Spring Color Burst.

No trip through Wooster, Ohio is complete without a stop at Secrest Arboretum at the Ohio State University Agriculture Research Center.  It is filled with a wonderful selection of plants, albeit most are non-native.  That doesn't mean they are all bad. As long as a plant is not invasive and damaging to native habitats, we can still enjoy their beauty.  

Hot-poker orange azaleas are now in bloom.

 The colors in the azalea gardens were stunning! These florets were the same color as the flowers on Ohio's native Trumpet Vine. Unfortunately, azaleas don't feed the hummingbirds like Trumpet Vine.

A golden orange azalea imitates a sunset.

 The color variety was exciting!  Every turn offered a new color palate.

A white azalea sports subtle lemon accents.

 Even the white azalea was not just white.  It played along with some lemon pick-me-up.

Have a seat!

 Such an inviting bench, but we had too much to photograph to rest. This trip was an opportunity to enjoy the lovely surroundings and tune into our photography.  It was fun to work with flowers, light and play with the camera a bit. Everyone loves to see beautiful flower photos!

Hosta, Paul's Glory, one of my favorites.

 Hosta plants hold a special place in my heart.  I have many varieties of hosta at home, and can name them off as if they were my children.  My actual children thought that I was a bit obsessed.  However, they were never at a loss for a birthday gift!  Just buy me a new hosta.

Staghorn Sumac leaf - backlit.

Sumacs are a well-favored native plant, but this one may have crept uninvited into their display. It can escape notice now, but this fall when the leaves turn fire-engine red, it will have no place to hide.

We enjoyed the light-play on the leaflets.

A mini garden within the mega gardens.

 The gardens at Secrest go on and on.  It is a wonderful place to learn about trees and horticultural plants. Natural areas have their allure and certainly attract more wildlife, but sometimes it is just plain fun to visit an upscale garden.

Old fashioned white peonies in full bloom.

 Water was beading up on the leaves and pollinators were buzzing about.  There were plenty of photographic opportunities.

Mockingbird make light of our studies.

 While this trip was planned as a time to enjoy flowers, a Mockingbird entertained us with a wild array of calls.  He did a spot-on imitation of a Rock Wren.

Greg Miller enjoying a photography day.

But I wouldn't have known the Rock Wren call, were it not for fellow photographer (and expert birder) Greg Miller. We had fun trying to ID all the birds the "mocker" was imitating as we continued with our photography.

Greg is now leading trips with Wildside Tours, and you can join him on birding and camera trips. We have an awfully good time whenever we go out and you can enjoy a day with Greg, too.

 See Greg Miller Birding for more details on Greg's whereabouts, or go to www.gmasohio.org to join Greater Mohican Audubon Society on one of their walks at Secrest Arboretum. The flowers put on quite a show!

Bird-walks at Secrest Arboretum

Every other month, members of the Greater Mohican Audubon Society converge at Secrest Arboretum for a 9:00 am bird-walk.  We meet up with some of the nicest folks, as Secrest advertises these walks to their large audience of plant and nature lovers.

Bianca Davis leads the GMAS Bird walk at Secrest

We usually have a good turn out, and today was no exception.  Not only does Bianca do a top-notch job of pointing out the birds, we also have interesting botany.  Our last walk there was during the Crab-apple bloom, and it was spectacular!  Go here to see those photos.

Secrest's Mockingbird

There is a Mockingbird in residence, who loves to put on a good show.  As usual, today he was making quite the ruckus.  He appeared several times during the course of the morning, with his grand finale' performed on the top..

of the gazebo.  These gardens are filled with an endless array of plants and garden architecture. It is a wonderful location for birds. Even if the birding were slow, we still have lots to see!

 Today the Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa was coming into full bloom.  This is one of the many milkweeds that are utilized by the Monarch butterfly as a host plant for caterpillars.

"They are birders, Dear."

Afterward we held our meeting in the shade beneath a garden pergola. A pair of Barn Swallows who had built their nest in the top of the structure were a wee bit anxious for us to move on.  Finally, they must have realized we meant them no harm; they returned to their nest.  You could say they had a bird's-eye view of our whole agenda, including the plans for upcoming events.

Don't be surprised if you see this pair of Barn Swallows at the Bobolinks at Byers Woods Festival.  They were marking their calendar for June 23rd!  If you missed our meeting, please go to the GMAS website for all the details.  We hope to see you there, too!

Apple Blossoms at Secrest

Cherry blossoms in Washington were early this year, but don't despair if you missed the show.  We have the next best thing in Wooster, Ohio at Secrest Arboretum.

 Row upon row of crab apple trees were in peak bloom today- a spectacle to behold.  I arrived in the early morning to lead the Greater Mohican Audubon Society's  bird walk, and witnessed what was quite possibly the most beautiful location in all of Ohio.

 Red Barron- The names were all new to me, but this was easily a favorite.

 Snow Magic-  A gentle rain created a soft drift of petals beneath this tree.

 Pink Satin- A heavenly scent wafted across the lawn making the scene a scent-ual experience as well.

The rain became a steady mist, as I stood beneath a shelter of blossoms.  The perfume of flowers carried my mind back to my childhood and afternoons spent beneath our crab trees. 

Passing time, I watched the busiest bumble bee in the world.  He seem to have this entire flora-feast to himself.  He kept to his business and hid among the flowers, paying no mind to the gentle rain.

  

Drink this beauty in; savor every sip like a warming brandy.  

You'll want to park you car and walk the fields for the full effect.

Oh, and birds.  Yes, there were birds there as well.  This Northern Mockingbird ignited my enthusiasm with his white wing-flashes and boisterous song. Other birds pale in comparison as he paralleled our route through the main gardens. Who can think of other birds when this handsome fellow is vying for attention?

Secrest- worth the trip Wooster to see for yourself.

Where have all the Robins gone?

Spring is slated to be on the way, and before our snow cover is completely gone, let's have a few local photos from Saturday's Greater Mohican Audubon bird walk at Secrest Arboretum in Wooster, Ohio.



Just this morning my father noted that "the Robins are back". I almost hated to break the news, they were probably never gone. Many of our American Robins over-winter in wood lots, especially where fruit is prolific.
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If one ever desired winter Robin watching, Secrest Arboretum is the place to go. The numerous crab apple and decorative fruit trees are a magnet for these winter frugivores. American Robins are forced to have a diet shift, from worms (and grubs) to fruit, during the winter months.

Take a few extra minutes to really study your local Robins. Have you ever noted they have an eye-ring? Or white under-tail coverts? These beautiful singers from the Thrush family deserve your second look.

Whoa! Pine Siskins are here, taking a winter vacation from Canada. We found a small flock of them acrobatically feeding on the Sweetgum trees, Liquidambar styraciflua . Remember, birds have to eat; find them where they feed. The siskins could have easily been dismissed as American Goldfinches, but the stripey chest and wing bars tells the tale. A life bird for several in our group.

This walk was the first we have been back in Secrest since last year's devastating tornadoes swept through. Many buildings and trees were broken and twisted, and the clean up has taken many months. There are still signs of the wind damage, as shown in this photo of giant pines snapped off like tooth-picks. However, Secrest is actively rebuilding and welcomes visitors again.

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The very business of nature is constant change. Birth, growth, life, and death... a never ending cycle. I hope you will join us on one of our scheduled walks this coming year, and witness the re-birth of this amazing botanical jewel.

Our Secrest Arboretum

Greater Mohican Audubon does a bird walk six times a year at Secrest Arboretum in Wooster, Ohio. Not only is it a beautiful location and a wealth of information about trees, it has many lovely gardens and interesting birds, butterlies and dragonflies.

A visit to Secrest is worth the drive to Wooster, as habitats range from a hemlock gorge- where we heard Hooded Warblers today- to fields of crabapple trees. Cedar waxwings love 'em!

Bianca Davis led the walk today and our ranks numbered more then 20. Some participants are serious birders, some novices.. and others may just be out for an enjoyable walk in nature.

Always the Weedpicker, something in the way of a native plant is bound to catch my eye. And growing in the flower beds along with all the pedigreed greenery is good ol' Jumpseed, Polygonum virginianum- one of my favorite natives! The flowers aren't much to look at, but the foliage is stunning. Look at the bold chevron pattern on the leaf.

And a planting of bold prairie flowers, straight from the Ohio prairie list includes Sundrops, Oenothera fruticosa and Downy woodmint (purple) Blephilia cillata.

Don Beam is the creator of this garden and owner of Stucker Meadow Native plants. He will be on hand at GMAS' Bobolinks and Butterflies at Byers Woods on Sat. June 26. Go here for all the information. We hope to see you then!