.
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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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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.
Tufted Titmice seem more common this time of year. Some migrants from the north?
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.
Woodpeckers are noticed at almost every turn, some of which are undoubtedly also northern migrants.
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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.
Almost invisible when trees are fully adorned with leaves the nervous movement of Golden Crowned Kinglets catches our eye.
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On mudflats left behind as a nearby reservoir is lowered for the season, a solitary oak leaf comes to rest.
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With feeders out, other birds brighten the day with their presence.
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Autumn’s fading color comes to rest among stream-side rocks.
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In the chill of the morning, birds enjoy the river without complaint.
Blending into the bark, unless your eye catches it’s movement, the Brown Creeper is almost impossible to spot.
“Snowbirds”, the presence of Dark-eyed Juncos alert us of what is to come.
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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.
Category: Central Ohio Nature, Columbus, Griggs Reservoir Park, Nature Photography, Ohio Nature, Scioto River Tagged: American Cardinal, American Robin, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Coopers Hawk, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Gray Squirrel, Hairy Woodpecker, House Finch, Red Winged Blackbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch
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.
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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:
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Only one Cape May Warbler was seen:
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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:
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The fairly common Yellow-rumped Warblers are often seen eating poising ivy berries:
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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:
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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.
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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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Category: Birding in Ohio, Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Columbus, Griggs Reservoir Park Tagged: Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue Jay, Cape May Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Great Blue Heron, Nashville Warbler, Northern Flicker, Northern Parula Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Wood Duck, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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Finally, below is a summary of other things seen as we explored the park trails.
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.
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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.
Category: Au Sable River, Central Ohio Nature, Michigan, Michigan State Parks, Nature Photography, Paddling and Nature Photography, Rifle River Recreation Area, Wildflowers Tagged: American Redstart, American Robin, American White Water Lily, Black Billed Cuckoo, Black Shouldered Spinyleg, Blanding's Turtle, Bunch Berry, Cedar Waxwing, Chaulk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly, Common Loon, Coral Fungus, Dead Man's Fingers, Delaware Skipper, Dot-tailed Whiteface, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Eastern Wood Pewee, Elfin Skimmer, Four-Spotted Skimmer, Green Heron, Hawkweed, Indian Pipe, King Bird, Large Mouth Bass, Little Wood Satyr, mink, Ovenbird, Painted Turtle, Pitcher Plant, Red-spotted Purple, River Jewelwing, Sheep Laurel, Showy Lady's Slipper, Spotted Thyris Moth, Trumpeter Swan, Walleye, White-breasted Nuthatch, Wild Columbine, Wild Geranium, Wood Frog, Yellow Goats Beard, Yellow Lady's Slipper, Yellow Pond Lilly, Yellow-bellied sapsucker
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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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.
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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Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also observed busily flying about perhaps also collecting food for their young.
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Some mom’s seemed to have a little more than they could deal with.
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While looking for fledglings we were charmed by the presence of other birds in Griggs reservoir Park.
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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Thanks for stopping by.
Category: Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Griggs Reservoir Park, Nature Photography, Ohio Nature Tagged: Baltimore Oriole, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Carolina Chickadee, Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Hairy Woodpecker, Mallard Ducks, Red Winged Blackbird, Spotted Sandpiper
Posted on May 26, 2019
It feels like we’ve been dodging raindrops at lot lately. However, the wetter than average spring, perhaps the new normal, has been great for the area wildflowers. We’ve continued to explore Griggs Reservoir Park near our home but have also made several trips to Glen Echo Park, Kiwanis Riverway Park, O’Shaughnessy Nature Preserve, and have traveled west to Cedar Bog as well as north to Magee Marsh, to name some of the other places explored. With a partial record in pictures of things seen, this is a celebration of all that this fleeting season has given us. Of particular note are the Yellow-billed Cuckoos that decided to make Griggs Reservoir Park their home for a few days recently. We also saw Scarlet Tanagers in the park after seeing few to none last year. What a treat!
(Should you desire, click on the image for a better view.)
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Birds:
Yellow-billed Cuckoos are one of the more entertaining birds to watch as they forage for food, Griggs Reservoir Park. They’re not a bird we see that often much less have an opportunity to photograph, (Donna).
There are always a few Bluebirds to see at Griggs Reservoir Park undoubtedly due to numerous trees that provide nesting cavities.
Catching this female Wood Duck out of the very corner of my spectacled eye as it flew into a nearby tree I at first thought it was a Morning Dove.
Every year we look forward to the arrival of the Baltimore Orioles at Griggs Reservoir Park. This year was no exception.
As if all the migrating warblers at Magee Marsh weren’t enough we see this guy, Great Horned Owl owlet.
A male Red-winged Blackbird in all it’s splendor. A common resident at Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Scarlet Tanager, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Blackburnian Warbler, Glen Echo Park. This small park centered around a stream and ravine is a hotspot for observing spring migrants.
A male American Redstart plays hide and seek, Glenn Echo Park.
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Other things:
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Wildflowers:
These Toadshade Trilliums from a few weeks ago were some of the last seen, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
We were surprised to see this Morrel mushroom emerging through the mowed grass at Griggs Reservoir Park.
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We hope you enjoyed this journey through spring into what now feels like early summer. We sadly leave the spring migrants behind for this year but experience tells us that there is always something new to see when exploring nature.
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Future seasons become easier to count and the present one more precious with the passing of time, but in that scarceness we become richer with the sense of their magic.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Cedar Bog.
Category: Birding in Ohio, Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Columbus, Fungi, Glen Echo Ravine, Greenlawn Cemetary, Griggs Reservoir Park, Kiwanis Riverway Park, O'Shaughnessy Nature Preserve, Ohio Nature, Wildflowers Tagged: Ameriacan Redstart, Baltimore Oriole, Blackburnian Warbler, Blue Flag Iris, Cabbage White, Cardinal, Cedar Waxwing, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Dames Rocket, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood Pewee, Fleabane, Great Crested Flycatcher, Great Horned Owl, Jacobs Ladder, Mallard Duck, Mayapple, Morrel Mushroom, Prothonotary Warbler, Red Winged Blackbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-tailed Hawk, Scarlet Tanager, Soloman's Seal, Spring Beauties, Tree Swallow, Warbling Vireo, Wild Geranium, Wild Rose, Wood Duck, Wood Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo
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