Central Ohio NatureIt’s A Butterfly Time Of Year
Posted on August 16, 2018
Not that they aren’t seen earlier in the spring and summer but August does seem to be the time for butterflies. This year it’s been almost impossible to be out for any length of time without seeing a Monarch. In the late morning or afternoon small but beautiful Pearl Crescents make the shorter grass along the trail their playground. The beauty of some butterflies like the Giant Swallowtail is apparent to even a casual observer but others like the Buckeye reveal their beauty only after a closer look. Others like the hairstreaks are easy to miss altogether unless you know what to look for. The good news is that you don’t have to get up a the crack of dawn to see butterflies.
Sunlight filters through the woods along the Big Derby during a recent butterfly hike.
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So below is a celebration of butterflies that have been seen in the last few weeks. Much of the credit must go to my wife who tirelessly pursues these usually unpredictable creatures until she gets the shot she wants while I often content myself to photographing the more predictable wildflowers.
In late summer Bull Thistle is common in the prairie areas of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park and seems to attract it’s share of Monarchs.
The Giant Swallowtail is Ohio’s largest butterfly and not one we see every day, Griggs Reservoir Park..
A Giant Swallowtail depositing eggs, (Donna).
Great Blue Lobelia enjoying the more shaded areas of Griggs Reservoir Park.
A very small female Eastern-tailed Blue rewards Donna by opening it’s wings.
Prairie sunflowers, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
The beautiful but very small Gray Hairstreak, (Donna).
Hackberry Emperors are fairly common in Griggs reservoir Park and on a warm day enjoy hitching a ride on your arm to take advantage of your perspiration, (Donna).
Cardinal Flower
A small Summer Azure almost seems to blend in, (Donna).
Wingstem, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park prairie.
The not often seen Meadow Fritillary
The fairly common but lovely Orange Sulfur, (Donna).
New England Aster
Usually not seen in central Ohio until late summer or fall the medium size Buckeye is striking, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Fringed Loosestrife also enjoys the more shaded areas along the Scioto River.
A small Zabulon Skipper, (Donna).
A small but lovely Common Checkered Skipper, (Donna).
Lazard’s Tail along the Scioto River, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Silver Spotted Skipper, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Tall Blue Lettuce, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Red-spotted Purple, (Donna).
Another look, (Donna).
Gray-headed Coneflowers seem to take flight.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Another look.
A somewhat faded black form of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, (Donna)
Black Swallowtail, (Donna).
Black Swallowtail laying eggs, (Donna).
Ironweed, Griggs Reservoir Park.
The Peck’s Skipper is a very small moth like butterfly, (Donna).
Cup Plant
Monarch, (Donna).
Monarch
Trumpet Flowers, (Donna).
Mating Pearl Crescents
Pearl Cresent
Tall Bellflower
Eastern Comma
The tiny flowers of Virginia Knotweed.
Certainly not the most aesthetic setting, a Zebra Swallowtail lands in our canoe just as we finish a paddle on Paint Creek, (Donna).
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Where there are butterflies and moths there are caterpillars and no one is better at spotting them than my wife.
Brown-hooded Owlet, (Donna).
Monarch caterpillar, (Donna).
Orange Dog (Giant Swallowtail caterpillar), (Donna).
Another look.
Black Swallowtail caterpillar showing horns. Horns extend when head is touched lightly. Donna).
Without horns protruding, (Donna).
Sycamore Tussock Moth caterpillar, (Donna).
Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars, (Donna).
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We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge some of the birds that continue to charm us as we walk through the woods of central Ohio.
Male Goldfinch, (Donna).
This time of year False Dragonhead can be seen along the shore of Griggs Reservoir.
A Ruby throated Hummingbird checks out the Bull Thistle at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Woodland Sunflowers offer a splash of color in the woods along the Scioto River.
A Tufted Titmouse checks Donna out as she attempts to take it’s picture.
Indigo Bunting, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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So what was I doing while my wife was taking so many excellent photographs in central Ohio? Fishing in Michigan of course.
This nice Largemouth Bas went swimming right after posing for this picture.
Fishing at sunset on Devoe Lake, Rifle River Recreation Area.
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If time spent in nature speaks to the essence of your being, your soul, you have riches greater than any material procession can offer. A wealth that grows in health, spirit, and the awareness of being part of the greater mystery. Thanks for stopping by.
A First Sighting
Posted on June 27, 2018
Each year it’s a happy time when we again realize that while increased leaf cover and more secretive nesting behavior may make birds harder to observe other beautiful and fascinating things have taken their place. The other things that enchant, as we explore area parks, are the butterflies and dragonflies.
These creatures are a lot like small birds in the sense that you must get close up and personal in order to really appreciate them. At a distance they look like just another LBFI. For starters an essential tool is a pair of close focus binoculars, minimum focus distance of 6 – 7 ft. If you are like me that may soon give way to the desire to photograph them either as an aid to identification or for the record. That’s when you really start to notice how fascinating and beautiful they are. The next thing you may notice is their behavior like the pond surface tapping of a female dragonfly depositing eggs or the unique flight patterns of various butterflies. The more you observe and learn the more enchanting it all becomes.
Dragonfly heaven, Prairie Oaks Metro Park.
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That’s not to say that we’ve given up on the birds. During recent insect outing I was hoping for a good shot of an Indigo Bunting but the one seen was just a little too far away.
Again too far away for a good picture but it is an Indigo Bunting.
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A few other birds were a little closer.
A Brown Thrasher plays hide and seek in the leaf cover.
Certainly not trying to hide, this singing Protonotary Warbler was amazing hard to find but once spotted hard to ignore. It’s cavity nest wasn’t far from this perch.
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Gradually as we work our way through June the bulk of nature’s activity increasingly revolves around the insects. A major menu item for many of the now stealthier birds, it’s impossible to ignore them while exploring areas such as Darby Bend Lakes in Prairie Oaks Metro Park. On a recent outing dragonflies and damselflies seemed to be everywhere and was made all the more exciting when a dragonfly that my wife spotted turned out to be the first recorded sighting in central Ohio!
Double-striped Bluet, (Donna).
Smaller than a Halloween Pennant a beautiful Calico Pennant poses for the camera.
Damselflies often are seen flying among the leaves of low lying bushes making them easy prey for the orb weaver spider.
Female Blue-ringed Dancer
Damselflies can be friendly.
Powdered Dancer
Blue-fronted Dancer.
Male Ebony Jewelwing, (Donna).
Halloween Pennant
Mating Halloween Pennants.
Female Widow Skimmer
A male Widow Skimmer dining on what appears to be a damselfly.
Male Eastern Pondhawk
One of the larger but very common dragonflies this female Eastern Pondhawk dines on a small insect, (Donna).
Fawn Darner
The Swift Setwing is one of the larger dragonflies and this sighting was the first recorded in central Ohio. Over the past few years it has slowly been working it’s way north perhaps due to such factors as global warming, (Donna)
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Butterfly Weed
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And as if the dragonflies weren’t enough during the past few weeks we’ve been treated to sightings of an amazing variety of other insects. So much so, that at times it was a bit overwhelming!
The medium size Eastern Comma Butterfly.
Eastern Comma another view, (Donna).
The medium size Great Spangled Fritillary, (Donna).
Another view of the Great Spangled Fritillary.
Virginia Ctenucha Moth
Red Admiral.
On a warm day the medium size Hackberry Emperor often lands on exposed skin to take advantage of the goodies in ones perspiration.
The beautiful marking on the underside of the Hackberry Emperor’s wings.
Monarch Butterfly.
A Monarch Butterfly shows the underside of it’s wings.
As far as we can remember this is the first time we’ve seen a Delaware Skipper, (Donna).
A very rare view of the top side of the very small female Eastern-tailed Blue Butterflies wings, (Donna).
A very common medium sized Orange Sulfur Butterfly.
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Sometimes it’s hard to believe your eyes, such was the case a number of years ago when we saw our first hummingbird moth. We continue to be amazed.
Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Donna
Another view, (Donna).
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Pearl Crescent, a common, beautiful but smaller butterfly, (Donna).
Duskywing, a fast flying smaller butterfly.
The Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly is one of the larger skippers that at times we’ve observed to have an rather fearless attitude toward other flying insects. (Donna).
A Hoverfly pollenates on a Black-eyed Susan.
A very small long legged fly taxes the closeup capability of a Tamron 18-400 mm zoom.
Recently not far from our house we were thrilled to see Michigan Lilies in bloom
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It’s always hard to know when to stop as there are always more pictures that could be part of the post based on their merit. However, realizing that the photographer is usually more excited about pictures taken than those looking at them I’ve decided to show some compassion and stop here. At the very least I hope this post inspire nature lovers to get out and take a closer look and find that which enchants.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Hey wait, what about me!
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A Journey Into Autumn
Posted on October 2, 2017
I have to admit that autumn sometimes leaves me feeling a little beside myself. It’s truer this year because the weather has been beautiful, it’s been great to be outdoors as the landscape transforms, but the very dry conditions have made it a real challenge to capture beautiful images. Past experience tells me that trying too hard usually leads to failure. The picture needs to come to you. So looking for autumn landscapes I must often resign myself to photographing details to capture the color. Even so the dryness has resulted in colors that often seem muted which goes along with the dry crunch of leaves under foot as one explores a favorite path. So the day after day low autumn sun and the resulting bluer than blue skies continue to delight while causing one to wonder where the rivers are finding the water to keep flowing. Every autumn is comes and goes in it’s own way.
Leaves along the Big Darby, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Thankfully, as I look for that “autumn landscape”, my wife’s passion for butterflies and other things closer to the lens continues unabated as she contributes by capturing whimsical patterns in leaves . . .
America Basswood seeds, Griggs reservoir Park, (Donna).
Wingstem Seeds, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Milkweed goes to seed, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Leaves, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Patterns, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Reflections, Griggs Reservoir, (Donna).
Virginia Creeper, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Grass, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Prairie Grass, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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. . . and the flurry of autumn insect activity.
Eastern Comma, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Pearl Crescent, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Buckeye, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Eastern-tailed Blue, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Familiar Bluet, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Yellow Jacket, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Red-spotted Purple, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Virginia Ctenucha, backyard garden, (Donna).
We rescued this Wooly Bear Caterpillar (Isabella Tiger Moth) from the bike path and then spent some time observing its behavior. It’s deliberate movement would seem to indicate it was heading for a safe place to spend the winter. Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Monarch, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Meadow Fritillary, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Painted Lady, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Another view, (Donna).
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Over two weeks without appreciable rain, a blue sky, rocky shore, and clear water, Griggs Reservoir.
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An interesting inhabitant in the Scioto River below Griggs Dam this summer has been a solitary Hooded Merganser. It appears to have become part of an extended mallard family. While undoubtedly not that uncommon, it’s the first time we recall witnessing such behavior.
Hooded Merganser, Scioto River below Griggs Dam, (Donna).
Another view.
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We continue to see the other usual suspects, some with autumn color to give a sense of place.
White Breasted Nuthatch, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Immature Double-crested Cormorant, Griggs Reservoir, (Donna).
Male Downy Woodpecker, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Immature Cardinal, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Great Blue Heron, Griggs Reservoir, (Donna).
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Asters along the Big Darby, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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While the autumn leaves may not be living up to expectation, fall wildflowers are doing their best to pick up the slack.
Asters, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Lit from behind, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Purple Asters
Phlox, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Asters look toward the sun, Griggs Reservoir Park.
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The dryness has made hunting for fungi more hunting than finding but we did come upon one extraordinary specimen that was more than 12 inches across.
A very large unidentified fungi, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
Another look.
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Sunny weather is forecast for the next few days. With cool mornings and warm afternoons it continues to be a great time to be outdoors. If that perfect autumn landscape continues to elude it may be time to pick up the fly rod and head out in pursuit of a Small Mouth Bass. Though decisions!
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Big Darby Creek at sunrise, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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Hopefully the area where you live has been blessed with late summer and early autumn rains that will result in beautiful fall colors and an autumn to remember. 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.
Autumn’s Color
Posted on October 9, 2016
Usually when we think of autumn color we’re thinking about leaves but recent outings in central Ohio have revealed that in the autumn color can come in many different shapes and sizes. The pictures below celebrate things we’ve seen in the last two weeks hiking and paddling. While peak color is still about two weeks away, it’s hard not to be charmed by the splashes of color amongst the predominately green landscape.
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Exploring Alum Creek Reservoir north of the Howard Road bridge.
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The green corridor along Griggs Reservoir and the Scioto River is still providing opportunities to view migrated birds as well as local residents.
The portrait of a Cape May warbler gets photo bombed by a pair of amorous ladybugs, Griggs Park.
Eastern Phoebe, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Yellow-throated Warbler, Griggs Park.
A Blue-headed Vireo makes an appearance at Griggs Park, (Donna).
Song Sparrow, Griggs Park, (Donna).
A pair of Northern Flickers, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Juvenile Green Heron, Scioto River below Griggs Dam.
A pair of Carolina Wrens, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Female Belted Kingfisher, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Sparrows going for a swim, Griggs Reservoir, (Donna).
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. . . and plenty of insects, spiders, and flowers too!
Variegated Fritillary, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Monarch, Griggs Park.
Mating Blue-fronted Dancers, Griggs Park, Donna.
A Praying Mantis pays us a visit, (Donna).
Calico Asters, Griggs Park.
Corn Earworm Moth, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Wandering Glider, Griggs Park, (Donna, she wouldn’t tell me how long she waited to get this pic).
Pearl Crescents, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Seemingly unperturbed, a Grey Hairstreak shares a small flower with a bumblebee, (Donna).
Variable Orb Weaver, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Common Checkered Skipper, Griggs park, (Donna).
Orange Sulfur, Griggs Park, (Donna).
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Mudflats and logs exposed along Alum Creek due to slightly lower water levels provided an opportunity to see a few shorebirds.
Spotted Sandpiper along Alum Creek north of the reservoir.
Solitary Sandpiper along Alum Creek north of the reservoir.
Alum Creek.
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The little bit of rain we’ve had recently brought out some fungi.
Unidentified, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Non-inky Coprinus, Griggs Park, (Donna).
Witch’s Butter, Griggs Park, (Donna)
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Unlike two or three weeks ago when there were Ospreys everywhere, when we paddling the north end of Alum Creek Reservoir last Thursday none were seen. However, there were a lot of cormorants and gulls.
Along the shore of Alum Creek Reservoir.
A Doubled Crested Cormorant takes flight as we paddle north on Alum Creek Reservoir, (Donna).
Looking for Ospreys, Alum Creek Reservoir.
Along Alum Creek
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As if sensing the warm weather won’t last forever . . .
Basking in the morning sun, Griggs Reservoir.
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The amount of insect activity we’ve seen in the last two weeks has been been truly amazing. We haven’t had our first frost yet so I’m sure a lot will change once that happens. Meanwhile we’ll continue to enjoy. Thanks for stopping by.
Early autumn on Griggs Reservoir.
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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.
August Nature on Central Ohio’s Reservoirs
Posted on August 10, 2016
Recently we paddled the north end of Alum Creek Reservoir not far from our home in Columbus and then a couple of days later ventured about sixty miles due south to paddle Paint Creek. Given that it’s mid-summer we weren’t real optimistic about what we’d see. That said, one thing we observed which seemed rather counterintuitive given the summer’s midday heat was that the birds were much more active and approachable midday. This is something we’ve become accustomed to when looking for butterflies, dragon and damselflies, but necessary for other creatures. Of course, it is the insect time of year so we were not surprised to see plenty of them but in addition we were fortunate to see birds including immature Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Baltimore Orioles, and hawks.
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For those interested in Ospreys, paddling the north end of Alum Creek Reservoir can be very rewarding this time of year. Ospreys and their recently fledged offspring seem to be everywhere. During our paddle we also had two Bald Eagle siting’s, however, they didn’t hang around for a photograph. Many Green Herons were also seen as we explored the shoreline and numerous coves. With lake levels slightly low exposing shoreline rocks numerous solitary and spotted sandpipers were also seen.
Osprey, north end of Alum creek reservoir, FZ200
Closer look, FZ200
Adult Osprey, FZ200
Taking flight, Donna, FZ200
Flag-tailed Spinyleg, Alum Creek, Donna, FZ200
Paddling up Alum Creek, FZ200
Long-jawed Orbweaver, Alum Creek, Donna, FZ200
One of many Green Herons, this one was strutting it’s stuff, Alum creek, Donna, FZ200
Fall Phlox, Alum Creek, Donna, FZ200
Amberwing, Alum creek, Donna, FZ200
Very young Map turtle, alum Creek, Donna, FZ200
Solitary Sandpiper, Alum Creek, Donna, FZ200
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The paddle up Paint Creek is stunning, it’s hard the believe you’re in Ohio. As the day progressed it seemed easier to get close enough to Kingfishers so that the resulting photograph didn’t leave you wondering what kind of bird it was.
Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, dark morph, Paint Creek, Canon 3ti 18-135mm lens.
Spotted Sandpiper, Paint Creek, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm.
Butterflies on scat, Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200
Double-crested Cormorant looking rather mysterious, Paint Creek, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm.
Eastern Amberwing (F), Donna, FZ200
Male Kingfisher, Paint Creek, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm.
Female Kingfisher, Paint Creek, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm.
Bob’s big fish (White Bass), Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200.
Spicebush Swallowtail, Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200.
Green Heron tidying up, Paint Creek, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm.
Mushrooms on a log, Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200.
Common Arrowhead, Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200.
One member of Donna’s Hackberry Circus, Paint Creek, Canon 60D with Sigma 150-500mm.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtails puddling, Paint Creek, Donna, FZ200.
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After spending time exploring Alum Creek Reservoir and Paint creek we returned to our own “backyard”, Griggs Reservoir and the Scioto River, where we also found things to fascinate.
Summer along the Scioto below Griggs Dam, FZ200.
Sunflower, Griggs Park, FZ200.
Immature Red-bellied Woodpecker, Griggs Park, FZ200.
Meadow Fritillary, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
Immature Cedar Waxwing, Griggs Park, FZ200.
Another look.
Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
Halberd-leaved Rose-mallow, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
The Scioto River below Griggs Dam, another view, FZ200.
One of the very few Buckeyes seen so far this summer, Griggs Park, FZ200.
Carolina Wren, Griggs Park, FZ200.
Black-crowned Night Heron, very early morning, Griggs Reservoir, ZS50.
Pearl Crescent, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
Robber fly, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
Monarch, Griggs Park, FZ200.
Zebulon Skipper, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
One of many Hackberries seen, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
Horace’s Duskywing, Griggs Park, Donna, FZ200.
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Often we find ourselves walking along residential streets on the return leg of an urban hike to Griggs Park. We usually don’t expect to discover anything special but you never know what you’re going to see.
Immature Red-tailed Hawk just outside our kitchen window, FZ200.
Immature Cooper’s Hawk, residential street near our home, FZ200.
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We hope you’ve been able to get out and explore and appreciate nature this summer. Thanks for stopping by.
Summer Wildflowers, Butterflies, and a Few Birds
Posted on July 28, 2016
We’ve been busy documenting nature’s summer in central Ohio. If you are fascinated by insects this is your time of year but be prepared to look closely. The summer heat has done little to discourage the wildflowers which in a shout of color announce their presence. The below shots were taken along Griggs Reservoir and Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. I hope they put you in a summer kind of mood.
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Milk Weed Beetle, Griggs Park, Donna
Wild Lettuce, Griggs Park, Donna
Halberd-leaved Rose-mallow, Griggs Park, Donna
Wild Potato Vine, Griggs Park, Donna
Barely seen, dragonflies hover over a reflection, Griggs Reservoir
Fallen branch and wildflowers, Griggs Park
Gray Headed Cone Flowers, Griggs Park
Cup Plant, Griggs Park
Wild Chicory, Griggs Park
Path to the water, Griggs Park
Thistle, Griggs Park
Pearl Crescent, Griggs Park
Wasp, Griggs Park, Donna
Eastern Pondhawk,(F), Griggs Park, Donna
Wing Stem, Griggs Park, Donna
Goldfinch, Griggs Park, Donna
Hackberry Emperor, Griggs Park, Donna
Fireworks in green, Griggs park, Donna
Biennial Gaura, Griggs Park, Donna
Widow Skimmer (F), Griggs Park, Donna
Least Skipper, Griggs Park, Donna
Rose Pink, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Donna
Leopard Frog, Battelle Darby Greek Metro Park, Donna
Hummingbird Moth, Battelle Derby Creek Metro Park, Donna
Phlox, Griggs Park, Donna
Catbird, Griggs Park, Donna
Ducklings, Griggs Park, Donna
Fishing, Griggs Reservoir, Donna
Black Swallowtail, Griggs Park, Donna
Hairy Wood Mint, Griggs Park, Donna
Coneflowers, Griggs Park
Peck’s Skipper, Griggs Park
Eastern Wood Pewee, Griggs Park
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Royal Catchfly, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Sunflower, Griggs Park
Royal Catchfly, a closer look.
Looking for Bison, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Bison, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Bluebird, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Kingbird, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Barn Swallow, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Luna Moth on our house.
Quiet morning, Griggs Reservoir
Great Blue Heron, Griggs Reservoir
Black Crowned Night Heron, Griggs Reservoir
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Hope you enjoyed this summer celebration of nature in central Ohio. Thanks for stopping by.
Birding By Canoe, Alum Creek Reservoir
Posted on May 19, 2016
There may be a few birds that are easier to see from a canoe but for us the real reason for using one is that we enjoy messing around in small boats and it does offer a unique perspective on the landscape. The north end of Alum Creek reservoir in central Ohio is a beautiful place to explore. With an endless number of coves you never know what you’ll discover so there’s always anticipation. On the down side, while using binoculars to observe birds is usually not too difficult, taking acceptable pictures is another story as holding the camera steady while you and everything else is moving is almost impossible. The stronger the breeze the greater the challenge so often when we’re in the canoe my wife becomes the photographer and I handle the boat.
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The following celebrates a recent adventure on the reservoir:
Exploring a cove.
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We often direct our gaze upward as we follow the shoreline.
Looking for birds.
Along the shore a Red-tailed hawk seemed to be tending a nest but no immature birds were seen.
There was no shortage of Baltimore Orioles.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, (Donna)
Double-crested Cormorants, (Donna).
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While enjoying the birds, out of the corner of our eye we noticed a flowering plant unlike anything we recalled seeing before. So often when we discover a “new to us” plant it turns out to be invasive but that was not the case with this one.
Close-up photography of a flower is not easy when you are in a canoe.
Limber Honeysuckle, native to Ohio, very exotic looking.
Another view, (Donna).
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Looking up isn’t always necessary, down lower a few birds and turtles also cooperated for the camera.
A Pileated Woodpecker liked something about this log.
How many ducklings can a mother Wood Duck care for?
A moment later they heading up into the grass, (Donna)
Small Map Turtle, (Donna)
Spotted Sandpiper along the shore.
Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle, (Donna).
There was no shortage of Prothonotary Warblers, (Donna).
Singing, (Donna).
These birds are flexible!, (Donna).
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Other plants also fascinated.
Pussytoes, (Donna).
Shoreline grass, (Donna)
Corn Salad, (Donna).
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In addition to the birds and fascinating plants my wife spotted this small butterfly.
Pearl Crescent, (Donna).
Pearl Crescent from below, (Donna).
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Did I say Alum Creek Reservoir is a beautiful place? It is, but the dark side is that there’s a lot of thrash.
Just part of the trash we collected during our paddle. The bow and stern areas of the canoe were full.
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But ending on a more upbeat note:
Cove, Alum Creek Reservoir.
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Thanks for stopping by.
