Well, since I’m cutting back on how often I leave the house (because safety is cool), I figured I’ll do some theme posts, which will focus more on the subjects of photos rather than specific trails or hikes. And since I know I could do with a laugh, the inaugural one will be pictures of things I saw on my hikes that I found amusing.
Now generally speaking, when hiking in Ohio, one is unlikely to encounter any predatory-type animals that attack people. No mountain lions or grizzly bears to fend off, though a couple months ago there was a reported sighting of Bigfoot in Salt Fork State Park. (Remember that? Back in February, which was approximately 2 decades ago?) There are occasional reports of black bears in the area; they seem to pop up more around neighborhoods than on the trail. So by and large, “animal attack” is pretty low on my list of fears. That doesn’t stop me from jumping out of my skin when I hear something rustling through the underbrush, crunching dead leaves as it moves quickly near me. I’ll frantically search around, fight or flight reflex on high alert until I spot it. The chipmunk.
For such a little creature that’s on so many predators’ dinner menu, chipmunks can be really loud. It reminds me of that scene in the first Hunger Games book when Katniss and Peeta are walking through the woods and Katniss can’t believe how loud Peeta is tramping around, even with his shoes off. (In fairness, I also remind myself of Peeta in that scene.) They are pretty cute though too.
I ran into the guy or gal above when I was at Brandywine Falls a few months back. When I first came upon it, I tried to take a picture with the lens cap on. (Pro tip: always remove the lens cap before taking a picture. You’re welcome.) By the time I had everything in place, it had ducked back in and was gone. So I politely asked it to please come back out when I returned so I could take its picture. (I’m not the only one who asks animals – out loud – to pose for pictures, right?) And lo and behold, as I came back after walking around for 30-40 minutes, there it was, ready and waiting! Got the picture, said thank you, and we both went along with our day.
This one was a chance encounter – unlike previous chipmunks, this one was being very quiet. I just happened to glance over to the side of the trail and saw it just sitting there, curled up and looking like it was trying to nap. As I raised my camera, it gave me a look that clearly said, “Who are you and what are you doing?! I’m trying to sleep here!” before dashing back down the tree. I did feel a bit guilty, because it looked like it had been pretty comfortable up there. I tried explaining that I wasn’t going to hurt it, but there was no time for conversation.
Squirrels are the other noisy hiking companion. I have learned to identify the sound of a squirrel eating, because it’s a near constant soundtrack to many of my hikes. This one took me forever to actually find, even though it was eating so loudly.
Northeast Ohio is also home to black squirrels, in addition to the common gray ones. As I understand it, the black squirrel population got a foothold in Kent after a small number were brought here from Canada back in the ’60s, and they’ve been spreading ever since. However, when I was in 4th grade, living in Minnesota, we had a black squirrel living in our neighborhood. It was super rare – I don’t think many people had ever seen one or knew black squirrels were a thing. I remember telling my teacher about it and she basically accused me of making up stories. She said maybe it was a regular squirrel that had fallen into a coal bin. However, since we didn’t live in a Charles Dickens’ novel, I was pretty confident that wasn’t the case. When I started grad school at Kent State and saw all the black squirrels running around and all the black squirrel memorabilia in the book store, I was sorely tempted to look her up and let her know that black squirrels were totally real. But probably not worth it.
Squirrels of all colors are fun to watch though. The other day, I had a veritable UN General Assembly of squirrels in my yard – black ones, gray ones, even a red one. Just like the real UN, they spent their time squabbling (though I don’t think the human General Assembly chases its members around and up trees – could make it more interesting though!). They had adjourned their session by the time I got my camera, but during this time of quarantine, they’re easily photographed from the comfort of your own home. Sure you might feel a little uncomfortable taking pictures of a squirrel bathing, but if they didn’t want you to see, they should find a more private spot!
Birds are another great option for backyard photography and possible laughs. I love having birds around again and I’m trying to get better at identifying them. A couple weeks ago, I was walking through Firestone Park and there were a ton of birds in one of the trees, singing away. I was trying to get a picture of them and a woman stopped me and asked what kind of birds they were and I had say I didn’t know. She said, “Oh, I thought that you would – with the camera and everything, you look like the kind of person who knows this stuff,” which was great, because it had been awhile since I’d felt the full force of imposter syndrome. At the moment, I pretty much just know robins, blue jays, cardinals, and black capped chickadees. Blue jays are the red ones, right?
I often feel though that I’m the one under observation. During that same walk at Firestone, I came to a section of trail that had a bunch of birds right alongside it. I stood still and they all came hopping along and many of them got very close to me. This particular tufted titmouse kept looking down at me, as if to ask, “Who or what are you and why are you here?”
But this bird knows and is judging me accordingly.
I got a similar look from this mourning dove in our yard. I love the songs of mourning doves. It always reminds me of home and childhood. There were almost always mourning doves sitting on the telephone lines behind our house, singing at dusk as the sun set behind them. Beautiful, right? But now they give me this look:
Sometimes while observing nature, you see them mirror back your own experiences. As I sat at my desk the other day, trying to work, I noticed a number of birds hanging out in the yard. I feel like this cardinal couple has also been sheltering-in-place and it’s beginning to show. The crow was a few branches over, trying to see what was going on.
Finally, it’s not just wildlife that’s expressive. I’ve been having some fun with trees as well. Once I came upon a tree wearing a name tag. Very considerate of it to let us know what kind of tree it is.
Even better is when there are faces in the tree. Sometimes they’re shocked to see me out there:
Sometimes they’re imitating art:
All in all, though, this is why I love to hike and have my camera around at all times (even when confined to the house). I just never know what will pop out at me and while I love the beautiful and impressive landscapes or gorgeous sunsets or play of light on water, the unexpected laughs are just what I need now.
Stay safe everyone!