I Can't Find the Bog!...

 Uh...wait...this is Springfield Bog?

So,...there I was...speaking with a naturalist last spring about wetlands in Summit County and she said a great place was Springfield Bog. Then she said it was actually more of a prairie than a bog, but there is a bog there. Apparently late August is the wrong time of year to see the bog. Leave it to me...

I had a great walk in the warm(HOT!) sun searching for birds and bugs. Probably not my best decision walking the prairie path with a big lens on a hot windy day. But, what the heck, better than sitting at home with a cool drink in the air conditioning relaxing in my lounge chair...hmmm...well too late.

This really is a nice quiet place away from everything. The path is flat and winding and you're surrounded by the prairie plants and some nice woodland. LOTS of butterflies were out, though this time of year isn't the easiest for birding. I did see a few Field Sparrows out in the middle of the prairie, but the sun was too bright for photos of those guys...not to mention the fact that they were popping up and down playing hide and seek. "Whack-a-Mole" is much easier!

 I took a pic of the sign because I knew I wouldn't remember this...

 There were dozens of fledgling American Goldfinches begging for food!

This guy was picking at the flowers and buds trying to figure things out.

 He gave up and decided to wait for dad to come in with lunch...or was it breakfast?

 Good time for the wind to pick up again!

Shooting in an open area on a windy day makes me say naughty words out loud...

"Poopy poopy pooiness!"

Like that.

 Another hungry mouth to feed!

 I learned something today!

See the ear spot on this Bull Frog?

If it's about the same size as the eye, it's a female.

I never knew that.

 These frogs were in the man made "mini-bog."

 Well I'll be!

It's a Milkweed Tussock Moth on, of all things, a milkweed!

 See those large bugs on the milkweed?

They're called "Large Milkweed Bugs."

Finally, a name that makes sense...

 I looked at him and said...

"Snatch the pebble from my hand, Grasshopper."

He didn't get it either...must not watch enough old TV.

 Walking down the trail, I followed a cut off into the woods.

There I found this sign...and lots of tall scrub...I think the bog is under there...somewhere...

 Ya know, if that Clouded Sulphur would have stayed  still this would have been a lovely photo.

They don't listen well...

 This Clearwing Moth was trying to stay out of the wind...and out of my field of view.

They are really cool moths that fly in the daytime nectaring of flowers.

 

 ...and then we have this Pearl Crescent gang...nectaring on...uh...well...

Let's just say that not every dog walker takes care of their business...

 Pearl Crescents are a rude bunch.

I've never had a butterfly stick its tongue out at me before.

Not nice.

 Pterodactyl.

Tell your friends you saw it here first!

Really.

I Don't make this stuff up you know!

Well...sometimes I don't...

But still, it's a Pterodactyl. 

Really.

 Well, this is a Red-tailed Hawk.

It really is and I saw it with my own wacky eyes.

 LIFER!

I was chasing these dark little butterflies all over with my awkwardly large lens.

A few folks walking by, I'm sure, thought there was something wrong with me.

(Watchit! I can hear you!)

This was the first time I got a photo so I could look it up.

 I love it's name..."Wild Indigo Duskywing!"

 Hmmm...can't find this one in ANY of my field guides!

 

 Silver-spotted Skippers were all over the place!

 ...like I said...everywhere....

 I was trying to catch that Bumbly Bee on the flower, but the wind kept blowing him around.

Being a bumbly is hard work...

 Ooooo...pretty flower!

 You didn't think it could be done...

"Flowers From Behind!"

Another Dave Lewis blog coming soon to an internet near you...

(Hide your children!)

 It was sooo hot, even the Song Sparrows wanted to sweat...but they can't because they're birds.

So they just hang around with their beaks ajar.

Wow, the lessons learned here are amazing, aren't they?

Or not...

 

Just in case you're wondering, there aren't any otters in a bog...or a prairie...or anywhere I am.

Until me meet again...tata!

A Visit to Munroe Falls...

(...and I still haven't found the falls...)

 This is along the Indian Springs Trail...

 We had a nice autumn amble through Munroe Falls park a couple of weeks ago. (Yes, I am behind, butt isn't that the point of this blog?) Warm temps and lovely colors, what a surprise to find this area!

Part of the Summit Metro Park system, this area has two sections, a wonderful woodland loop trail and a large open meadow loop. Also in this park is a large swimming lake, small ponds for fishing and a picnic area...a little something for everyone!

There are still quite a few parks in this area to discover and bird, some will wait until spring, others I'll give a try and look for our year round residents. In the meantime...have a look!

 There were dozens of American Robins singing and hopping around in the trees gulping down as many berries as they could.

 One of my previous posts showed the Black-capped Chickadee spinning on a leaf in the breeze in this park...this is his smarter relative hunting in more stable areas...

 

 It was a breezy day with leaves falling all around and sometimes branches dropping.

We heard a loud thud next to the trail and assumed it was a large limb.

Nope, it was this little Eastern Chipmunk.

I still can't believe the bang he made as he hit the ground!

He had to rest his sore head on this branch for a while...

"Oooooo...aspirin!"

 If you look really hard...you won't see anything...

 This Hermit Thrush is waving hello.

At least that what I think he was doing...though there was an odd thrushy smell in the air...hmmm...

 It was neat watching this Red-bellied Woodpecker using his tail to support his body on this loose branch. Makes you wish you had a tail.

 The Tufted Titmouseseseses tail doesn't work quite the same way...

 A definite sign of autumn in Ohio is the arrival of the White-throated Sparrows.

I also saw a small flock of Dark-eyed Juncos, they would pose. Rude little birds.

 Doodles managed to spot this Yellow-rumped Warbler high in the woodland.

I managed to get one shot.

So sad, last warbly of the season.

 The meadow was packed with thistle and Common Milkweeds like this.

I'll bet this place will be butterfly heaven next summer!

 There were gangs of hopping mad Grasshoppers hopping along the trail with me.

*None were harmed in the making of this blog...

 Stoopid European Starling.

 There's a short boardwalk at the far end of the meadow.

Something was hopping around underneath and I couldn't quite make out what it was.

Finally he popped up and posed for me!

One of my favorite cutie Song Sparrows.

(Actually, they're all my favorites...)

 WHAT?!

It's an early White-crowned Sparrow!

Well, It was exciting to me...

 Ooooo...pretty flowers!

 Ooooo....more!

 I think the Monarchs had already passed through, but I was happy to see this lone Viceroy butterfly still finding flowers to nectar on.

 

 That's all for now!

Get out and enjoy a little nature!

...uh...what?...oh...it's a blog post.

 Meanwhile...back on the mainland...
 The dreams of Kelleys Island are fading and we're back to reality, or as close to it as I can get. We decided to chuck gardening and chores for a trip out to Sandy Ridge Reservation. It was a little chilly and very cloudy that morning. It's autumn in Ohio and you never know how the weather will be from minute to minute. It turned out that we over dressed a bit as it became sunny and very warm. Ya never know around here...

 Frogs like this bull frog were still active and hopping about.

We're still seeing a few green frogs in our little pond at home too!

Neither one of us can remember ever seeing a Double-crested Cormorant out here on our past trips.

He was all alone and far out in the marsh.

 There's always a few flycatchers like this Eastern Phoebe here.

 This pair of grasshoppers (differential sp.) were a little too busy for this time of year.

I guess there's not much else to do if you're a grasshopper though...

 This is a Peeping Tom Grasshopper. Really, that's what he's called.

He was watching the grasshoppers from the above pic.

When ya got an itch, scratch it!

This Great Blue Heron had plenty...

A master stalker...this Great Egret had his eye on something under water...

Splash!

I think he found it!

 A little fishy snack...I'll stick with my granola bar...

 Way off in the back are a couple of duckies...

 Oh look...a couple of Green-winged Teal butts.

They were too busy eating to be bothered by me.

 I'm amazed at the number of Large Milkweed Bugs we've seen this year!

We have them at home in our butterfly garden on common milkweed that we planted for the monarch butterflies.

 Finding this Lincoln's Sparrow was a nice surprise!

 And there's always a gang of Mallards...

 Another good find was a lone Rusty Blackbird along the side of the trail.

 We saw the Sandhill Crane pair wandering and feeding through the back of the marsh.

 

 This is just past the Cranes...beautiful place for a walk!

Just left of center, all the way on the other side is where Bald Eagles have been nesting and raising their family.

White-crowned Sparrows are here for the winter... ick...winter.

 I moved around for a better shot of the sparrows and this is what I got...

Nutz.

 Wood Ducks nest in this area.

Soon, we'll see flocks of migrating ducks of all sorts out here.

 Since I said the "WINTER" word, I thought I better leave you with the last of the wildflowers that bloom at Sandy Ridge...

Until we meet again...toodles!