Tanya Wagner

Chuck and I were on the trail early this morning. We headed to the network of trails around the Rocky River Nature Center. In the heat of summer, the woods grow quiet. It’s as if the birds and critters grow heavy and tired in the humidity. For the first time in a long time, this morning was very cool and the bushes and trees were alive with birdsong!

Woodpeckers of all varieties tapped out good morning. Goldfinches feasted on milkweed and posed prettily on the heavy pink blossoms. A dry tree near the trail was festooned with catbirds. A kingfisher chattered far off over the marsh and tiny hummingbirds flitted here and there like fairies among the flowers.

One song cut through the rest. It was loud and clear. I followed the sound expecting to see a bird much larger than the tiny wren that was belting his tune. The house wren is small and brown. There are delicate details on his back, but were it not for his exuberant song, I never would have noticed him at all!

As we neared the end of our hike and headed across the boardwalk toward the nature center, we were approached by a woman and her German Shepard. I turned back so we could move off the narrow walk to give them room to pass. The woman looked and me and then at Chuck and asked, “Are you “walkingwithchuck?” She had seen my photos on Facebook! We had a lovely chat and I was so excited to learn that she hikes many of the same trails and loves to see the photos of the things Chuck and I find. Thank you, Linda, for following along and for introducing yourself today! What a treat!

In the spring, Chuck and I watched muskrats busy building their nests. We knew exactly where quite a few nests were; we watched the parents swimming to and fro, bringing big bunches of leaves to their dens. Since then, I’ve been looking for the babies, but I had not been able to spot any until today!

We were walking along the marsh near Big Met Golf Course. All the wood ducks were posing for me today. I was happy to see the young ones looking so grown up and healthy. I was watching one of the ducks preen his feathers, when I saw a ripple in the water. I looked closer and saw that it was a muskrat. I sat down at the edge of the water to try to get a clear shot. Then, I noticed that there were other smaller ripples all around the muskrat. Babies! Chuck sat so still with me for ages while I watched them. One little one seemed to tire of swimming easily and it would crawl out onto a branch where I could see it clearly. Oh, the fuzzy little face with quivering whiskers!

I was so focused on the muskrats, I didn’t realize how long I had been asking Chuck to sit still. Finally, she couldn’t take it any more and plunged into the dark oozy mud at the edge of the marsh. I pulled her out right away, but her legs were coated in stinky mud that clung like tar to her fur. She did not appreciate the cleanup required when we got home!

Chuck and I were back in the Rocky River Reservation today. It’s very familiar territory for us. We started from the parking lot at the marina just at the base of the hill when you head down into the valley from Lakewood. We followed the paved path that winds along the parkway. If you stay on the paved path, it stays near the road. Every now and then it approaches the river or turns away to skirt an open field with baseball diamonds and soccer fields. It’s a bit busy with runners and bikers and dog walkers.

So, as we walk, I look for little dirt paths the lead away into the woods. We found one today that took us to the left of the paved walkway down towards the river and then through woods thick enough to feel remote even though we were just off the beaten path.

The river is low now and there were long stretches where we walked along the stony basin. This brought us close to the stately herons and flocks of ducks navigating the current. Eventually, we climbed back up the bank and found ourselves swallowed up by the green canopy and heavy undergrowth. We must have been the first on the trail because we kept walking into spiderwebs strung across the path. I noticed so many of them today, little silvery bullseyes scattered through the forest.

Eventually, we had to head back up to the road. I didn’t expect to see much before we got back to the car, but a little movement in a tree near the trail caught my eye. I quickly turned, focused and snapped a picture of the bird on the trunk. When I looked again to see what it had been, it was already gone. I figured it was a woodpecker, but only when I got home did I realize, I’d snagged a young red-bellied woodpecker. His little head and gray and fuzzy instead of vibrant red and it has the slightly disoriented look of a young critter starting to find its way on its own.

Yesterday was a slow day. It was overcast and cooler than it has been. I was happy to have my mom join us on the trail! We walked and chatted and looked for critters. She loves the woods and the birds and animals as much as I do and it’s a joy to share any experience with her!

It was after 10am by the time we got down into the valley. The early morning bird activity had slowed and the park was busy with little kids’ camps, people walking their dogs and folks getting a workout on the steps near the Rocky River Nature Center. We parked just east of the center parking lot and stopped to checkout a marshy area I know. I was hoping to spot a beaver, but the only inhabitant was a great blue heron. I see these guys everywhere, but I never tire of them. I love the way they stand so still and so regally in the water and strike so quickly to snap up fish.

We left the marsh and hiked over to the nature center area. Milkweed and other flowers were blooming along the trail and we saw quite a few eastern tiger swallowtails. Their yellow wings are spectacular! Like all butterflies, they are important pollinators. In fact, there are some plants, like flame azaleas, that are designed in such a way that small pollinators (i.e. bees) are not able to effectively pollinate them. Only large butterflies with their broad wings can settle on these flowers and transfer pollen from the anther to style. I love to learn about the various things we find in the woods. Everything always has a place and a purpose.