May Rambles

This post is a collection of mini-reports about visits to and hikes in several Ohio parks and natural areas that Joan and I took this May.

On the first weekend in May we extended a brief visit to the Toledo area by visiting three nature preserves and parks in the area known as the Oak Openings. The Oak Openings are located on sandy soils and sand dunes, the last remnants of Lake Warren, which was formed by the melting glaciers of the last ice age. Lake Warren is the predecessor of today's smaller Lake Erie.

These sandy soils lie atop a layer of blue clay that water cannot penetrate. Thus, depending on the depth of the sandy layer, the terrain can quickly change from desert-like to wet and swampy. The current oak openings are greatly diminished from their original extent by European settlement and the installation of drainage systems for farming.

Kitty Todd State Nature Preserve
The Kitty Todd State Nature Preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy, is famous for its mid-summer wildflowers. Being there on the first weekend in May, Joan and I saw no wildflowers, but walked the paths anyway. Early on we spotted a group of small ants attempting to drag a larger winged insect into their burrow, but alas, the wings were extended rather than flush against the insect's torso, and we watched several attempts fail. The entrances were too small.

Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve
The Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve is largely a wet, treeless sedge meadow with boardwalks providing access. Many of the boardwalks appeared unnecessary until one took a closer look at the waters below the tall stalks. I didn't take as many pictures as I should have -- one hawk flew away as I was turning my camera on -- but here is a photo of Mr. Mallard. A male and female were resting quietly in a small puddle, located in a section of the trail that passed through a thin, open woods.

There was a mysterious creature lurking under the boardwalk on our return that, when we stepped onto the boards, smashed through the sedges and dove into the waters on the edge of a road. It refused to come out while Joan and I stood there. We couldn't figure out what it had been, but it certainly startled us.

Oak Openings Preserve Metro Park
Oak Openings Preserve is an extensive Toledo Metro Park, with hiking, biking, equestrian trails (click on the image to enlarge).

We started with the dry Sand Dunes Trail.

We were soon entertained by several red-headed woodpeckers, a bird we don't often see in our part of central Ohio.

One area of low dunes is an important bird breeding area. We were there just before the closure date, but chose to give the birds their space.

The trail looped about and returned us to Mallard Lake, where we had parked.

A frog was unabashedly calling out, oblivious to all the humans walking by. Could the garlands he's wearing make him more attractive to the ladies?

We headed south on a combination of the Ridge Trail and Oak Openings Hiking Trail. The latter loops around the park for 16 miles, and sometimes shares a path with the Ridge Trail. The intersecting of many trails in this park demands signposts to keep people from wandering, lost forever.

At one point we found, we believe, the area that was hit by a tornado in 2010 and since cleaned up.

Given the high water table, there was skunk cabbage everywhere. Any small depression in the sandy earth was a wet spot, colonized by this swampland plant. This photo shows a midsized patch -- not the largest, by any means.

This far north, there were still patches of trillium blooming.

Clear Creek Metro Park
Later in May we took two hikes, on separate weeks, in Clear Creek Metro Park, down in Hocking County, about 45 minutes from our house. It's our favorite spot for toughening up our legs for hiking in Canada.

The first visit, in cool weather, revealed lots of fungi growing in soil and on trees.

This speckled sphere is not a fungus, but an insect construction, a wood-sower wasp gall.

In the previous year Joan had noted a location with the fall-emergent foliage of the putty root orchid. We couldn't spot anything except last year's seed pods on our way out, but on our return Joan spotted a blooming specimen nearby.

I love the mix of starbursts and spheres with this just-opening fourleaf milkweed. And we need more milkweed for our butterflies.

Small but brilliant orange capped fungi, which I made no attempt to identify.

After we searched high for the source of a loud birdcall, Joan spotted this hooded warbler much lower, almost down to our level, albeit further away. It's a lovely bird, and it made me long for a camera with a bigger lens that could gather more light and create a sharp image in dim light or when zooming in. I've never followed through on that impulse because I become thoroughly annoyed with carrying around a camera too large to fit on my belt.

We got a good look at an indigo bunting on our way out; he stayed at his post in one trailside tree, perhaps because the nest was near. On the way back, we saw a bunting in the same spot, or close to it. Perhaps it was the same one? Unfortunately the sun was behind him, but I pushed the photo brightness up on my computer, using the GIMP, and some of his plumage emerged.

Miami mist blossoms were common.

On one particular stretch the golden backed snipe flies had erupted. There were dozens of mating pairs on the ground and in the air. The female is the larger one.

It's not a great shot (again I wish for that light-grabbing lens), but this snapshot of a towhee with flared tail is fun nonetheless.

Many interesting birds went unphotographed, such as a scarlet tanager. I habitually leave the camera off, to conserve battery power. If I forget it puts itself to sleep after a few minutes. Unless the bird cooperates by staying put for a moment, I miss the shot. You don't need to wait for binoculars to power up.

Delicate bluets, almost white. This genus has many species and a rainbow of possible colors.

In a few spots mountain laurel were in their full glory.

A closeup of the clusters.

These two walks were a good warm-up for a more rigorous pre-Canada hiking regimen in June and July, even if we did stop and study a lot. We became reacquainted with our boots and the muscles that engage with hiking poles.