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 September 11, 2017
Every couple of years we rendezvous with friends near Asheville, NC for a few days of hiking. Much of what is seen is different than that found in in central Ohio and that’s part of the area’s appeal. However, unlike central Ohio with it relatively flat terrain, the rugged ups and downs make the trails no walk in the woods. Because of this, as well as the length of some of the hikes, the serious cameras were left at home. Even so my wife got some excellent results with her Panasonic FZ200 while I explored the performance limits of the ZS50.
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Our base of operation is the Sourwood Inn which is convenient to Ashville and highly recommended should you find yourself in the area for a hiking vacation or just a quiet getaway. On our recent trip we hiked portions of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST), The Snowball Mountain Trail, Craggy Gardens Trail, and the Craggy Pinnacle Trail which are part of the Craggy Gardens Trails group.
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In past years we’ve seen plenty of fungi, moss, and lichen, and this year was no exception. Usually numerous butterflies are seen while hiking but this year we saw more along the Blue Ridge Parkway as we drove to the various trailheads which was not convenient for pictures.
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Usually located not far off the trail, fungi, lichen, and moss captured our attention. Except for the low light seeing and photographing it is relatively straight forward. However, once in possession of a photograph trying to identify it can be a humbling experience. Over the years we’ve seen some often enough that identification is straight forward. For most this is not the case so many of the ID’s should be taken as our best guess.
This group appear to be some type of chanterelle, Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near Rattle Snake Lodge.
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When we weren’t trying to figure out the fungi there were wildflowers to enjoy.
Beech-drops, a parasitic plant which grows and subsists on the roots of American beech, line portions of the Snowball Mountain Trail.
This is one of those cases where I was so fascinated with the structure of the flower that I forgot to photograph the leaves making identification almost impossible, Craggy Gardens Trail.
A cool morning made this lethargic bee easy to photograph on some trailside Goldenrod, Craggy Gardens Trail.
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And butterflies:
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Even a turtle:
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But not as many birds as we would have liked:
Dark-eyed Junco, Craggy Pinnacle, (Donna). Seen in central Ohio only in late fall through early spring. However, due to the elevation which creates a climate similar to that occurring much further north, these birds are year round residents.
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With it’s high elevation and harsh weather trees have to be tough to survive along the Pinnacle Trail.
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For those in the eastern part of the country looking for a some beautiful mountain hiking, the area near Asheville, NC is highly recommended. The plus is that with a vibrant downtown, good restaurants, fascinating shops, and excellent galleries, Asheville is a great place to explore should you decide your legs need a rest day.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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XXX
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Should you wish prints from various posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo. If you don’t find it on the link drop us a line.
Category: Blue Ridge Mountains, Central Ohio Nature, North Carolina, photography, Sourwood Inn, Wildflowers Tagged: Appalachian Brown, Asters, Beard Lichen, Beech-drops, Boletes Family, Crown-tipped Coral, Dark-eyed Junco, Downey Rattlesnake-plantain, Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Honey Mushroom, Indian Cucumber Root, Lung Lichen, Mountain Laurel, Old Man's Beard, Panasonic FZ200, Panasonic ZS50, Pinesap, Powder-cap Amanita, Rooted Polypore, Snakeroot, Tinder Polypore, Turkey Tail, Turtlehead, Velvet Foot, White Coral
Posted on December 28, 2016
There is nothing particularly different about this winter in central Ohio. For a few days the temperature hovered around 5F then almost overnight it was 65F and raining making a recent light snow seem like an hallucination. Cold, snowy, icy, weather always seems to have a hard time taking up permanent residence.
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Freezing, thawing, and then refreezing do make for interesting ice patterns. Below are a few I’ve taken the liberty to enhance so pattern and design stand out.
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Walking along the Scioto River and seeing our old friend the Kingfisher is reassurance that unlike the weather some things don’t change much.
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Along the reservoir a Junco looks on as a gull enjoys a good stretch while not far away a crow appears to be practicing his skating.
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On a recent day, as the reservoir froze, a grebe seemed almost trapped in one of the few small areas of open water. Hopefully that wasn’t the case.
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In late December so much is monochromatic brown gray dreariness but on a recent outing my wife’s tireless quest for very small but always cheerful kinglets paid off.
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In the spring, fascination seems to offer itself at every turn but in winter one often needs to look closely and with intention. On a recent @40F day this little fella was spotted as we walked through the woods near our home.
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Other things have also brought color to the landscape.
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We hope this post has brought some cheer to what in the northern hemisphere can be a challenging time of year. So until next time, thanks for stopping by!
Should you wish, various prints from this and other posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo. and Donna’s 2017 Birds of Griggs Park calendar is available at Calendar.
Posted on November 22, 2016
At least that impression one gets watching a Winter Wren foraging for food. These very small dark colored birds with a very pronounced turned up tail are hard to see much less photograph as they make their way around dense underbrush usually near water. In fact I don’t think we’ve ever seen one very far from water although that could be due to the fact that we spent a large amount of our time looking for birds near water along the Scioto River in Griggs Reservoir Park.
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From the very small to very large, a Sycamore along the Scioto River. What could it tell us of this place if it could talk?
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This time of year it’s always a joy when common birds entertain us. Not so easy to capture in their natural habitat away from feeders.
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While closer to the ground there is still a presence of green, in many areas overhead it’s a different story.
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Other birds continue to make their presence known.
Almost always heard before they’re seen this Carolina Wren was determined to get noticed, along the Scioto River below Griggs Dam.
We were looking for the Winter Wren but some previously hard to fine Golden-crowned Kinglets kept getting in the way, along the Scioto below Griggs Dam.
This Dark-eyed Junco was acting like it might have hurt feelings if I didn’t take it’s picture, Griggs Park.
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A fascinating and unexpected find during a recent walk along the Scioto River was this very nice example of a Horn Coral fossil. The fossil was about 4 inches long!
Rugose corals, often called “horn corals”, because their form may resemble the horn of a cow or goat. This coral became extinct at or near the end of the Permian period, about 240 million years ago. It first appeared in the early Ordovician period and peaked during the Devonian. photo by Donna. Ref: http://fallsoftheohio.org/DevonianCorals.html
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Up until just four days ago warm weather was allowing some of our insect friends to hang around but with this mornings temperature around 20F we don’t expect to see them again any time soon.
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Given that it’s Thanksgiving week here in central Ohio the next bird we will be investigating will probably be a turkey. On that note we wish everyone a happy holiday. Thanks for stopping by.
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Should you wish, various prints from this and other posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo. and Donna’s 2017 Birds of Griggs Park calendar is available at Calendar.
Category: Birding in Ohio, Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Columbus, Hiking in Ohio, Ohio Nature, photography, Prairie Oaks Metro Park, Scioto River Tagged: American Goldfinch, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Chipmunk, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Horn Coral, Milk Weed, Northern Flicker, Panasonic FZ200, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Tufted Titmouse, Variegated Fritillary, White-throated Sparrow, Winter Wren
Posted on November 17, 2016
For those of you that follow this blog you know that we spend a lot of time walking in one park near our home. Part of the fascination has been to see what we can discover in this one specific location throughout the year. As the seasons change, it’s often about what we don’t see as much as what we do. From our house the park is also the perfect distance for a long walk which adds to the overall satisfaction of the experience. Finally, without making too much work out of it, we also try to help keep the park free of cans, bottles and other litter which provides a sense of ownership and makes the place just that much more special.
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Having provided a rather circuitous introduction you’re probably wondering where this is going. Well it’s about the Kinglets! Several weeks ago we saw quite a few Golden and Ruby Crown Kinglets along the Scioto River below the Griggs Dam but since then nothing. Were had they gone? Had our timing since then just been bad? We were starting to wonder. Would we again see these little birds that do so much to brighten up late fall and winter in central Ohio?
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In then a few days ago, in the company of Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers, there they were.
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. . . and not far away.
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Red-tailed Hawks are hard to miss this time of year.
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My wife was trying to figure out what this crow was doing.
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And as always there have been other things to notice.
Amazingly, after a number of below freezing nights, we continue to see butterflies, Griggs Park, (Donna).
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Donna tried her hand at capturing the often ignored shapes and designs of late fall.
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On future walks we hope the kinglets, along with their friends, will continue to charm and fascinate making this time of year just a little brighter. Thanks for stopping by.
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Should you wish, various prints from this and other posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo. and Donna’s 2017 Birds of Griggs Park calendar is available at Calendar.
Category: Birding in Ohio, Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Columbus, Griggs Reservoir, nature, Ohio Nature, photography Tagged: Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm, Clouded Sulphur, Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Fox Squirrel, Golden Crown Kinglet, Panasonic FZ200, Ravenel's Stinkhorn, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Song Sparrow
Posted on November 6, 2016
It’s the first part of November and the autumn colors have hung around a lot longer than usual. We thought about taking a drive down to the Hocking Hills in SE Ohio, a hilly part of the state that’s especially beautiful this time of year, but opted for a few long walks in Griggs Park instead. Can’t say that I feel like we missed anything by not taking the drive.
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Landscape photography in Griggs Park can be a challenge due to the amount of extraneous subjects that can distract so taking time to study vantage points and light is essential to capturing what one wants.
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I’ve been fascinated by the park’s picnic tables for a number of years particular when they are in an isolated setting. Now mostly deserted it’s as if they are still waiting patiently without a complaint for someone to sit down. Fall color adds to the visual interest. Perhaps B&W would also say what I wanted.
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The paths and roads in the park can be delightful and almost magical this time of year. Capturing that feeling is always rewarding.
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Sometimes it’s just a tree that enchants.
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At first one notices the big things but before long smaller things, leaves and flowers start to tell their story.
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Don’t tell the insects it’s the first of November. However, for the squirrels and chipmunks that are getting ready for winter, it’s just that busy time of year.
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The birds, local residents as well as migrants from the north, also seemed to be celebrating the color of the season.
Along the Scioto River autumn color creates a beautiful backdrop for this female Belted Kingfisher, Griggs Park, (Donna).
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Oh, I almost forgot, for those that are on the edge of their seat wondering how my autumn Smallmouth Bass quest is coming , here’s an update:
Channel cats have been more cooperative. They are fun to catch but not what I’m looking for, Griggs Reservoir.
. . . and then a few days later a measure of success! Since I’m a firm believer that the work begins when you put the fish on the stringer they are all released. The fish seem to be happy about that decision.
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When writing this blog at often occurs to me that it’s largely for internal consumption, a way of marking time, documenting life, and making it sacred. On that note we hope readers have found natural areas close to home that enchant and have enjoyed autumn in those special places as much as we have in ours. Thanks for stopped by.
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Should you wish, various prints from this and other posts may be purchased at Purchase a Photo. and Donna’s 2017 Birds of Griggs Park calendar is available at Calendar.
Category: Birding in Ohio, Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Columbus, fishing in central ohio, Griggs Reservoir, nature, Ohio Nature, photography, Scioto River, Wildflowers Tagged: American Goldfinch, Belted Kingfisher, Canon 3ti 18-135mm lens, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm, Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Channel Catfish, Chipping Sparrow, Common Checkered Skipper, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Comma, Fleabane, Great Blue Heron, Mallard Duck, Milkweed, Panasonic FZ200, Red Winged Blackbird, Smallmouth Bass, Teasel, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrow
Posted on January 22, 2016
A recent walk was filled with anticipation. Cold weather had resulted in a fresh covering of ice on Griggs Reservoir. When this occurs, the Scioto River, free flowing below the dam, concentrates any waterfowl that might be in the area.
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On the reservoir there were signs of animal activity.
A frozen fish, and the promise of an easy meal, tempts a small animal. It didn’t make much progress so apparently the “frozen” part was not to it’s liking.
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What we hadn’t anticipated were the fascinating ice formations along the river. As mentioned in previous posts they are caused by freezing temperatures and receding water levels.
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After some time enjoying and trying the capture the beauty of the ice we continued our search for the anticipated waterfowl.
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A few other birds refused to be left out:
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Based on weather forecasts, the ice on the reservoir should be around for awhile. That considered, who knows what birds will be seen in the days to come. In their number there might even be a Bald Eagle.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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