Wallace Lake

The weather is a bit nicer now and I was able to take the camera out to a new location at Wallace Lake. I even found a few new-to-me birds!

Robin. Toby really likes these guys. I was hoping we might get a nest in our tree, but there is probably just too much activity on our street. 

This bufflehead is a new one for me. I couldn't get a great picture because it was really far, but luckily it is easy to ID. Also someone else a the park told me it was there. 

I occasionally see goldfinches a the feeder so I wasn't expecting one on my walk today. I think they are really lovely though. 

It feels like no walk is complete without a cardinal. This one got caught in a shower and we both had to sit and wait for the rain to stop. 

A red-winged blackbird looking a bit ominous. These are also pretty loud.

Very rarely I see something that isn't a bird. This is the first time I have seen one of these little squirrels so close to home. 

I just love the tufted titmouse. I could sit and take pictures of them all day.

This one is a nuthatch. I didn't get any really good pictures of it. 

This is a ruby-crowned kinglet, another new-to-me bird. 

The Virginia bluebell was particularly pretty today .

Lastly, another red-winged blackbird. I was almost tricked by the bright yellow dandelion.

Coe Lake

 

The city nature challenge is this weekend, so I went out to Coe Lake to practice before the big day. I was rewarded with some cool shots. 

This is a belted kingfisher. Apparently Ohio only has one kind of kingfisher. I guess it at least makes identification easier.

I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see this great blue heron. 

There were also a few ducks.

Porch Practice is for the Birds

 Last year I didn’t get out much between covid and 2020 being a hard year. Today I sat on the porch to try and get a little practice in. 

This female cardinal has a lovely color, but is it weird that I wish their beaks were another color? Also curse the fact that the christmas lights are stuck in the tree and visible in the photo. 

There is a pair of mourning doves we have seen around but I am unsure if this is a male or a female. I think they have pretty markings and they don't sound particularly sad to me. 

This black-capped chickadee could have used a little more light. I'm not sure why this feels so underexposed. Maybe there were more clouds in the sky or something. I honestly need to relearn all of my settings.