Quick Recap of a Great Weekend...

So, I keep feeling overwhelmed with this blog (not really I guess).  If I go a couple days without writing an entry, I have too much to talk about when I come back on.  I will try to summarize the highlights of my adventures from the last couple days.

I came home to Mentor lasr Wednesday and have been here ever since.  Thursday was a gorgeous day, and while many people were out drinking green beer and eating corned beef, I was in the woods : )  I visited the Mentor Lagoons with Chris in the morning, North Chagrin Reservation through the afternoon, and then Veteran's Park until evening. I watched the sunrise and the sunset, and almost every minute in between I spent outside. Those are my favorite kind of days : )

The Lagoons in the morning was great.  The sunrise over the marsh was so beautiful, and by the time Chris and I got out to the beach, it was getting really warm out.  Flocks of blackbirds and Robins were enjoying the sun too, as they were just flying up and down the beach, doing nothing that I could see, but embracing the day! Also, Red-breasted Mergansers floated in between ice chunks on the lake.  The males were really amped up that morning and the head bobbing and scooting across the water never let up. They were really showing off, and the females being followed around could care less...kinda like our species ; )

While watching waterfowl, two Cooper's Hawks surprised me by flying out of the woods, one after the other, over the lake then back to a tree on the forest's edge. I just love Cooper's Hawks so I was excited, and the male also let out his "kek kek kek" call. Love is definitely in the air for many species now!

Later on at North Chagrin, I enjoyed a beautiful hike along Buttermilk Creek, one of my favorite places. My mom used to take us their growing up - great memories. That is when my bird-watching began...I remember seeing my first Pileated Woodpecker their when I must have been about 12.

Anyway, the views were gorgeous, and the creek was flowing well with all of the melt water and streams pouring into it.  I even saw 2 big Rainbow Trout moving along the rocks.  It's amazing how they will go completly out of water as they move through the stream.  Turkey, Deer, and Coyote tracks were apparent along the creek.

Veteran's Park is always great this time of year because there is always a good amount of waterfowl to be seen.  I watched Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, Gadwalls, Horned Grebes, a Pied-billed Grebe, and probably more that I am forgetting.  I captured a Horned Grebe gobbling down a fresh caught Perch too!

I was thinking that the Spring Peepers should be coming out any day now, and sure enough when I went back the next day, they were calling in full force.  It's amazing what a difference a day makes in Spring.

Other highlights of the weekend included; my first Eastern Phoebe of 2011 (which I saw my 2nd today in the Mentor Marsh) at Indian Point. Also at IP, I watched a Field Sparrow singing, along with Bluebirds and others. The biggest highlight in general was the fact that I made it out to my sanctuary (the farm) on Saturday after volunteering with TNC.  It was a great day in general because TNC outings are always fun and I love Karen Adair.

At the farm, I saw my first Towhee of 2011 (even though they have been around) as well as my first Fox Sparrows, AND my first Bald Eagle to be seen in the boundary of our property.  A Carolina Wren was building his nest that he and his mate started last fall, in our outhouse of all places! He was so thrilled that he was singing with nesting material in his bill. Many other birds were seen and heard, and the magic did not stop even on the car ride home. I wanted to drive by East Branch Reservoir to see if the Osprey had returned. I spotted a Bald Eagle perched first, then an Osprey right above him!! The Osprey was mad that the eagle was on his turf, but what could he really do about it?? Eagles are known to pirate fish caught by Osprey, I've seen chases myself multiple times.  While the Osprey was perched nearby calling, the eagle swooped down and caught a fish! Zack and I watched him devour it. What a day for birding!! My favorite species back in Ohio : )

Ok, it's 1:16AM and I am waking up to go out at sunrise tomorrow morning, I need to wrap this up.  I will just say that I saw one of the Mentor Marsh eagles fly over me as I was watching Northen Pike in their breeding pools!! I have never observed these mean-looking fish before, they are HUGE. I couldn't believe that I found them in such  a shallow area so far in from the lake, but I figured that they came in to lay their eggs. One of the fish had it's young alongside it, it was basically attached. The peepers were very loud in certain places along the marsh, and huge flocks of blackbirds (grackles and RWBBs) were pouring in to roost one the evening came. I'm talking 10,000+ birds. It is an amazing experience to be around this many birds, the noise from the calls and the motion of synchronized flight is awesome. I scanned the birds with my binoculars and observed my first female RWBBs of 2011, I haven't detected any until now (they are inconspicuous though). Lastly, I watched a beaver for a while, gnawing on some fresh twigs, another splendid day. I'm going to bed. Gotta do it all again tomorrow...I love Spring Break : )

Oh, and I call this last photo "The End of Winter".