Author

Tanya Wagner

CLEVELAND METROPARKSRocky River Reservation

Cardinal

by Tanya Wagner

I love cardinals. The male’s rich red color makes him easy to spot, but he’s hard to photograph. The female cardinal is a light brown with an orange beak. Her muted colors make it easier for her to hide from predators. I still haven’t managed to get a decent photo of a female. They are very shy!

I see these birds every day, but I don’t know much about them, so I looked them up. Cardinals are Ohio’s state bird. But did you know they are also the state bird for six other states!? Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia all have the cardinal for the state bird.

I also learned that both male and female cardinals sing. I guess it is not common for female song birds to sing, but the female cardinal does. She often sings while sitting on the nest. It’s thought that she is communicating with the male to let him know when to bring food.

Cardinals live in Ohio year round, so you can see them any time. I can’t wait to try to photograph them in the snow!

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Sandy Ridge Reservation

Serenity

by Tanya Wagner

I don’t usually take evening walks, but tonight I wanted to take advantage of the long day and an opportunity to visit with my mama.  So I headed out to Sandy Ridge Reservation around 7pm.

The light was golden and the sky perfectly blue.  The birds were basking in the evening sun.   Mama and I walked slowly and chatted quietly.  We saw a pair of black ducks drift out of a patch of water lillies.  We  watched the egrets fishing in the shallow water.  

We both tensed with excitement when we spotted a pair of trumpeter swans and their cygnets.  We had watched the swans nesting in the spring and assumed that they were long gone!  But there they were.  It was such a treat to watch them swim together!

We moved on and encountered a family of geese near the trail.  Most of the goslings were nearly grown, but a few still had downy feathers and they had no fear as we approached.

We stayed until the sun slipped behind the trees.  The water reflected the blue sky and the long shadows of dead trees that jut of its surface.  Heron silhouettes stood here and there – silent sentries.  Egrets flocked together for the night.  It was the perfect way to say goodbye to the day.

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CLEVELAND METROPARKSEdgewater

My life is for itself

by Tanya Wagner

In his essay Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady.”  I was thinking about this today as it relates to social media.

Emerson wrote those words in 1841, ages before anyone could have anticipated bifurcated lives that social media would foster.  But how relevant those words are today!

I don’t engage much on social media anymore.  I don’t like the pressure it exerts on us to demonstrate how wonderful and fun and interesting we are.  I don’t like the way it makes us think not about enjoying the moments of our lives, but about how those moments will be received and responded to by others.  

Social media frequently makes me kind of angry.  I think that’s because there is so much potential good in it, but that good is largely squandered.  And we are all so unwittingly manipulated into sharing our dreams and fears so companies can find our vulnerabilities and sell us stuff. 

I find when I step away from social media, I enjoy life more.  I find it possible to exist in a moment without witnessing that moment through an exterior lens.  

But I do get joy out of social media.  I keep up with dear friends.  I learn about new places.  I see beautiful art and photography.  I follow global events unfolding in real time.  So, I don’t think I can abandon it all together.  I’m not sure where the happy balance lies, but I’m trying to find it.

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Buckeye TrailCVNP

Biker

by Tanya Wagner

Today we hiked a hilly stretch of the Buckeye Trail starting at the Jaite Trailhead.    My good friend, Jess, is in town from Seattle and joined us.  

Although it’s been hot and dry for almost a week, the trail was surprisingly muddy.  The woods were thick and cool and still.  We occasionally heard a busy woodpecker in the distance.  When the trees parted for a sunny meadow, we could hear bugs buzzing in the grasses and birds singing from the bushes, but we didn’t spot much wildlife.

Chuck often hears things moving in the undergrowth.  She tilts her head sharply from side to side and dives in for the catch!  Once today, she came up with a tiny snake.  She quickly dropped it and moved on.   A few more times, she executed her signature move and came up empty.  (Whew!)

We got back to the trailhead and were drinking some water before loading into the car.  There was only one other vehicle in the little lot, a motorcycle off to the side.  

As I stooped to pick up Chuck’s water bowl, I noticed that there was a man astride the bike.  He was slumped forward with his head angling so far to the side that it nearly touched the ground.  He was wearing thick black leathers in the hot sun.  

I signaled Jess and we both watched him for a moment.  He wasn’t moving.  We didn’t want to approach him ourselves, so we drove to the ranger station just up the road and asked a ranger to check on him.  We circled back to make sure the ranger found him and then headed home.  

When we got home, I realized that Chuck’s eye was terribly swollen!  I think it was probably a reaction to a bee that stung her snout when she was diving into the grass.  I kept an eye on her and she never had breathing problems and the swelling gradually subsided.

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CLEVELAND METROPARKSRocky River Reservation

Interlopers

by Tanya Wagner

In the Rocky River Reservation, the Valley Parkway crosses the Rocky River near Memorial Field.  Every year, swallows nest under the bridge.  Chuck loves to poke her head through the railing atop the bridge to watch them flit in and out.

We hiked down along the river and up to Stinchcomb before circling back to a trail that leads under the bridge.  A parade of little adobe houses clung to the underside of the bridge.  Cliff swallows were busy attending to the nests.  But I also noticed that house sparrows had taken up residence in the neighborhood.  They let the swallows do the work of nest building and then swooped in and took the homes for themselves.  

I always thought of the sparrows as sweet, delicate little birds.  I was so disappointed to learn that they are a non-native species introduced from England in the late 1800’s.  They compete with other cavity nesting birds like swallows and bluebirds and they are known to attack the other birds and kill their young to take their nests.

I will never feel quite the same way about a house sparrow again!

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CLEVELAND METROPARKSRocky River Reservation

No Place Like Home

by Tanya Wagner

I love to travel. I like to explore new places, hear new languages, eat new foods. I like the way travel can challenge my ideas about things and inspire me with novel beauty. I also love coming home after a trip. Being away helps me see my home in a new light. It helps me appreciate things I may have taken for granted.

Today, Chuck and I were in familiar stomping grounds in the Rocky River Reservation. Now that summer is in full swing, the air is thick with the smells of growing things. Ponds that were full of fresh clear water in the spring are now drying up a bit. The algae is blooming on the surface and the mud at the edges is starting to stink.

It’s harder to spot the birds and animals now that the foliage is so thick. Some of the baby birds we watched in the spring have already grown and left the nest. Others, like the wood ducks, still hover around their mothers, but they are noticeably bigger and stronger than when we saw them last.

As we walked the trails today and checked in on our forest friends, I felt happy to be home. I felt blessed to have these amazing parks at my doorstep. I felt happy to walk with Chuck again. I know she is happy to be back to our routine as well!

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Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

by Tanya Wagner

Last week, I was walking without Chuck and without my usual camera. We took a trip to Saint Lucia, a lush, volcanic island in the south western Caribbean. The reefs are beautiful – rich with colorful sponges and fans, anemones and living coral. We swam with huge schools of vibrant reef fish and spotted eels, squid, huge trumpet fish and innumerable other fish. Along the shore, I saw a number of herons and other shorebirds. I was so excited and surprised to spot a green heron! This is the same bird I see in the metroparks all the time; I guess he likes to vacation in the Caribbean too.

Inland, we explored the rainforest on a zipline tour and visited the botanical gardens. There was an incredible variety of plants at the gardens, too many for me to identify! A meandering path leads to Diamond Waterfall, which is unique because it changes color based on which mineral(s) are most prominent in the water at a given time. It was also the site of a scene in Romancing the Stone, a fun fact that we learned after we got home! The same water that flows over the falls is collected in a series of pools set amongst the gardens. It contains a variety of minerals purported to soothe ailments from sunburn to arthritis. The restorative waters were originally discovered in Napoleon’s time. His troops used to come to the island to bathe in the waters in between campaigns. It is said that Napolean’s wife also visited the baths. It was incredible to soak in the warm waters and contemplate all those who had been in that very place before!

There is so much rich life and culture on the island. It only gained its status as an independent nation in 1979 after a long history of colonization by the French and the British, so there is an interesting blend of influences on the food and language. Everyone on the island speaks English, but they also move effortlessly into Patois (Patwa), which is a French-based Creole language. The creole food is exceptional! It’s simple – typically fish or chicken marinated for a long time in a blend of spices and served with rice, beans, plantains or macaroni salad. Of course, the fruit is also amazing! The mangos and passion fruit were our favorites. Interestingly, bananas are grown all over the island and are a major export for the country, but we didn’t see them served anywhere.

I know this post is a big departure from the norm. I hope you enjoyed the variety as much as I did! I don’t want to drone on and on, but if you have any questions about St. Lucia or any of the photos, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I will answer.

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CLEVELAND METROPARKSMill Stream Run

Tom Turkey

by Tanya Wagner

An adult make turkey is called a “Tom”. We arrived at Mill Stream Run Reservation early on Saturday morning and found a tom and three hens grazing in a field. Tom had his impressive feathers on full display! I was so excited to photograph him, but I had to approach slowly. I felt like I was playing hide and seek, keeping a tree between myself and the turkeys, staying in the shade of the bushes around the field until I was close enough to really see the details in his head and the glint in his eye. You’ve probably heard that Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird rather than the bald eagle. When you see them up close in the wild, with feathers fanned, you can see why he favored it. It’s such a magnificent bird!

The next bird we found was a tiny Common Yellowthroat. He was clinging to reeds and blades of grass. In the one pic, if you look closely, you can see the reed right through the little guy! He’s so delicate and fragile-looking compared to the sturdy turkey. The contrast was fun.

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CLEVELAND METROPARKSEdgewater

Killdeer

by Tanya Wagner

I love Edgewater Park in the morning. If you start from the lower parking lot and walk the bird trail, you pass through a sun-filled meadow full of songbirds. Today, a deer walked out into the grass and came right toward us! He was so close, I could see the fuzz on his antlers. I was hoping to get a shot of him with the city behind him, but he got spooked and disappeared into the trees.

Beyond the meadow, is a stand of trees. It’s dim and cool there and it’s always amazing to me that I can stand in the forest and glimpse the lake and the beach through the trees. Today, I spotted a woodpecker on the forest floor and I could hear a lot of bird activity in the trees, but the vegetation is so lush right now that it’s hard to get a clear view of the birds.

Chuck and I wandered down to the break wall and watched the gulls and the fishermen for awhile. I love how Chuck seems to smile when we’re on our adventures. She struck a good pose for me today! Finally, on our way back, we passed through another grassy area. I saw a bird on the ground and, at first, I thought it was a blue jay, but it kept running towards me and I realized it was a killdeer! I was so excited to see it. It was very busy in the grass and didn’t notice us at first. But once it did, it began scooting around and pretending to have a broken wing. Then, it would stop to look at us. Seeing we were still there, it would continue its show. I’m guessing it had a nest nearby and was trying to lure us away. I read a little about the killdeer and, apparently, they frequently nest near parking lots and other human development. So, keep an eye out for them!

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CVNPTowpath

Savor

by Tanya Wagner

Today was perfect!  It was cool and cloudy so there was no one on the trail.  We left from the station road bridge trailhead and headed north.  A few paces in, Chuck found a frog.  Of course,  she had to lick it.  She was foaming at the mouth and shaking her head.  She’s done this before so I knew she would be fine.

We saw loads of blue heron fishing in the canal.  We heard woodpeckers and warblers.  We saw big fish writhing and splashing in the shallow water.  At a bend in the canal, I spotted a belted kingfisher.  We stopped and just stood still for 20 minutes waiting to see if it would land near us.  No dice.

But, as we stood, I could hear so many birds in the surrounding trees.  I could smell the earth and the grass and the honeysuckle.  I could hear the river in the distance.  I was thinking that this must be how a sommelier must feel tasting a great wine.  The delicate pallet picking out individual flavors and savoring the way they feel in the mouth.  They don’t “drink” the wine as much as they experience it.  They sip slowly and taste deliberately.

Like a sommelier tasting a wine, I can only really savor the morning if I take my time.  I have to stop walking and talking and thinking and just try to stand as still as I can and let the sights and smells and sounds wash over me.  It’s cleansing and rejuvenating and one of life’s greatest joys!

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