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.
Hoover reservoir is purposely lowered every fall to create a way station for migrating shore birds. But due to the drought, the water level has dropped earlier than usual. When summer began the boardwalk was several feet above the water's surface. Last month the
Read more ➜
Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk is part of the Hoover Nature Preserve operated by the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. It is one of the best birding sites in central Ohio. In the fall the city lowers the water level in Hoover Reservoir, so it's more hospitable to migrating shore birds. The area around the boardwalk is also used for fishing and launching kayaks, and I've seen crew teams training here. Beyond that, the site is just lovely.
One
Read more ➜
Earlier this week we stopped by the Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk to view the osprey nesting platforms. We had been checking the platforms on and off for a few weeks, and they had been completely bare. But to our delight when we went to the boardwalk this week, both platforms had nests.
We weren't there long when the osprey on the nesting platform began calling to its mate. And soon after we spotted its mate flying back toward the nest with a fish in its talons.
We watched with
Read more ➜
October is our favorite month for hiking. Below are some of our fall-color highlights for the month.
Mt. Gilead State Park
Salt Fork State Park
Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
Delaware County
Paint Creek Wildlife Area
Read more ➜
Once again, a mated pair of osprey is nesting on one of the platforms at the northern end of Hoover reservoir. We observed one osprey on the perch above the nesting platform. The second osprey was in the nest doing something with the eggs or perhaps newly hatched youngsters. Periodically we would see its head or tail stick up above the nest as it moved around. But because the sides of the nests are so tall, most of the time we couldn't see it.
Photographing the osprey was a challenge
Read more ➜
The Galena Village Administrator, Jeanna Burrell, recently contacted me about a new nature club that is forming in central Ohio. If you are unfamiliar with the Village of Galena, it is in Delaware County at the northern end of Ohio's Hoover Reservoir; this is the reservoir which supplies drinking water for our state's capital, Columbus. Galena is also home to the Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk which we've written about on a number of occassions. Galena is an especially good site for bird watching; it's
Read more ➜
The osprey have returned to the northern edge of Hoover reservoir. Osprey are brown and white birds of prey measuring two feet (61 cm) tall with a wingspan of almost six feet (183 cm). They build nests near water and feed on fish.
Like almost all of our other wildlife, ospreys disappeared from Ohio in the early 1900s. According to an article by John Switzer in the Columbus Dispatch the reintroduction of ospreys in modern times occurred when a breeding pair migrated into the state of
Read more ➜
Hoover Reservoir supplies the city of Columbus with its drinking water. At eight different sites around the reservoir is the Hoover Reservoir Park. It is a great recreational resource for residents and tourists, and it is important sanctuary for birds as well. Today I'm going to focus on one of the lesser known sites of this park: Hoover Meadows.
Hoover Meadows is 74.77 acres. Although a sign marks its entrance, the place looks fairly nondescript from the road. A row of conifers divides
Read more ➜
The video below shows a group of Whirligig Beetles that I filmed swimming on the water's surface at Hoover Mudflats. They are called "whirligig" beetles because of the way they whirl around in circles when disturbed as seen near the end of this short video.
Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/xk-B0_VyAX4
When I first saw these, I had no idea what I was looking at. Since then I've learned quite a bit about them, and they are fascinating little critters. Below is a photo one in profile
Read more ➜
The following list of parks and preserves includes those managed by federal, state, county, and non-governmental agencies (such as the National Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, various historical societies, etc.).
We have tried to collect information on the activities and facilities available at various parks, but things may change without us knowing about it. So please double-check the information at the official site.
Alum Creek Bike Trail (Bike Path)
Official Site
Trail
Read more ➜