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.