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 …
Here she is: The red-eyed vireo
In yesterday's blog post about Friday Faces I mentioned that I saw my very first red-eyed vireo while walking on the trail through the bog. Another blogger commented that s/he had never seen a vireo, so, at that blogger's request, here it is: momma vireo sitting on her nest. It's not a great picture (not even …
Shucks! I know I’m cute!
Is that a cute little chickadee, or what? I'm doing a little experimenting again. Still trying to post from my March SmugMug gallery to this blog. I chose this little bird as the picture to post. It worked, but they don't make it easy. It's so easy to post to facebook and twitter. Why not …
Spring has gone missing!
I wonder where it went and when it will return? Last week we were basking in sunshine and wonderfully warm days. Trees and flowers burst into blossoms. I saw an oriole, a rose-breasted grosbeak, and a few ducklings on the bog. And I concluded that the long (very long) and slow (very slow) winter were …
Red, white, black, and prehistoric
The pileated woodpecker was in the park today. Because it has been more than a month since I last saw him, I was pretty excited. I thought perhaps he had moved on, so spotting him today was a treat. I have an iBird app on my phone that includes the songs of many different birds, …
Hobnobbing with the chickadees
The chickadees in my neighborhood park are well-acquainted with my habit of carrying sunflower seeds in the pocket of my jacket, a fact that brings them flying when they see me tramping down the trail. Yesterday I actually had one land on my hat, but usually they just light on a tree branch or bush …
Great horned owl
A great horned owl is sitting on a nest in the park where I usually take my photowalks. Last week it was pointed out to me, but the owl was not in sight, although others had seen it. Today I took a few pictures of the nest, came home, and brought them up on my …
Unusual pose for a nuthatch
Walking in the park, I am much more likely to see the nuthatches (and there are hundreds of them) land in a tree and walk down the trunk. That is typical behavior for the nuthatch, but this fellow decided to pose a little differently for his portrait. I wonder if he is more vain than …
Chagrin River Park
This bold nuthatch was determined to get more than his share of the sunflower seeds.
A happy surprise!
For years I have been walking past this bird nesting box, stopping occasionally to check it out. Never have I seen any inhabitants...until today that is! I tried to creep closer, hoping for more detail, but screech owls are apparently very shy. At least this one is. As soon as I approached the box, he …
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 