Salute to Cleveland's Vision

Monday July 7th was a historic day in Cleveland history.  It may not have been the history they were anxious to embrace, but it is historic non-the-less. It was the date of a terrible fire, and a heartfelt re-dedication to the Cuyahoga River.

This is a full salute- from the fireboat Anthony J. Celebrezze

There is something about a boat at full salute, water spraying wildly, that makes my soul rejoice.  I seldom miss life on the lake, but this sight alone can nearly bring me to tears.

 And this isn't just any old "fire boat."  It is the fire boat that put out the Cuyahoga River fire that ignited an environmental movement, and ultimately the Environmental Protection Agency. Go here to read the story.

 A generous crowd gathered on the lawn for speech-a-fying and general celebration of the Scranton Flats park. The firehouse lawn was a good and fitting location.

It was a celebration of the Canalway Partners, and I am mighty pleased with the efforts of my friends at Trust for Public Land who worked so hard to make this possible.  Where there was once industrial wasteland...

now there are birds, boats, and fishes in the river!  A bike trail complements the recreational possibilities. Cleveland is being reborn and is leading the way for urban renewal across our county.

Tim Donavan from Canal Way was the emcee.

 There was a full compliment of government officials, all who wished Cleveland the very best, and were undoubtly pleased when the GOP announced they would have their Nation Convention in this historic city.

One has to admire the hard work and dedication of Sen. Sherrod Brown and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur in their efforts to represent Ohioans.  Cleveland is fortunate indeed to have Congresswoman Kaptur reapportioned to represent!   

The Hon. Ralph Regula

It was also an honor to be in the presence of the Hon. Ralph Regula, long-time servant of Ohioans.  We probably would not be on the same page politically on many issues, but this man was the driving force behind the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For that alone he will have my undying gratitude.

In his touching comments Congressman Regula sited the phase: "Where there is no vision the people perish..." (Proverbs. 29:18.)  It was a fitting verse for this auspicious occasion.

No one could be more pleased than me to see the vision that Cleveland is embracing for the future.  It was an honor to be a witness to this historic day.

Cleveland's Birds and Birders

Cleveland has much to offer, especially if you enjoy a bit of winter birding.  This winter has proven, once again, Cleveland is the place to be.  There are plenty of top-notch birders reporting their sightings and helping folks get fabulous "looks" at everything from gulls to owls.  

Jim McCarty covers all the birding highlights in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland Metropark's darling, Jen Brumfield, keeps us up to-date with stunning photos on her NorthNW / Lake Erie birding blog.  Many of those photos are taken by our friend, Chuck Slusarczyk.  Chuck's photos* capture the all excitement of a bird on the wing or a good fight over fish-scraps.  Nobody does a better job catching in-flight shots and freezing those grand moments in perpetuity.  

*ALL bird photos in this post are the property of Chuck Slusarczyk- and I thank him for allowing me to share them with you.

Pomarine Jaeger is a rarely seen arctic bird. 

A Pomarine Jaeger, an arctic bird which generally winters at sea, has been working the river at Scranton Flats and Chuck has been there to document it.

The Pomarine Jaeger feeds on his ill-gotten goods.

This aggressive pirate, whom Chuck has dubbed "Bruiser," is not above stealing meals from gulls.  He is the bully of the flats.  He will indiscriminately harass gulls and dive bomb unsuspecting waterfowl. He doesn't mind eating a rat or two, either. Think of a black wolf roaming amongst a field of sheep, and you are getting close to nailing his psychological profile. 

"Bruiser" the Pomarine Jaeger is the bad boy of the flats.

Most Ohio birders, of the very lucky ones who have ever seen a jaeger, only get distant views of an off shore bird during fall migration.  With this bird haunting the flats on a regular basis, hundreds of birders have ventured into the heart of Cleveland's old industrial area to get up-close views of this magnificent arctic predator.

A glamour-shot of an Iceland/ Kumlien gull.

Even gulls look winsome when Chuck does the photography.  This winter has provided a boat-load of unusual gulls in the Cleveland area. The all-white gulls are of particular interest to bird watchers.

Chuck Slusarczyk, the photographer and his photo
of one of the many Snowy Owls seen this winter.

It is my good fortune to have Chuck as a friend and you can see many of his photos improving my program at the upcoming Shreve Migration Sensation. It it a mix of programs, vendors and wetland birding.  Mark your calendars for March 29th, 2014 and head just south of Wooster, Ohio to Ohio's Amish country for this educational and fun filled event.

You can find the entire agenda and a list of speakers at http://www.shreveohio.com/migration-sensation or read this summary for more details.  We sure hope to see you there!

Some "Cool" Cleveland Birds

 Cleveland has been called the "mistake on the lake."  Granted, it is an industrial city. Once its busy ports bustled with freighters and tug boats- the modern day version of tall ships and canal boats. Like any big city it has its problems.
Its been trying to live down the 1952 Cuyahoga River Fire for a long time.  Eventually, they even turned that sow's ear into a silk purse, by naming their most popular locally-brewed beer: Burning River.

Parts of Cleveland, especially in the old industrial "Flats" still look pretty rough. You'll not find this area in the tour books...

Birders gaze onto the avian life "working" the Cuyahoga River.

...unless you are reading a birder's tour book.  Then you may find places like Scranton Flats, Whiskey Island and 72nd St. bridge.  

But Cleveland is making some big, progressive changes.  They are pouring money into these areas, creating corridors for people, and whether they realize it or not, they are corridors for birds and wildlife as well.

Pomarine Jaeger takes flight.

 The big attraction this week has been a Pomarine Jaeger, who puts on quite a show.  We will spend more time on jaegers in a future blog, but for now, just remember most people never get to see a jaeger up-close-and-personal.

Pomarine Jaeger takes a rest.

 Jaegers are wicked fast, birds of prey.  It is a rare thing indeed, to get to witness one at rest.  And look at that new landscaping!  Seems like our "Pom" in interested in the improvements going on in this neighborhood.

A MUST SEE movie!

 My original purpose for traveling to Cleveland was to see this movie, "The Lost Bird Project."

Please, host this at your local birding club or nature center.  It was a very moving and meaningful program that I highly recommend. See it as soon as possible, especially since this year is the 100th Anniversary of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon.

The movie played to a packed house in Cleveland.!

 Thank you to the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland, the Kirtland Bird Club and the Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society for combining efforts for the marvelous program, "The Lost Bird Project" and Saving Species, held at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. These people are the "coolest birds" in Cleveland. They proved that you get a full house of engaged bird watchers to attend conservation program!  

Too often the false statement is said, “bird watchers want to pursue birds, and do not care about conservation.”  Bird watchers do care and can be motivated to help protect species and habitats.

Screen shot of the haunting statue of a Great Auk placed in Newfoundland.

 It is a powerful story, and it has a joyous reveal in Newfoundland. For some reason, the final scenes of Martha's Island just made me want to cry.

Maybe tears of sorrow for the lost birds, or tears of joy for a project to prevent these bird from becoming "extinct" from our memories.  Either way, like a good environmentalist, it inspires me to do more than cry into my Burning River beer.

Wayfaring Pelican

If you enjoyed the last post from the Cleveland Lakefront, I hope you will enjoy this as well.

 There is a bit of a birding celebrity hanging out at Wendy Park at Whiskey Island, and no, I don't mean Greg Miller.

Enjoying the Tall Ship Festival- he was a gate-crasher.

 A Brown Pelican, a most seaworthy bird, has become the newest avian rarity to land in Ohio.  You know it is a "good bird" when Jim McCormac chases it!  The excitement has been hard to contain, even for those of us who have seen Plenty O'Pelican (sounds like an upcoming James Bond movie co-star.)

His resounding  "yawp."

 We all know that a pelican's beak can hold more than his belly can.  But we do worry if the fish this fellow is getting will be adequate for a sea-born bird.

We are used to the occasional White Pelicans in Ohio, and even expect them annually. However, a Brown Pelican is a very different thing.  This bird was the happy find of Jen Brumfield, uber-birder and Cleveland mega-lister. We know not what strange winds brought him (or her) to our shores, nor how long it will stay.  But we do know this is a rarity of the first order for Ohio.

So, if you keep an Ohio list, make haste for the city and see this bird. And while you are at it, put in a few good words to your higher power that this young bird makes it back where it belongs, to tell tales of tall ships and sky scrapers on Ohio's North Coast.

 Special "Thanks" goes out to Cleveland's top-notch bird (and plane) photographer Chuck Slusarczyk, Jr for allowing me to share all of these wonderful photos!  It is a major feat to photograph a bird at these distances, and we appreciate Chuck's ability to help us see this wonderful bird that has captured Cleveland's heart.

Land, Ho!

This post is a bit of a break between the normal birds and butterflies.  Even nature-nuts need a bit of a vacation from time to time, and I bet you will never guess where I spent mine.

 Land, ho!  There she be matey! The mast and rigging is pointing the way to a wee bit of a light house, on the North Shore of  Cleveland, Ohio!

The tall ships were in town, right right between the Cleveland Brown's Stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  That is Terminal Tower smack-dab in the middle of the photo.

You can see some strange folks on the street in the big city, but these characters would standout in most neighborhoods.  I think they were trying to bribe little children into being long-haul deck monkeys... or maybe they were just allowing kids to have their photos taken with a Capt. Jack Sparrow look-a-like.

Ah, the Pathfinder was a wee jolly ship and certainly manned by "our kind" of crew...

made obvious by the kale and salad greens growing outside the Captain's quarters!  I suppose one would miss butterflies while out at sea, but there is no reason to do without fresh greens.  Bird watching could also be quite good from a ship's deck..

Hope you had a happy holiday weekend, and enjoyed yourselves as much as those of us who attended the Tall Ships Festival in Cleveland over the Fourth of July.

Jeepers! Creepers!

Last evening, a side trip to Cleveland, Ohio placed me on the lake side walk in Lakewood Park.  The temperature was an incredible 70 degrees.  Folks were out walking their dogs, playing soccer, and doing the things city people do in parks.  

Well camouflaged, Brown Creepers hug the bark of trees in search for insects.

My daughter and I were watching birds.  
Not just any bird, but Brown Creepers.  J.J. is not a birder, but she noticed the movement on a nearby tree, and then she laughed uncontrollably. "That bird just fell down!"

Ah, that would be a Brown Creeper.

Bird that mimics a falling leaf.

Creepers have a feeding style that sets them apart from others.  They creep up a tree, searching every nook and cranny for yummy insect morsels- eggs, or legged- it is all good.

And when they've reached the top of the tree, they flutter like a falling leaf, back to the ground.  The mimicry is quite stunning.  This bird searches for insects, crawling then falling, from tree to tree.

Lakewood shoreline boasts a view of Cleveland. 

Brown Creepers, Certhia americana are a great bird, and we love to find even one on a Christmas bird count.  They usually inhabit wet woods.  Although Lakewood Park has some trees, it hardly boast a woods where I would expect to find creepers. 

 But find Creepers, I did!  Five in all! 

This creeper was creatively using the breakwall.

These birds are in migration, headed home to Canada.  It is not unusual for numbers of them to "stack up" along the Lakeshore in the springtime.  They are waiting for a favorable wind for crossing the lake to their breeding grounds.

It was quite a pleasure to watch these birds ply their trade. Far better than the other two-legged  "creepers" one occasionally finds in our city parks!

Pulling a spider's web out of a crevasse.

Home wrecker!  This guy has developed a feeding pattern for the break-wall,

 it systematically searched for spider eggs hidden in the flawed concrete.

Jeepers Creepers!  This moment in nature is brought to you by the city of Lakewood. It was the best part of my day.

• Kenn Kaufman and Greg Miller will keep you posted on the bird comings and goings in Ohio!

Two great sources for Ohio bird migration information are:
Birding Crane Creek
Greg Miller Birding

Cleveland by Kayak

I recently visited daughter #2, the aquarist who lives and works in Cleveland.  Just in case you are confused, aquarist is not her horoscope, but rather her job title.  She works at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and has been professionally working with fish (and often sharks) since college.

For most of her formative years, whenever I would ask her to go out in the field with me, she would ask, "Is there water involved?" 

 No water.  No JJ.

So it was no surprise when JJ asked me to bring the kayaks to Cleveland for a whirlwind tour of the city- by water.

The decommissioned Cleveland Coast Guard Station.

We put in at Whiskey Island, entering the shipping channel and Cuyahoga River next to the old landmark U.S. Coast Guard Station.

This might be called the "Tour de Bridges."  There are a lot of metal structures spanning the Cuyahoga and the railroad lift trestles are some of the most impressive feats of engineering to be seen.  It is hard to believe a span of metal this size is completely lifted skyward to accommodate the height of incoming freighters.

There is a little nature left to been seen along the river.  Good numbers of tree swallows and Canada geese call this place home.  There is often a large gathering of Black-crowned Night-herons which roost here in the winter, but they were not seen today. 

 A monument to Cleveland's Irish population stands along side the  river at "The Flats."  Once a seedy part of town dedicated to shipping and longshoremen, it had a huge surge in popularity in the 90's and was a tourist spot.  Several businesses are still found here and the old power plant is the site of the aquarium.  Work is being done to infuse life into this section of town once again.

An hour of paddle time took us from Whiskey Island to the heart of the city.  We had excellent views of Terminal Tower and other Cleveland skyline landmarks.  All in all it was a most pleasurable trip and one I would do again.  Especially if I thought I would see those Night-herons!