Since my last visit to the Falls of the Ohio State Park the willow fuzz has peaked. Cottony drifts have gathered in places that offer some protection from even the slightest breeze. The way the light shines on this gossamer surface is magical! Before venturing into today’s avian adventure…a personal blogging milestone announcement as this is officially post number 300! I hear the champagne corks popping already. I had little in the way of expectations when I started this Riverblog, but I have been happy with this medium for describing my project. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if blogging would hold my interest, but it has. I have also enjoyed the wide community that is out there and I thank everyone that has stopped by or left a comment. As regular visitors know…I’m a big bird watching fan and I enjoy the many challenges that this hobby presents me. A once in a lifetime experience can begin with a quick flash of the wings that may last just seconds. It causes me to be acutely present in the moment. Venturing down to the river I see the resident flock of Black Vultures has returned for another season. I photographed this wary pair looking for dead fish or anything else edible.
The foreground in this image is willow fluff covering the sand. I find the two vulture species that hang out at the Falls to be really interesting birds and I have posted on them many times before. There are more furtive species out here as well and I had the good luck to stumble upon a small mixed flock of warbler species. Among this group were several Magnolia Warblers and I have a few images of them. I love their coloring with their black streaks on their bright yellow breasts. Magnolia Warbler is a misnomer since they don’t seem to favor that tree in my experience. I found these warblers to be very tolerant of my presence and I was able to follow them as they moved from one willow tree to another in their search for small insects.
Warblers are tiny always on the go creatures and their many species are a highlight of the spring migration. Many of the warbler species I see are passing through our area to points mostly north of here. I came across another seldom seen bird that I hope you will enjoy. It’s called the Brown-winged Robin and it too is traveling through the heartland. I have a series of this bird too beginning with a specimen I found wading through the willow fuzz. Is this pre-nesting behavior?
Here are a few more shots of this rare bird in the environment at the Falls of the Ohio. The brown wings are diagnostic as is the bright red beak.
There are many more bird species both real and imagined that I look forward to presenting in future posts! I hope to continue to share with you the great variety of life that I find in this relatively small place as it reveals itself to me. One other announcement for folks in my immediate area. I will be presenting my project at the Pecha Kucha event at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky the evening of June 5. This will be an outdoor event and coincides with the transit of Venus occurring on that night. Essentially, this slide show presentation form I believe began in architectural circles and speakers have 20 slides at 20 seconds a piece to present a topic. It goes by fast so you need to be pithy which can be a challenge! If you are interested in more information just click on my Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest link in my blogroll. I hope to see some of you out there and thanks again to all who have checked out the Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog over the years! Now for more willow fuzz!
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 
Would like to be at your presentation but that would involve thousands of miles of travel…your post was an enjoyable addition to my morning java. So glad your spirits are up again…can honestly say that you always lift mine. “clink” here’s to enjoying your next 300 posts.
Thanks Sam, I appreciate your comments! So, where do you call home?
Congrats on Number 300! I’m so glad you have enjoyed blogging enough to keep posting, because your project and sensibilities are totally rockin’ and it’s always a pleasure to stop by and see what you’ve been finding.
For me…the fun is in the processes of discovering, making, and sharing. Sven, I’ve appreciated all the support and encouragement you have given me! Thank you!!
We have very similar fluff down here in New Mexico from the cottonwood trees in the bosque. And my eyes do not like it at all! Won’t stop watering. But here’s some fun to have with the fluff… assuming it is pretty close to the same as you have there. Take a lighter to it. Seriously. Find a patch that is on sand, concrete or something that doesn’t burn and give your Bic a flick. it burns real fast and is actually run to watch. No, I’m not a pyro. But hey, it beats having to rake or blow that crap into a bag.
We have cottonwood trees as well that produce their own fluff in great quantities. I bet when you were a little girl you got into all kinds of trouble didn’t you?! And I thought only little boys played with fire.
LOL… oh, got in trouble, but not with fire. It was climbing. Anything and everything. I climbed it. I was very skinny and light, so I could climb to the very tip-top of the tree where the branches were about as big around as an adults finger. I’d sit there and sway back and forth in the wind… until my mother saw me. 😀
I LOVE that you are still blogging and this is your 300 th post! Thank you for continuing to share your river art adventures. I’ve learned much from all your observations, insights and images. I hope you post another 300 explorations.
For some reason your photo of those Black Vultures is very compelling. They seem so self contained –nothing like the little birdies at all.
Thank you, Al!
[…] some clover in a bed of cottonwood. I was actually going to post this last week, but Al from Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog posted a similar photo of green sprouts in a bed of willow fuzz the same day. If you have never […]