Heron photographed last month
One of our favorite locales for bird watching is Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk. We’ve previously posted about it here. This locale is constantly changing with the season and the level of Hoover reservoir, but it rarely disappoints.
Here you can see the blossoms, buds, and pea pods of the Partridge Pea
(Chamaecrista fasciculata).
Bench in Gahanna Woods City Park overlooking a small creek.
Gahanna Woods is part city park and part state nature preserve. Let’s start by looking at the city park.
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According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as of August 21st, nearly 1118 people have become ill from the West Nile Virus this summer; 41 have died from the most severe form of this illness. This is biggest outbreak since 2004. Since the virus is transmitted by mosquito bites, the high incidence of the disease is attributed to an unusually large number of mosquitoes. More mosquitoes than usual survived over the winter due to the unseasonably mild weather. To make matters worse, this summer’s hot weather has speeded up the mosquito’s reproductive cycle.
Standing on the airplane’s wing, looking at its nose.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. We stood on top of a rock outcropping shaped like an airplane overlooking Crane Hollow far below. From our vantage point, we had a magnificent view of the forest valley and hillsides miles away.
Posted in Nature, Southeastern Ohio
Tagged "Airplane Rock", "Bridle Trail", "Hocking County", "Hocking Hills Region", "Hocking SF", hiking
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), photographed in August
Thayer Ridge Park features a picnic area (without restrooms), a frisbee disc golf course, and some multi-use, dirt trails going through woodland and meadows. The trails are open to horseback riders, mountain bikers and hikers. I have hiked there twice (in April and in August); in my opinion the trails are probably best suited for those on horseback. On each of my two visits it was clear that the trails were being used regularly by riders. Here’s why I think the trail conditions are less than ideal for hikers.
Posted in Central Ohio, Nature
Tagged "dog friendly", "Knox County", "Thayer Ridge", Park Review
Looking up.
Conkle’s Hollow is a narrow gorge with breathtaking cliffs rising on either side; the cliffs are made of Blackhand sandstone and are quite sheer in places, the taller ones reaching up to 200 feet in height. Seasonal waterfalls flow from the cliffs at many sites, their streams joining to form Pine Creek on the valley floor.
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
I was really surprised when I saw the turtle pictured above. First, this species of turtle, a Red-eared Slider, is not known to occur in the wild in Franklin County. Second, what on earth is wrong with its shell? Let’s look at it more closely.
Pond at Char-Mar Ridge.
Char-Mar Ridge is part of Delaware County’s preservation park system. It features a wooded trail that passes over gently rolling hills. The trail itself is packed earth and gravel that remains in good condition even when it’s rainy. A 0.25 mile trail connects the parking lot to a loop trail. The loop trail is 1.5 miles and is very popular with joggers who often do multiple laps. Like most of Delaware County’s parks, visitors are allowed to bring their leashed dogs along with them. “Mutt mitts” are provided at the entrance to facilitate clean-ups. I almost always encounter people walking their dogs there, and they have been doing a super job of keeping the trail clean.
Posted in Central Ohio, Nature
Tagged "Delaware County", "dog friendly", Char-Mar, Cross-country skiing, Park Review, wildflowers
Isn’t this little guy charming?
We have bird feeders in our backyard. I like to sit in our breakfast nook reading or working on the computer. Then from time to time I’ll lift my head to see what birds are out there now. The feeders are located far enough away from our house to make it unlikely that a bird will strike our windows. But that means that I sometimes resort to using binoculars if I want to get a good look at a particular bird.
Bob Platt
Deb Platt
