Local Find- Orchid!

 A walk in the woods is restorative to my soul.  Whether is it a brisk-paced cardio or a meander, time in the woods is therapy.  Breath deeply, look down and listen up!  Watch the forest floor, but listen to the canopy above for any unusual bird calls.  Once you are tuned into their songs, you can concentrate on what is happening at your feet and you will hear any birds you might want to see.

Puttyroot Orchid, Aplectrum hyemale

 While sauntering along and quick-scanning the vegetation, this orchid caught my eye.  The yellow flowers were an immediate flag.  However, I was not sure which orchid it was.  Most puttyroot orchids range from purple to pinkish brown, while this one was delightfully lemon-lime!  More on this in a bit, for now we'll look at its habitat.

The Stoller Rd. Trail on the North East side of Clearfork Reservoir. 

 There is a little known trail off Lexington-Ontario Rd just north of Lexington, Ohio.  It runs along the Clearfolk Reservoir.  I visit it frequently, as it is always in change.  Each change of season brings new flora and fauna to study on our walks. Fall walks on this lake side trail are often accompanied by the haunting call of the Common Loon. Springtime walks are punctuated with warblers.

Huge micro-burst blow down impacts the woods.

Early in May there was a mini-tornado, or micro-burst that downed many trees on both sides of the reservoir. The trails I usually walk have been closed by down trees and the storm debris.  It has made our hiking route a bit more- circuitous.

At first one feels a loss- all that devastation! Huge trees knocked down in their prime, somehow seems tragic. Eventually the shock wears off and a sense of nature comes back into focus.  This is forest ecology. The woods are constantly changing; blow downs create new pockets of light- and life.

Gray tree frog hides in plain sight.

Study the forest floor as we walk. The seas of Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum, found here are a common vegetation in Ohio woodlands. They provide habitat and food for the lower forest level creatures.  Look closely and you might discover a Gray tree frog .  Master of disguises, the gray tree frog (as you see in the photo) is not always gray!

Orchids are masters of disguises, too.

Ohio woodland orchids are often masters of disguises, too.  Once you get a "search image" for them, it becomes more easy to find them hiding among the vegetation.  It is not unlike a birder learning to search the trees for the movement of birds.  It just takes a little time and practice.

Delicate petals enlarged for my poor eyes. 

Let's focus on one floret. This photo is enlarged to at least ten times the size of the actual flower.  Although most diminutive, all of the orchid anatomy is there.  The sepals and petals are gathered round the lip of the orchid, a white landing pad and welcome mat for the all-important pollinators.

Unusual yellow form of the Puttyroot Orchid, Aplectrum hyemale.

Puttyroot orchids are often identified by their winter foliage.  It is a large, striped leaf which persists all winter long.  In the spring it disappears, and leaves no clue to the orchid which is about to spring out of the ground.

Without the foliage to lead us to a correct identification, the yellow flowers of this unusual puttyroot orchid was an exciting find!   I thought it might be a real rarity, but calmer heads prevailed. Any day one finds a native orchid in Ohio woodlands is a good day. Finding this yellow form of the puttyroot, which I had never seen before, really got this ol' Weedpicker's heart pumping!

Take a hike- nature is full of excitements just waiting to be found!

Life is good- for birders.

This morning I stopped by the Clearfork Reservoir in Mansfield, Ohio to look for a bird.  Not just any bird, but a very special, diminutive goose, one a trickster might be tempted to pass off as a duck.

Ross's Goose at Clearfork Reservoir, photo Cheryl Harner

Mid-morning I got word that a Ross's Goose had been seen at the reservoir.  Stopping on my way to work, I was unable to find the little guy.  Fortunately, birding is so much fun I barely even cared.  There were some lovely loons floating by and  I heard my first-of-the-year Brown Thrasher calling.

Blue skies and fair weather

Later, I found this photo of the sky on my camera.  It had been an accidental shot, but I kept it anyway. It reminds me just how beautiful it was today. Just me and the Brown Thrasher, who was boldly clucking and squawking. Every moment was a delight. 

So much so, it was worth making another stop- right after work. After all it couldn't hurt to check again.

 And there was the Ross's Goose, Chen rossii tucked right up next to the shore swimming with some Richardson-sized Canada/ Cackling Geese.  These are not the local golf course geese which waddle about consuming grass.  These sleek little beauties are built to fly, migrate in fact. By next week they will be back in the northern most reaches of Canada.  Our reservoir is nothing but a stopping point on their way "home".

Grazing geese,  Ross's and Canada.

 We gave them plenty of lee way, as they seemed interested in leaving the water to come ashore.  We backed off far enough that the little wanderers came right up on to the picnic area for a nibble.

The bill is quite tiny on this 23 inch goose.
Ross's Goose 

It is a sure sign that winter is finally over. Everyday for the next month or two is an opportunity to see different birds, as we never know what the winds will bring us. Yesterday we were chasing (and missing) a Tufted Duck. Today it was a slightly off course goose.  Ross's are rare in Ohio, and I have only seen a few others in my whole life. They are much more common to our west, as they generally migrate across Texas and up through the Dakotas.

Welcome spring and welcome little goose!  He will certainly be gone by tomorrow, continuing the trip north. He will soon meet up with many more of his kind, and the breeding season will begin.  

Life is good- for birds and the birders who love to watch them.

Loons at Clearfork

Most people were focused on a turkey on Thanksgiving Day, and our family did indeed participate in a food fest. But some unexpected birds also arrived in time for Thanksgiving.

Common Loon. Photo by Colm Otten.

Our nearby Clearfork Reservoir had a "fall out" of loons! Over 200 loons were found floating about on the day before thanksgiving, and continued on for two days. But even more impressive, two of those loons were Pacific Loons- extremely rare visitors to the state of Ohio.

Our family made several trips to see them, but there were a bit out of our camera's range.

Birders at Mansfield sailing Club. Photo by Colm Otten

There was much excitement among the birders, as we set up our scopes in front of the Mansfield Sailing Club. It provides a good overlook of the lake, which is need to sort through 200 loons. The Pacific is bit smaller, and more delicate looking bird than the Common Loon, a heavy bodied water bird. Pacific also have a distinctive "collar"marking just below its head. Bonus birds were a female Long-tailed Duck and 30 or so Red-breasted Mergansers swimming in formation.

Cheryl Harner and JJ Soski. Photo By Colm Otten

My daughters are home for the holiday, and JJ is visiting from Philadelphia- where she works at Adventure Aquarium. She is way more interested in fish than birds, but she humored her ma and visited the Clearfork with me.

If you have an interest in swimming with the sharks at her aquarium, JJ can fix you right up. It is a bit of a strange job, but someone has to do it. (I guess...)

Later in the day we caught this fabulous sunset on a hike from the other side of the reservoir. I must say this is one of my favorite views in Richland County, and I never tire of sharing it with friends and family.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!