Great Blue Heron working on Its Nest
Lake Erie on the Ides of March
Today we made a little exploratory tour along the south shore of Lake Erie between Bay Village and Vermilion. Most of the trip was pleasant enough but started out under gray, featureless skies. By the time we reached Vermilion, however, the clouds had mostly dissipated allowing warm and cheering sunshine to bathe us. On the lake, off Vermilion, the icy cover had begun to break up; gulls sat and screed on thin ice and open water. Winter is losing its grip on our lake and land and spring is coming on the wings of gulls.
Pileated Woodpecker – Male (Hylatomus pileatus)
Since wicked winter weather was expected to develop later this day, we headed out early to run a couple of important errands. Returning in the heavy snow, I spotted a big bird on my suet feeder. Wow! It was a Pileated Woodpecker (Hylatomus pileatus) the first I’d ever seen! Fortunately, I had a compact snapshot camera in my coat pocket. Rolling down the car window I made a bunch of shots and, though most were poor due to the camera’s slow action, bird’s fast motions, or blinding snowfall, I got three acceptable images. Except for forays out to clear snow from the walks, we’ll be staying in for the rest of the day but I’m certainly glad we went out this morning… if we hadn’t gone out, we wouldn’t have returned, and I’d have missed an exciting sight. Exciting, if you like birds!
Photo Details: Samsung Galaxy Camera 2: ISO 100, f/5.5, 1/10 sec., 310 mm equiv.
Winter Sunrise
Walking the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) this morning I was looking to get a good shot of the “solstice sunrise” over an icy wetland area. After some past efforts, I think I got something pretty good. Okay, this was shot the day after winter solstice, and it really wasn’t sunrise but mid-morning. In my defense, I’ll say the morning of winter solstice here was overcast so, if we had clear skies yesterday, this is about what it would have looked like! Anyway, it was a beautiful morning and the sun beamed brightly for a while over a wetland area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park just north of Akron. We take what we can get!
My Little Chickadee
After the sun shot, I walked south along the trail. Exploring the frosty landscape, I stopped to photograph something on a tree. To my surprise, a small bird dropped down and alighted about a foot from my face! Turned out to be a sassy little Chickadee who, apparently, has been getting handouts from visitors. I had no food to share but took advantage of the little fellow’s willing poses as it flitted from twig to twig. Often the little bird was actually too close for me to bring into focus with my telephoto lens and was always moving. I did manage to record a couple of nice portraits before my little Chickadee figured out there was nothing in it for him and zipped away.
Bald Eagle at Toledo Zoo
Swan’s Down
We paid a Sunday morning visit to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Among my favorite views of the occasion was a Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) snoozing in the warm summer shade. Most of the big bird’s bill was tucked beneath the edge of one of its great wings, bits of delicate pure white feather contrasted against the blackness. Another favorite sight was a lounging male lion enjoying the mid-morning sun. The great cat looked so perfectly fluffed as if it had just left a grooming session – shampoo and blow-dry!
Dandy Lion
Great Blue Heron Arriving at Nesting Tree
Now Arriving: A Great Blue Heron arrives at its rookery bearing a tree stick for its nest on a gloomy Sunday in late March. Nests are pretty much complete and it was quiet, this afternoon, at the rookery. The big birds are sitting on nests, standing in the grasses below the nesting trees, waiting for hatching; then the real work begins!
Bracing Against the Cold
It has been a rough day or two for those of us affected by the blast of frigid air ushered in by the “polar vortex.” These are also tough times for wildlife, often determining who survives into springtime. Today someone excitedly called my attention to a flock of American Robins. A dozen or so birds had gathered near some windows; they were alternately picking fruit from neighboring Hawthorne trees and sheltering themselves from the brutal wind along the building’s wall. A thaw is coming in a couple of days. I hope the birds can tough it out ’til then.
Sheltering American Robins
Chasing the Fiery Sky this Morning
Heading out this morning to breakfast and a bit of grocery shopping we were treated to an amazing sunrise. At first sight the appearance was one of floating bits of paper in the sky with edges trimmed with fire. While I had a decent camera with me, there was no decent place to stop for a clear view — only trees, wires, and buildings. We pressed on, looking now for an open space and, at long last, found one. The air will chill and the breeze was strong and it wasn’t long before my fingers hurt. Still, even though I missed shots of the sky’s peak color, the cloud forms and the rapidly changing hues were well worth the effort.
Early Morning Flight by a Turkey Vulture
The Broad Belt of Venus – Waking Ducks on Pond
Excited by the prospect of, at long last, getting a nice picture of the Belt of Venus phenomenon, I set out before dawn. My destination was a spot in Brunswick, Ohio where there is available the best view of the western horizon about which I know. I worried, as I sat behind a pickup truck at a red light, that I would be too late to see, much less photograph, the colorful sight. Seemingly much later I arrived and was rewarded with a commanding view of the peaking Belt of Venus. The first “best” shot is shown above, with the broad dark band of Earth’s shadow along the horizon, colorful areas above. I shot a good many more images as the minutes passed, and watched the shadow band grow more and more narrow as the sun rose behind me and the shadow dropped beyond the horizon. As the dark band disappeared I heard the calls of approaching geese. My shot was already framed and, as I’d hoped and expected, the Canada geese glided in for a landing on a small pond in the foreground of my second “best” image. I stayed a bit longer and shot a few more frames but as I watched, the colors faded and sunlight could be seen crawling towards me across the treetops below. Fingers cold and stiff, I collapsed the tripod, stowed my gear, and headed off to breakfast. That was a fine way to start my day: with a good Belt … of Venus!
Dark Band Disappears as Geese Arrive
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