Thursday, April 23, 2009

North Coast Nature Festival!


Sorry, it's me with my pretend photo smile. You'll find me standing in the same place, but probably talking a lot!


The North Coast Nature Festival kicks off this Friday evening with talks by Bill of the Birds himself, aka Bill Thompson III of Bird Watcher's Digest.
Nope, not Bill of the Birds, actually, I'm not sure what his name was. This Yellow-rumped Warbler was in Rocky River munching on a delicious Bluet dragonfly. Speaking of munching, food will be available for people too!


If you've never attended this event, you owe it to yourself to stop out and make a day of it. The weather is going to be GREAT this weekend! In addition to the Friday evening keynote speaker, there will be wild animals programs with Back to the Wild and The Lake Erie Nature and Science Center , nature related vendors (including yours truly!), nature walks with park naturalists, speakers throughout the event, bird banding demonstrations and more will be available for your enjoyment.

Our buddy and master bander, Julie Shieldcastle, banding a Downy Woodpecker last year.

We've attended and been a part of this great event for a couple of years now and we always have a fantastic time. I've met many wonderful people and birds, too! I've even taken a few nice photos through the window behind my display! You never know who you'll meet along the trails, so keep your eyes open.


Kimmay and Kenn looking at the wonderful birds to be found here!

This Carolina Wren kept me entertained outside the window of the Rocky River Nature Center.


It's very easy to find in the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. Maps are available on line through this parks link.

Be careful! If you think you're hearing a White-breasted Nuthatch, it may really be Laurie-loo!

Monday, April 20, 2009

An afternoon at Oak Openings

A controlled burn was performed in the dunes area earlier this year.

Birders from behind, pointing at sand. Exciting, eh?


What a fantastic place! We stopped by Oak Openings Preserve back on the 12th of April to track down the Mountain Bluebird of a couple of posts ago. What a great sight to see!

We saw many Eastern Bluebirds, though none very willing to sit for a portrait.

Here's a view of the sand dunes and the woodland in the background.


I thought I would post a few more photos, not the highest quality, but at least I saw a few birds, right?, and that is the point of all this you know. Get out there and SEE, enjoy and experience nature and all it has to offer us.

A new theme! "Black-capped Chickadees from Below."

This Eastern Towhee did not want to cooperate. We followed him hoping he would walk into an opening, he just laughed at us silly humans.


Oak Openings Preserve is a very unusual place in northwestern Ohio. Located near Toledo and not too far from Lake Erie, it has a very varied habitat. I'll bet you guessed that it had Oak savannas and woodlands which are full of many species of woodland birds such as Red-headed Woodpeckers and Scarlet Tanagers.

Field Sparrows are another one of those birds that taunt you from afar. This is blown up A WHOLE LOT!


I cheated on this Pine Siskin. I shot through a one way window behind the nature center. Shhhh!

We were lucky enough to catch this Red-breasted Nuthatch taking a bath. He must have forgotten on Saturday night.

It also has low, wet swales with Snipe and Swamp Sparrows, tall grass prairie with Eastern Bluebirds (and one Mountain Bluebird!), and the very odd looking sand barrens. The sand barrens (not to be confused with the Sand Baron, distant cousin of the Red Baron) are dunes left over from the glacial retreats of 12-14,000 years ago. You just don't think of northern Ohio as the proper habitat for Prickly Pear Cactus or a state with sand dunes. Not to mention Oak Openings is one of the very few places the endangered Karner Blue butterfly still survives. Visit their web site for more details of this diverse area.

Kimmay, Judy and Kenn laughing at my 'anti-aircraft gun.' Shoot them birdies!


This Scarlet Tanager wasn't there this weekend. I just like this photo and REALLY want the warm weather he brings along!

The Nature Conservancy lists Oak Openings among the 200 "Last Great Places on Earth."


And I'm lucky enough to live so close.