My Wonder Blog A UVM blog

For my final mini-project, I decided to create a google slides containing a collection of photos I took while out at my site: Riverbend Recreational Area located in Findlay, Ohio. Rather than confine myself to the smaller space I have previously been visiting, I decided to expand to all along the river trail where my site was located. Focusing only on photography, it challenged me more than ever before. I have always loved taking pictures of things while out in nature, but stopping to photograph every small interesting thing was a lot more work than I am used to doing! I had to be extremely observant, patient, quiet, and still. Every creak had my head turning; I definitely improved on keeping my head up/focused on my surroundings (rather than the ground) when walking, or else I would miss things. Regardless, it was extremely relaxing and actually very fun. The weather was perfect: I went around 9 AM so it was mid 70s and sunny with a slight breeze.

Creating a photo album type appeal on google slides was what I thought would be the best way to capture this location. Honestly, photography opened my eyes more to the beauty that surrounds my hometown: Ohio to me always feels drab and just farmland, but if you take the time to look around you will notice some really neat things! I used to visit this location often as a kid, but coming here now has given me a much deeper appreciation and awe of the beauty here.

Here is the google slides link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aMu7srHeWVlm5cSYYh5lqTX9o_t3KNL7IJU2hgar5bk/edit?usp=sharing

Riverbend Recreational Area, Findlay, Ohio

Today was much noisier/active than any of the other times I have visited this site. I heard many different birds chirping/singing: red winged blackbirds, cardinals, blue jays, common grackles, song sparrows, indigo bunting, a great crested flycatcher, robins, and even a red-tailed hawk. I also heard many squirrels and saw two chasing each other and chatting a little aggressively. There were many different bugs I heard flying around me. I even spotted a fish jump out of the river! I have not seen any fish at all swimming around since I have visited: the river is not the cleanest so I did not realize that many fish were in there. On my walk to my site, I also spotted a doe and her fawn, which was the first time seeing them there and was a lovely surprise. Unfortunately they were too far away to get any good shots but I still attempted. I think that because I came earlier in the day that it was much more active; all of my other visits have been a little bit later in the day. Weather may also have contributed, for it was the nicest weather thus far in my visits.

The weather today was extremely sunny: 83 degrees Fahrenheit and only a few clouds. It felt very hot and dry.

Nature Mystery: Why are birds noisier/more active in the earlier hours of the day?

After doing some small research, birds are often heard more in the morning because they are awake and looking for food to start their day. Males may be noisy for mating purposes, loudly chirping in search for a mate (during mating season). Many birds are also warming up their vocal chords at the start of the day, which is why so many can be heard.

As I was taking photos, it made me actually look more at different plants and species to see what interesting details I could find. Rather than focus on small, drawable items like last blog, I instead focused more on things to photograph that I could not pick up or take with me. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for all of the processes involved with making the site the way it is today. Overall, today’s site visit was the most intriguing, for the many bird sounds and animals I saw (for once more than mainly bugs) and the thriving plants made it very enjoyable in the sunny weather.