Back on the trail again!

Partly sunny! The weather forecast predicted some sunshine, and partly sunny it was. In recent days (weeks? months?), we have had many rainy, windy, frigid, icy, snowy weather days, but very few (if any) sunny ones. At least that is how it has seemed to me. When today’s partly sunny prediction actually came to pass, I knew it was finally time to get back on the trail.

Standing in the middle of the pedestrian bridge over the Chagrin River, I took this picture. We had plenty of rain and some flooding earlier this week, so I wanted to see what it looked like today. There wasn’t any ice on the river, but it was running fast, the air was cold, and the water looked even colder.

Next I headed down the trail through the woods, looking for some birds.

Black-capped chickadee

Another chickadee

Tufted titmouse

Red-bellied woodpecker was searching for seeds…

…and he found a beakfull!

The northern cardinal was willing to pose.

I met several other photographers and bird-watchers who, like me, were enjoying the sunshine,  even though the temperature was only 28 degrees! To our surprise, we even spotted some redwinged blackbirds, whose song is almost always one of the earliest signs of spring in northeast Ohio. Never this early though, so they really seemed misplaced, as if they had gotten directions from the wrong travel agent, and headed north too soon. But there they were, along the trail, and we have been told we can expect several  50 degree days next week. Global warming anyone? It’s an anomaly, that’s for sure, and may or may not come to pass, but I’m not complaining.

Thanks for walking the trail with me today.
See you soon!
Trail Walker