I've been using manual mode a lot these days, trying to get the look I want in my shots. I like the results this time...a little blur, but still clear enough to tell what is happening as the cardinal flies away with the "bark butter bit" he has just grabbed off the post. The blur …
A little sunshine…
...makes a BIG difference! Obviously this red-bellied woodpecker would agree, especially if Bark Butter Bits come along with the sunshine. I had other sunny photos from today's trail walk, but I'm sticking to my plan to post one photo a day. Is it cheating if I post three pictures of one red-bellied woodpecker? He looks …
Song sparrow
It looks like a song sparrow to me, although I usually see them perched on a branch, singing their hearts out. This little one was wading in the water along the edge of the bog. They are persistent singers, according to my bird app, and even the mockingbirds are not able to imitate their song. …
Tufted titmouse
There's no doubt about the identity of this grey and white beauty. It's a tufted titmouse. Wearing a dark grey cap with a crest and sporting a white eye ring, he is pretty easy to identify.The "tuft" or crest on top of his head also helps to identify this little bird. Although he is not a …
Hard to miss!
The red-winged blackbird, a native of North America, is hard to miss. One of the very early sign of spring in northeast Ohio, they are likely to be heard long before they are seen when their spring migration brings them back to our park. Once they arrive, they make their presence known with raucous calls, just as …
Change of pace
I think this little bird that I spotted wading in the bog on my trail walk yesterday is a chipping sparrow. (Although if anyone knows a better ID, I would be glad to hear about it). It was such a cold day, all the birds seemed to be in hiding, and I didn't blame them. …
Three birds and a dog
I almost played couch potato and skipped my trail walk today because yesterday's beautiful weather had played a trick on us and disappeared. It all started last night with a thunderstorm and then the cooler temperatures moved in. Nevertheless, I finally picked up my camera and went. I'm glad I did because the birds were really …
End of winter in sight
The end of winter is almost in sight! This was my first trail walk in Chagrin River Park for more than a week, and I am happy overjoyed to say that it actually felt like spring. There were several signs of spring to celebrate: my first bluebird of the season; stormy-looking skies, an unidentified bird …
I’m ready for spring, but…
When we woke up this morning, there were several inches of fresh snow on the ground. I know it won't last, and I'm glad that it won't, but this was just a little reminder that winter won't let go yet. At least fresh snow is pretty, and this was the kind of snow that was …
Not the best weather!
The snow from two nights ago has lingered. I expected it to stick on the ground for a few days, but certainly not to grace the tree branches with the lacy trim I saw yesterday. I was wrong. The trails I walked today reminded me of Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." …
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 