Mill Stream Run Reservation - Sugar Bush Trail

After all the rain I should have been prepared for the worst but I was not..... So many mosquitoes! I even got a mosquito bite on my "trigger" finger that swelled enough it was difficult to move it.

This snake (probably a garter) was probably the most interesting observation of the day. I had stopped to look at a mushroom and happened to spy it in the leaves.

You can see it was quite wet and dark at the park, but the slugs seemed to enjoy it more than me!

I saw a lot of evidence of woodpeckers, but only a few birds were out and about in the drizzle, including this blue jay. 

I am so accustomed to seeing raccoons in trash cans and such, that I was surprised to see this one up a tree in the woods.

This is a white-breasted nuthatch.

I think this is a Swainson's thrush, and if so that is a new bird species for me.

Lastly, we almost always have a chipmunk. Toby calls these "chipmonkey cheeks".

Amherst Beaver Creek

It was a dark and windy day at beaver creek today. I didn't see many animals tough I heard a few birds around.

Tree squirrel in a tree. (shocker!)

Female northern cardinal

Mallard. If you look closely you can see the serrations on the bill, they look like teeth. 

Red-bellied woodpecker. I've seen these stick around for a few minutes before but this one was in and out. 

Hello D7500

I had been considering upgrading my camera for some time now and I happened to stumble across a local store having a demo day and big sale. With the sale, sales tax break, and me trading in my old lenses I was able to get a Nikon D7500 bundle and a tamron telephoto lens. 

Of course the weather has not been cooperating this weekend so I only have a few test photos. I hope to have a proper play session soon. 

Hello brown-belted bumble bee. This is actually much better than I anticipated as I was standing probably 10 feet away. 

This house sparrow was hanging out on the power line. I'm not sure why the feathers are all askew. 

Rocky River Reservation

 At first I thought this was some kind of woodpecker, but it is a belted kingfisher. 

 I would have never gotten this picture if it were not for my brother. I do not think I will wander across another barred owl anytime soon. 

 The scarlet tanganer looks like a cardinal from a distance, but it is much brighter. 

I usually only post the photos I am remotely happy with, but just to show how difficult wildlife photography is this was the best photo I got of a hummingbird. All that you can see if the butt....if you squint. 

Rocky River Nature Center had a ton of woodpeckers and several different kinds. I admit I still cannot tell some of them apart. 

 And this is why I am looking at an upgrade for the camera!

 Call me the chipmunk whisperer!

Sandy Ridge Reservation

If you happen to be a birder, Sandy Ridge is apparently the place to be. Almost everyone I saw had a camera with a super telephoto lens (jealous) or binoculars. 

 I really love the blue and pink color combination on the bluebird. I wish they were as common as robins. 

 Female red-winged blackbirds just look like really big sparrows. 

 There were a ton of turtles basking in the sun. For a day that started off  little chilly, I ended up with a pretty nasty sunburn. 

 I lucked across this red-headed woodpecker that went unnoticed by some other birding groups. 

 I never really thought about how loud birds are before. If dinosaur vocalizations are anything like birds, those suckers were probably really loud!

 There were egrets, herons, and swans in the water, but getting a good photo from so far is harder than it looks. 

 See, the male red-winged blackbirds looks quite different!

 The great blue heron is huge in real life. My mom told me the other day that the first time she saw one of these she almost called the police. 

City Nature Challenge 2019

It's city nature time! This year I took 945 pictures and added quite a few species to my nature list.  Here are some of the better photos. 

This is a red-bellied woodpecker. (Nope not a red-headed woodpecker. This is why I use an app to identify animals) 

It was a little chilly out so a few of the birds were extra fluffy. 

Mourning doves have a very distinctive call. 

Tree swallows are so beautiful, but they are very fast, and don't really like to land much. 

I will never not be amused by black squirrels. I just think they are so cool. 

The european starling is quite a stunning bird, it is just unfortunate that they are an invasive species.