Tanya Wagner

There is something magical about hiking through the woods on a crisp morning.  A breeze moves through and a flurry of leaves comes twirling down, dancing through beams of sunlight.

Shy deer peek out from their hiding place in the woods.  A little red squirrel wrestles a huge mushroom cap up his tree.  A downy woodpecker comes down from the treetops to scour the dry reeds and grasses for a nibble. Flocks of tiny sparrows swoop in and out of the fields with a swoosh of wings and warbles.

Soon, we will get a storm that will strip off the last of the leaves and the woods will be stark and bare. But for now, there is still a lot of motion and subtle color. The path is blanketed in leaves and our footfalls are quiet rustles. Chuck enjoys chasing the leaves. She dances around and looks up at me with an excited gleam in her eye as if she’s asking, “Isn’t this amazing?!”

Today was our first real hike since returning from the road trip (I will post details of the trip once I get through all the photos!). It was hard to leave the clear mountain air and the incredible vistas of the Tetons, but we were happy to be back in familiar territory. The morning was crisp, almost cold. Our breath created faint clouds with every exhale and my hands were numb until we started moving. A lot of foliage has started dying back and the trees are tinted with gorgeous golds and reds.

The thinner undergrowth means clearer views of the ponds and marshes. I was searching the water’s edge for the muskrats, which I haven’t seen for a long time now. Suddenly, my gaze landed on a curious yellow eye looking up at me. A tiny green heron was perched on a log peering out from the shadows. It let me take its picture and watch it for awhile before deciding that maybe it was a good idea to put some distance between itself and Chuck.

We moved on, watching the huge flocks of geese that have gathered. They beat their wings and honked loudly. I could see a few kingfishers, but they were far away and skittish. We went to look for the raccoon, but it didn’t make an appearance. Suddenly, I heard large wings beating and saw a big bird land in a tree. It was followed by another, which landed nearby. I couldn’t get a clear look at either of them but my impression was that they were much larger than the hawks I sometimes see here. We moved around the pond and I kept searching for a better look. Raptors like to perch on the bare trees and dead wood that sticks up out of the marsh. It gives them a good vantage point to look for prey. Sure enough, I spotted the outline of one of the birds high up and far away. I looked at it through the view finder, but even with the zoom, I couldn’t be sure what it was.

We continued our loop around the pond and stopped at a wooded spot that obscures us but gives me a clear view of the water. I scanned the area and noted the geese and some ducks. I turned to move on and spotted it! A massive bird perched on the top of a dead stick protruding from the water. It looked like an extension of the wood, but the huge yellow claws gave it away; it was a juvenile bald eagle! I was so excited to see it there. I’m quite sure there are two sticking together. I will try to find them again next time we visit the pond. What a great welcome home!

As Chuck and I were driving through the valley to our hiking spot, I noticed a group of deer grazing in a large field.  On second glance, I saw that they were all males with antlers.  I quickly parked and grabbed my camera.  There were five big bucks.  I crept closer and closer until I could see the faint fuzz on their antlers.  Finally, one looked right at me  as if posing for the photo.

Once we hit the trail, we hiked past ponds and marshy areas peering through the trees and bushes to look for critters.  A great blue heron stood serenely on a log while wood ducks puttered around near the shore.  Belted kingfishers flew over the marsh chattering loudly and swooping down to pull fish from the water.  

There is a snag of dead tree limbs at the edge of the marsh we stopped near it and squatted amongst the pines.  I watched the limbs, hoping a kingfisher might land there.  Chuck stuck her head in a big hole, sniffing and circling, but staying quiet.  All of a sudden, a green heron came into focus.  It was a small one, perched right near us!  I managed a decent shot before it flew off to a higher perch on a tree in the middle of the water.

We continued our explore and found a raccoon playing in the creek.  It was skittish, but I managed to keep Chuck quiet so we could watch it wash its little hands and scramble up and down a fallen log. High in the trees, we heard a hawk screaming. Over and over, its cry pierced the sky. I finally saw it perched on a bare treetop. Down below, I found another green heron. It cocked its head and looked skyward, listening to the hawk’s screams.

As we circled back for the return stretch, we approached a bend in the road.  A doe stepped out of the woods and stood, stock still, in the middle of the street!  I could hear the whir of car tires approaching from the other side of the bend. My heart skipped a beat, but the mama moved out of the way of the oncoming jeep just in time.  A few moments later, two fawns stepped out of the woods and cautiously crossed the street to join her.

As we watched the trio, another doe and her fawn emerged from the woods. They approached slowly and then began to “dance” in a circle clearly greeting and playing with one another. Once the dance broke up, the original doe and her fawns began walking directly towards us. Chuck sat next to me, quivering, but not moving or making a sound. I watched through the view finder as the deer drew closer and closer until they filled the entire frame! I couldn’t believe they weren’t put off by Chuck. Finally, they noticed her. they turned abruptly and disappeared into the woods.

Today was the last day of summer vacation before my daughter, Grace, goes back to school. We decided to have a little adventure together to kick off the day. the sun was newly risen and the air was still cool and damp with overnight dew when we headed onto the trails near the Rocky River Nature Center. Most of the trails were in shadow. The birds were just waking up.

At the base of a steep hill is a boardwalk trail that winds through a little marsh. In one section, jewelweed and milkweed bloom profusely on both sides of the platform. I often seen goldfinch there and have spotted the occasional hummingbird. this morning, the entire patch was buzzing with ruby throated hummingbirds! The emerald green feathers on their backs blended perfectly with the green foliage of the jewelweed and their quick movements made them hard to see.

We took quietly and waited. After awhile, the birds seemed to grow more comfortable with us. Every so often, one would land on a twig for a second or two or hang in the hair, beak buried in a flower. It was so thrilling to have these “tiny dancers”, as Grace called them, flitting all around us.

I was excited to be able to freeze them in photographs so I can really look at them. As tiny as they are, there is so much variation in their feathers. Their backs are iridescent and they shimmer in the light while their chins and chests are downy and white with incredible details at the throat. What special little creatures!