Central Ohio NatureMigrating Into Spring
Posted on April 19, 2022
For some living things it is a migration through time that ushers in their seemingly too brief visit each spring. For others it’s a journey through both time and space. In each case April brings “magic” to the central Ohio woods and meadows. It’s a time of beauty in small things as the grander landscape has just begun to put on its coat of green.
With the cool spring it wasn’t that long ago that we saw Snow Trillium, now the Large Flower Trillium have started to appear.
Despite the cold spring in nearby trees we now notice early spring migrants, flowers of another kind.
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to look. Up or down? Wildflowers capture our imagination, but when we look down as our feet shuffle through last year’s leaf litter and see Twinleaf or Cutleaf Toothwort, how many warblers fly by overhead? A good problem to have.
Almost too small to notice with the naked eye several objects are in constant erratic motion in the nearby brush. We pursue them with our binoculars, which often only brings a bare branch into focus, but finally succeed in identifying them as a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Most of what interests me in nature, a wildflower at my feet or a warbler in a tree, is small. Much of it would go unnoticed if I didn’t pay attention and even so there is much that is missed. Wildflowers not as often, but birds really do benefit when viewed though a decent pair of binoculars. However, having said that, the start is really about paying attention. But how does one care enough about things, that have never been experienced or even seen, to pay attention, to look, to listen? For me that’s the wisdom that time spent in nature graciously provides.
Along with those that may be passing through, other birds also compete for our attention.
The natural world speaks to us in a voice without words. In the “year” of human history it’s been less than four hours that technology and our modern lifestyle, with its illusion of wellbeing and comfort, has isolated us from that world. For many of us its voice is no longer heard. For most of our history we have been an integral part of nature, we have been nature! So, it may not be surprising that it is a voice that truly speaks to our soul. It’s ironic that technology now lets us share its sights and sounds in ways heretofore not imagined. When it comes to appreciating birds, modern binoculars have only been around for a little over 100 years and capable digital photography not much more than 20. Fortunately, if we just get out of our houses and cars and venture into nature without any modern technology, there is much that it has to say.
Thanks for stopping by.
Spring Walk
Posted on April 5, 2022
Despite a colder than normal spring with some trees showing just a hint of green, the longer days and the now more persuasive rays of the sun continue their call for nature to awake. Recently our walks in the wooded areas of local city parks have carried with them the unavoidable expectation of the season.
Sometimes with the expectation of the season comes the unexpected, a Fox Squirrel that appears to be Break Dancing (click on panes for a better view):
Much of what brings real meaning to life are the acquired tastes that must be pursued with intention after just the smallest beginning flicker of interest. In nature, as with most of life’s experiences, the more you look the more you see and then appreciate, becoming richer for it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Autumn Quiet
Posted on November 16, 2020
While walking a few days ago we witnessed a unique display of natures beauty. Unlike many times in November when wind tears at trees and sends autumn color spiraling high overhead and then down to a final resting place, on this particular day the almost bare branches stood completely motionless, in the absence of even the lightest zephyr, while the late afternoon sun seem to transform their remaining leaves into glass sculptors of translucent amber and gold. An experience easily missed had we been absorbed in thoughts of the world or our country’s woes, past, present, or future.
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In spring and summer we enjoy the warm embrace of life in the form of trees, flowers, insects, birds, and other living things. Now we must quietly look much closer. Sometimes in doing so we may be rewarded with with a fleeting glimpse of a wren.
A Winter Wren moves mouse-like among the low laying exposed roots and branches at rivers edge.
A Carolina Wren adds it’s cheerful, bigger than life, voice to the autumn air.
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River reflection.
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Often when surveying the dull landscape of late fall, it’s hard to believe anything else will appear that will be as charming as the wrens, but surprisingly:
Fortified by poison ivy berries and similar delicacies Yellow-rumped Warblers often hang around well into the fall.
A Downy Woodpecker uses it’s tongue, (Donna).
A tiny group of mushrooms add their color.
Eastern Bluebirds also seem to enjoy Poison Ivy berries.
A lonely sentinel defies the season, (Donna).
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet refuses to display it’s crown.
A Golden-crowned Kinglet is a little more cooperative, (Donna).
While hiking at Battelle Darby Creek MP in early November, after already having a period of cold weather, we were surprised by the emergence of Eastern Comma butterflies. There were so many that we lost count.
A Song Sparrow poses, (Donna).
Late autumn color collage, (Donna).
With most leaves down, the Brown Creepers are much easier to spot.
A male House Finch enjoys an invasive honeysuckle berry. Probably the main way this plant has spread, (Donna).
Winter can’t be far away when Dark Eyed Juncos are seen foraging for fallen seeds below your feeders.
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The late morning November sun plays in the branches of an old oak.
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Looking ahead to days wrapped in winter’s brittle chill I’m remined that no matter whether one spends time with a friend or among the trees there are always opportunities for discovery if one doesn’t live by rote and is truly present in the moment.
A Gray Squirrel huddles against a cool breeze.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Embracing Autumn
Posted on October 18, 2020
On a recent hike on a rather cold but clear autumn morning a friend exclaimed how good it was to be outdoors on such a beautiful day, and that at this point in her life she is really trying to embrace autumn. She related that she was hoping to shed the, all too easy to acquire, mindset that autumn is just that beautiful but fleeting season between summer and winter. She was going to look closer, be in the moment, and appreciate. An admirable goal any time of the year, but particularly in the ever shorter days of early October when it all seems to go by quickly.
The morning sun accentuates the color across the reservoir, Griggs Reservoir Park (GRP).
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She talked about sketching, and how looking at a flower or other object in the effort to draw it really enhanced her seeing and appreciating. I couldn’t help but think of it as a meditation. Certainly photographs and words can also lead to a more intimate relationship with nature as we compose a picture or reflect on things not capable of being being expressed in a picture.
Autumn reflection, Wahkeeva NP.
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Fall warblers are sneaky. With the exception of the Yellow-rumped Warbler that stick around to enjoy poison ivy berries, warblers move through central Ohio on their way south quickly and quietly without the spring’s distinctive calls. Along with other birds that don’t have to depend on insects for food, cardinals, eastern bluebirds, and woodpeckers, some of which may be from further north, hang around all winter. Interestingly a fair number of Great Egrets, which don’t typically winter in Ohio, are still in the area. Some Great Blue Herons manage to make a living here throughout the winter but their smaller cousin the Green Heron has already left.
A Black-throated Green Warbler passes through (GRP) on it’s way south, (Donna).
Magnolia Warbler (GRP), (Donna).
Eastern Phoebe (GRP).
For obvious reasons this Eastern Phoebe won’t be in the area much longer (GRP), (Donna).
Here some tapping? Look up, it’s probably a Downy Woodpecker, (GRP).
Cheerful Carolina Chickadees keep us company year round (GRP).
Great Egrets, O’Shaughnessy NP
Eastern Bluebirds seem more common in the autumn, (GRP).
A recent arrival from the north, revving up it’s motor, this Ruby-crowned Kinglet left the branch bare a fraction of a second later, O’Shaughnessy NP.
Some days if it wasn’t for the cardinals things would be pretty dull (GRP) (Donna).
A Coopers Hawk waits patently for a meal. It’s a year round resident (GRP).
The White-throated Sparrow is a migrant from the north. Some will spend the winter in central Ohio, Wahkeeva NP.
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Autumn along the reservoir (GRP).
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The flurry of insect activity has slowed down considerably over what it was just two weeks ago. Butterflies, and especially bees, had been incredibly active during the last warm days before the occurrence of a few cold nights where the temperature hung just above freezing.
Bald-faced Hornets nest (GRP), (Donna).
Traffic jam at the entrance to the nest, (Donna)
Eastern Commas are fairly common in the fall, Stages Pond State NP.
Green bee on aster (GRP.
The Common Checkered Skipper is usually seen in late summer and fall (GRP).
A busy bee (GRP).
Monarch on aster, Stages Pond State NP.
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Autumn color (GRP).
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Chipmunks were also in on the activity.
Chipmunk (GRP), (Donna).
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I finish writing this with memories of the smell and color of the autumn woods graced by the light of the seasons low laying sun and transformed into a branched “stained glass” cathedral of yellow and gold. Outside under gray 50 F skies a light rain is falling, perhaps nature’s way of saying in a quiet voice, “Pause, give thanks, for those warm, sunny, autumn days, and for all things with which you have been blessed”.
Cathedral in the woods, Boch Hollow State NP
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Birds Being Birds
Posted on April 24, 2020
Early migrating spring warblers and other birds are moving through the area. With that in mind we’ve spent a fair amount of time in recent days looking into bushes and up into trees. Yellow-rumps have been found almost everywhere, but for yellow-throated warblers we had to look into the very top of tall sycamore trees making a good picture a challenge. Along with early warblers, many Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen with males often displaying their ruby crown.
As if to throw out the welcome mat, spring wildflowers, including Large-flowered trillium compliment the beauty of migrating birds.
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While trying to find warblers along Griggs Reservoir we were distracted by the behavior of other birds. In the last few days that has included a crow, eastern bluebirds and red-winged blackbirds.
American Crow, fish for brunch:
Along the reservoir a crow carries off a scavenged shad in it’s beak, flying overhead it lands in a nearby tree and proceeds to dine, (Donna)
We were not sure whether this was a normal practice but the head was soon separated from the body, (Donna).
Then on to the main course, (Donna).
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The more common Virginia Bluebells add their color to the welcome mat.
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Eastern Bluebird harmony, then not.
As a male and female bluebird were busy with “homemaking” tasks I took a few shots:
Female Eastern Bluebird
The male.
Together with nest hole visible.
Leaving the happy couple I walked to our nearby car as my wife trailed behind. Putting my gear away I looked back to see my wife with her camera pointed at the ground. Apparently another female had decided to challenge the status quo resulting in an epic battle which went way beyond mere posturing. We have heard that competition during mating is not restricted to males and that often rivalry’s between females can be even more spirited. What we witnessed certainly bore that out.
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(fight action by Donna)
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Normally white, this Cutleaf Toothwort shows just a hint of pink.
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As we tried to listen for the faint treetop call of a yellow-throated warbler, a red-winged blackbird made it’s presence known:
Male Red-wing Blackbird.
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Not far away a blue jay was enjoying the hazy morning sun.
Blue Jay
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Chickadees seemed too busy to notice anything but the task at hand.
Carolina Chickadee
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Dutchman’s Breeches also graced the landscape.
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Oh yes, we did manage to see a few warblers and even kinglets but their behavior wasn’t nearly as entertaining as that of some of the park’s normal residents.
Male Yellow-rumped Warbler. Right now the yellow-rumps are by far the most common.
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Yellow Warbler
Male Palm Warbler. A bird that’s quite common in Florida in the winter.
Male Black-throated Green Warbler with what appears to be nesting material. A bit unusual as this bird is not indicated to breed in central Ohio.
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Ruby-crowned Kinglets seem to be everywhere.
Okay, one more picture!
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As of the date of this post there have also been reports of Northern-Parula, Pine, and Yellow Warblers all of which we have yet to see. In the coming weeks, as the spring migration continues and before the trees fully leaf out and obscure the view, there should be no shortage of birds to entertain.
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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:
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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:
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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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A Walk Along The Scioto
Posted on October 31, 2018
Finding autumn in a composition of color, leaves, and trees that speak to us, can be a challenge. Especially when looking for new or different interpretations. On any given day the message can be very different, sunny bright, and cheerful, or overcast rainy, and solemn. Some days we must content ourselves with views through water streaked windows as a windy rain strips branches and blankets the ground with color.
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Autumn is particularly enchanting when the magic is found close home such as during a recent walk along the Scioto River. We felt particularly blessed as Ruby-crowned Kinglets seemed to be everywhere. Two Dark-eyed Juncos even made a brief appearance but eluded the camera’s lens.
Meditation on a rock and fall color.
Distant bridge.
Color slowly makes it’s way to the ground.
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet demanding to be noticed momentarily breaks the autumn color trance, (Donna).
Meditation 2.
Sunlight through Sycamore leaves.
Color across the river.
A light rain falls.
Mist on the river.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, take 2, (Donna).
River rocks.
Leaves come to rest on a fallen log as a light rain saturates their color.
Through Sycamore leaves.
Autumn mushroom “still life”.
Tree along the river.
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Dark, cloudy, or rainy days seldom get creative juices flowing and I’m not one to go out in the rain just to see what kinds of “rain pictures” I can come up with. But sometimes, if you are significantly enchanted by a subject, it may be worth looking at it under different kinds of light and climatic conditions. In dong so it may be more fully appreciated and it’s beauty more completely revealed.
Light rain and color along the Scioto River.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Central Ohio Nature 