CLEVELAND METROPARKS

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!

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.

I’ve been getting up quite early so we can hit the trails before the heat gets too intense for Chuck. Today, I slept in. By the time we got to the parking lot at the Mastick picnic area in Rocky River Reservation, it was hot and humid. We headed into the woods. It was dim – illuminated with dappled sunlight – and emerald green. The path wound along near the river. Despite recent rains, the water was low. We could smell the rich scent of mud and the occasional reek of rotting fish. Chuck insisted that we go down the bank, so we scrambled over roots and picked our way over the rocks on the shore to a little spit of sand in the center of the river. The water gurgled and sparkled in the sun. A family of geese watched us from a nearby island. Chuck was so happy to wade in the cool water, lowering her head and scooping up mouthfuls as we walked.

Eventually, we made our way back to the trail and started back toward the car. I noticed a spot in the woods where a huge patch of ramps was blooming. Ramps are a wild onion that has become very popular among foodies. They have a charming flower that is a cluster of creamy blossoms. As I was focused on the ramps, Chuck found a toad on the forest floor. This time, she refrained from licking it. Thank goodness!

We emerged from the woods into a large mown field. Clover flowered everywhere. Barn swallows soared and swooped, feeding on the insects in the grass. I sat in the field and tried to snag a pick of the swallows in flight, but they didn’t like my intrusion. I still got a nice shot of the field meeting the woods.