Spring is well underway, a welcome time for most concerning warmer temperatures and more daylight hours for outdoor activities like farming, gardening, and sprucing up the lawn and landscaping. Spring also allows for a host of other seasonal perks like opportunities for enjoying the great outdoors. For some that’s hunting mushrooms or heading out to their favorite fishing hole, for others it’s time to dust off the clubs and head out for a round of golf.
I love this time of year for the above reasons and more, however, I played my last round of golf in 2001, setting aside my old set of Robert Jones Jr. signature clubs due to a personal change in seasons when my first-born was old enough to keep up with me on a trek through the woods in search of mushrooms. This was quite an adventure for my six-year-old, it also offered a chance for some quality time together and it was a whole lot less expensive than pursuing that elusive little white ball which had a way of consistently hiding in the rough!
Time passed and there were two pairs of little feet following ole’ Dad through the woods. I don’t know if it was because their eyes were closer to the ground or perhaps it was because they were actually thinking about their quarry instead of worrying about the cares of the world, but it wasn’t long before they were finding more mushrooms than me which did little for my bragging rights, but worked wonders later on at the dining table! Those were some of the best of times and I highly recommend this sort of thing as an alternative to texting and video games!
It was no coincidence my daughters spent time in the woods with their father as it was really a family tradition heralding back to a day when I did the same with my father. One of my earliest recollections in life is walking hand in hand with Dad in the deep woods looking for mushrooms. Ankle-deep vernal pools were very common in the woods in those days and wading through the black shallows gripped my heart with fear as the pools seemed like a bottomless abyss. I was afraid that if my hand slipped out of his that I would sink into the depths of the unknown never to be seen again! To help pacify my fears and take my mind off the water, Dad wisely gave me a wing feather from a barred owl he found lying on the forest floor; its distinct contrasting stripes and colors took my mind off the situation at hand. And so began a fascination with feathers which naturally kindled an appreciation and curiosity for birds. A fascination, that ultimately helped me become and accomplished photographer and wildlife artist.
This year was pretty lean concerning mushrooms, however, I still enjoyed some time in the woods mainly due to birds. Although I have always had a keen eye for birds in general, a trip to the woods to go mushroom hunting about 10 years ago increased my interest dramatically. On that particular year, I had good success finding lots or morels and though it was about the end of the season for finding mushrooms, I decided to take a last look even though the undergrowth made finding them nearly impossible. The mushrooms were far and few between and I was just about to call it quits when my eyes caught movement in the brush nearby. I stepped backwards into some shade to conceal myself, and moments later a shy little bird hopped out into the sunlight. Wow! “What in the worlds is that?” I thought as I marveled at the beautiful contrasting black and white stripes on the tiny bird’s breast. I was just starting to make a mental checklist of the bird’s characteristics when it flew into the canopy above. As I searched for the bird in the treetops I noticed a host of other birds darting from branch to branch and from tree to tree; this place was crawling with birds!
My great find was soon cloaked in the shadows and the sun was fading fast, so I headed back in the direction of the road and home. Upon arriving home I took my field guide from off the shelf and quickly identified what I had seen. It was a black and white warbler, and further reading revealed that the reason I had observed so many birds was due to a huge migration of warblers common in our area that time of year. I had a pretty good knowledge of backyard birds, but I was about to learn I had only scratched the surface of opportunity concerning what birds could be seen in our area, if one only took the time to look for them.
I found just enough mushrooms that day to bring me back for a final look the next morning, only this time I brought a pair of binoculars just in case I should see that little bird again. I also brought the bird identification field guide to verify any other species I might see. I left the woods with no mushrooms, but it didn’t matter, the excitement experienced from the multitude of birds I saw made the trip more than worthwhile. I shared my discovery with my wife and daughters and we returned to the woods for another look, and we weren’t disappointed.
Now every year, we look forward to the warbler migration, and while thousands of avid bird watchers will converge on places like “Ohio’s warbler capital,” at Magee Marsh on the south shore of Lake Erie to see birds, a great variety can be observed right here in Shelby County. Most of the birds prefer lots of cover and water, both of which provide for their long journey from Central America to the wilderness in Canada, where some will nest and raise their young before heading back south in the late summer and early fall. However, many varieties will remain here nesting and rearing their young. Time and space will not allow me to properly address the intriguing characteristics and habits of all the birds residing here, sufficed to say, there is a treasure of sorts for those interested enough to seek them out.
A pair of binoculars and a bird identification field guide are not a must, but will make any trip to see our fine feathered friends more enjoyable. Spring is a marvelous time of year, and those going afield will be rewarded in countless ways, as the birds are just a small part of the marvelous things one can experience in the great outdoors.
For more information visit http://ohiobirds.org/ or go to Clayton Wildlife Art on Facebook for a look at a few photos we have taken of birds this spring.
