The Wetlands at Slate Run Metro Park

In mid-May Joan and I explored the walking trails at Slate Run Metro Park, especially those around the wetlands at the western end of the park. Joan had visited earlier and was eager to show me the flora and fauna there.

The abundance of frogs was astonishing. Heads were popping out of the waters everywhere, often only a few feet apart.

They were mostly the common American Bullfrog.

Their concentration made me think that the larger birds, such as the great blue heron, should be very well fed this spring.

Joan was hoping to show me the water snakes she had seen on her previous visit, but was concerned that they wouldn't be visible again. She didn't need to be. First, we saw a water snake swimming through one of the ponds. It slowed down as it struggled through some algae, and I captured this photo.

Further along, water snakes were out sunning on the same log where she had seen them before. Two clusters of snakes, in fact; here's a picture of one group intertwined on the log.

The smaller ones are males and the larger one the female. (Click on the photo to enlarge.) Because there is more than one suitor still remaining, we assume the female hasn't made her choice yet.

We also saw a female red-winged blackbird, who was unwilling to fly to her nest until we drew further away. This was educational encounter for me; I would have guessed this bird to be some flavor of sparrow, not a red-winged blackbird. She doesn't need to dress brightly to attract the males, however, and her camouflage quotient is much higher than theirs.

There was a much larger bird circling constantly during the first portion of our hike:

Yes, that's Air Force One, the President's aircraft, although if the Vice President has borrowed the keys to the 747 the call sign for the aircraft would be Air Force Two. Joan later contacted the Columbus Dispatch, which knew of a fundraiser in northeastern Ohio that Joe Biden would be attending the next day, but had no idea why the plane would be circling Rickenbacker airport for hours, and practicing touch-and-go (sometimes the landing gear was down).

Joan suggested that it was an attempt to reduce the federal budget deficit by offering paid rides, or that Joe Biden had told the pilots "I'll only be a short while, just circle the block rather than parking."

We nearly stumbled over a turtle ... a midland painted turtle, the only painted turtle in Ohio. This was turning into a fruitful expedition.

The spiderwort was common in some locations.

One section of the wetlands trail system includes a boardwalk over a pond and nearby swampy area, giving the observer a closer look at the aquatic environment.


This gave us some spectacular looks at sunning and swimming water snakes.

Any closer would have been too close.

Just beyond, there was a stand of blue flag iris, Iris virginica var. shrevei, a wet soil or swamp lover.

After finishing the boardwalk we walked up to an observation deck atop a small hill. Looking west is looking across terrain scraped by glaciers, so even a modest hill gives a good view. The tip of a telescope on the deck is at far right.

From the deck our path took us along a field edge, which was good for bird activity, and then into the woods as far as the Shady Grove Picnic Area. Almost an hour after leaving the deck, I spotted this woodland toad.

We saw and listened to an acadian flycatcher, what Joan and I know as the "pizza" bird, after its call, which sounds like"peet-sah."

Returning along the field edge, I managed a good shot of this male bluebird. The gods of photography were smiling on me: this was the best of only three attempts before he flew off.

Near the end of our walk -- 6 or 7 miles in total, Joan tells me -- we passed by a tall pole with purple martin nest boxes.

Then we arrived back at the car, about 4½ hours after we began. Life was in full bloom, and except for the parking areas and a couple of joggers close to the picnic area, we didn't meet any other examples of homo sapiens var. buckeye. Well, it was a Tuesday.

A Second Owl Family

A few afternoons ago, May 22nd, Joan entered the woods behind our house to track down young barred owl calls, expecting to discover one of the youngsters that we've been watching since May 3rd. Instead she discovered a much younger owl:

She called me out to see, and we realized that there were three young owls, two more clinging just above the first!

These were younger than the pair we had being seeing. Those owls were almost as big as their parents now, but these were still downy and large-eyed. I walked around the tree and zoomed in on the upper two for this photo.

If these were not the original chicks, as seems almost certain, then there is a second breeding pair of barred owls in our woods ... these chicks had not traveled far from their nest, nor would they for a few weeks. A second pair was not implausible; the Blacklick Woods Metro Park has three pairs this year. But it was certainly unexpected. Perhaps some of the chicks from 2009 or 2010 have set up housekeeping here in their birthplace? In any case, this would add up to nine owls (two sets of parents, and a total of five chicks) in our woods!

Joan and I were astonished, and thrilled. Our owl-watching season was suddenly extended. Then, not even half an hour later, I was called out to the deck. One the parents, being harassed by outraged robins, had decided to take a breather in the dogwood tree next to our deck.

When I mention outraged robins, I mean outraged. They are astonished and indignant that owls would dare be anywhere near their nests, and they must insist to the owls that their kind is not wanted, each and every day. Loudly. Repeatedly. That's how we know when to look for owls, by listening for upset robins (or, sometimes, crows). This robin is the one that dared get closest to this owl.

The barred owl was taking it easy in the dogwood. The foliage was dense enough that the robins couldn't execute a harassing high-speed flyby, and they dared not linger near the owl. Small birds can outmaneuver the owl, but if they become complacent, they become a tasty snack.

Often it was nap time. Our presence on the deck was of no concern, as long as we didn't make sudden moves or startling noises.

Sometimes he would look around.

Sometimes he would check for any action below him.

 He would let us approach within just a few feet.

Sometimes he would open a weary eye just to see if we were doing anything interesting.

 This was also a good time for grooming. Feet, for instance,

or feathers.

After a satisfying grooming session he looked twice as large. Airing the feathers out on a hot day must have felt oh-so-good.

Puffed or sleek, the feathers of the barred owl create a stunning combination of patterns within the limited, brown-and-white palette. The head is mottled, while the chest is streaked, and the wings and back form bands. As camouflage, it's perfect. We've seen a barred owl fly into a tree and then become invisible when his back melts into the bark.

May 22nd ... a red-letter day for owl watching.