A little mystery and a near altercation This morning when I headed down the trail to check out the nesting boxes for signs of new life, I think I detected a chorus of little chirping sounds from inside one of the boxes. As I watched, a swallow flashed out of the box, way too fast …
A little fast action
Mr. Red-bellied Woodpecker discovered a cache of bark butter bits in the old tree stump and wasted no time flying in to get his share before they were all gone. I was standing nearby, hopefully out of sight, because I have been trying to learn the best settings on my camera to get action shots …
A ducky day!
Today was definitely a ducky day because I captured several good pictures of a Blue-winged Teal, a small dabbling duck. Yesterday two birders, walking along the edge of the bog in Chagrin River Park, told me where they had spotted the Teal. I looked and looked, without success, but today, when I wasn't even looking for …
Landing gear down!
I was in the park early today, hoping to see bluebirds. That didn't happen, but it was such a beautiful morning, I didn't mind. It was just great to walk the trails and watch for the signs of spring that are popping out all over the place. The fishermen were out in full force and …
Angry bird
Walking back to my car today, I spotted a grackle at the edge of the bog struggling to pick up a large strip of plastic that repeatedly slipped out of his beak and slid back into the water. He persisted for a while, but finally gave up in disgust. From the look on his face, I'm thinking he muttered a …
Everybody likes a cardinal
That may be a bit of an exaggeration because I don't suppose everybody likes a cardinal, but it is no stretch to say that he gets his share of attention, both in the park and on my blog. So he is the headliner today. He really did pose beautifully, so I suppose he deserves that …
Trumpeter swan: a first for me
The trumpeter swan, the largest waterfowl species native to North America, was at one time considered an endangered species. They had been hunted to near extinction for their feathers, skin, meat, and eggs, and by 1900 the species had greatly declined in numbers, until, by 1970 fewer than 70 were known to exist in the wild. …
Is it Spring yet?
Happy Spring, friends! Just a few pictures to show everyone what Spring looked like in northeast Ohio when I took my trail walk in Chagrin River Park yesterday. It definitely didn't look like SPRING, but at least some people were loving one last chance to have fun on the sledding hill. And to be honest, a little …
Would you like to try…
...a tasty bark butter bit? I'll share. You can have this one! I don't know how humans feel about bark butter bits, but I know the birds love them, not just red-bellied woodpeckers like me, but all the birds, and even the deer. Trail Walker sometimes brings a handful of these to the park to share with us, …
Another day, another bluebird!
It was a cold morning (30 degrees), but the sun was shining brightly, so I took to the trail in search of the elusive (to me) bluebird, and today, he was there, right on the nesting box where I hoped to see him. There was only one, no mate, but possibly she was inside the …
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 