I’M HERE AGAIN…

I came back to post the rest of the pictures from yesterday’s trail walk. I hope you’re ready to see more deer, some new HAWK pictures, and a few more birds.

First I encountered these two does. These two spotted me as soon as I started down the trail. Convinced I was carrying food for them, they walked toward me, then when I passed them, they turned around and followed me. They walked in my footprints (literally) for quite a distance. It’s an eerie feeling playing pied piper to a pair of deer. Several times I stopped, faced them, waved my arms and said “Shoo. I don’t have any food for you.” (I would be willing to give them some corn or apples, but it is against the rules of our metropark).

I finally discouraged them, and they wandered off the trail into the woods, as I headed on down the trail, where I found some little birds that were delighted when I put down some bark butter bits on a fence post.

White-breasted nuthatch

Tufted titmouse

Red-bellied woodpecker

RBW

The red-bellied woodpeckers always bring a smile to my face. They seem so surprised and happy when I take their picture, although, truthfully, I am the one who is surprised and happy when they fly in to pose for me, and I can’t resist multiple pictures of the RBW. It is such a beautiful bird. Today’s RBW was a male wearing a lovely red cap.

By this time, I was beginning to feel more than a little chilled. I was ready to head back to my car when more deer caught sight of me and plodded in my direction. And not just the two original deer. They brought friends. I stood back, watched, and clicked my camera shutter as they enjoyed a little feast.

Now I was really ready to return to my car and turn on the heater. “Okay, ladies,” I said to the little herd, “I’ve had enough. I’m heading for home,” and I turned and trudged back to the parking lot where I climbed into my car and was just about to switch on the engine (and the heater) when… WHOA! Was that a HAWK that just flew past my windshield? Grabbing my camera, I climbed out of the car and followed the big bird. At this point I was joined by my friend Kathy, another photographer, and we trailed him as he swooped from tree to tree, on the hunt for something to fill his belly. He’s a very large bird. I can only wonder how many little critters he captures each day. On other occasions, I’ve watched him feast on a FIELD MOUSE and a SNAKE. Today, feeling frozen, I left him to the hunt and headed for home, so I didn’t see the outcome of his efforts. I’m sure he must have a huge appetite, as it would take a lot of food to satisfy such a large bird.

That’s it for this very cold trail walk in Chagrin River Park. I hope you enjoyed sharing the experience with me. Come again soon. You never know what we might see along the trail.

Trail Walker