Posted on July 16, 2022
It was a perfect day, little wind and a blue sky punctuated with puffy white clouds. Our paddles entered the water almost two hours after leaving home in Columbus. We were ready to enjoy the day with a paddle up Paint Creek which would add up to about seven miles once we arrived back at our launch. Unlike the time of spring migration and spring wildflowers our expectation for seeing birds and wildflowers in the deep green embrace of mid-July were not great but the area we had decided to paddle, both enchanting and beautiful made up for it.
The below pictures are offered as encouragement for all that seek to pursue a similar quest.
We had gliding through the water to little more than the sound of the paddle, the calls of Northen Parula and Yellow Warblers, and a distant Wood Thrush. It had been a day well spent.
The route,
https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=915905
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 theĀ 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 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.
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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..
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).
Usually not seen in central Ohio until late summer or fall the medium size Buckeye is striking, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
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.
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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.
A Ruby throated Hummingbird checks out the Bull Thistle at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
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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.
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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.
Category: Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Birding in Ohio, butterflies, Central Ohio Nature, Central Ohio Parks, Columbus, Griggs Reservoir Park, Hiking in Ohio, Nature Photography, Scioto River, Wildflowers Tagged: Black Swallowtail, Brown-hooded Owlet, Buckeye, Canon 80D Tamrom 18-400, Cardinal Flower, Common Checkered Skipper, Cup Plant, Eastern Comma, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Eastern-tailed Blue, False Dragonhead, Fringed Loosestrife, Gray Hairstreak, Gray Headed Cone flowers, Great Blue Lobelia, Hackberry Emperor, Indigo Bunting, Ironweed, Lizard's Tail, Meadow Fritillary, Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Monarch Butterfly, New England Aster, Orange Dog, Orange Sulfur, Panasonic FZ200, Panasonic Lumix G7 Leica 100-400mm, Pearl Crescent, Peck's Skipper, Red-spotted Purple, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Silver Spotted Skipper, Summer Azure, Sycamore Tussock Caterpillar, Tall Bellflower, Tall Blue Lettuce, Trumpet Flower, Virginia Knotweed, Wingstem, Woodland Sunflower, Zabulon Skipper, Zebra Swallowtail
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