ROYGBIV: The Spectrum of Color

Rainbow forming over Mogodore Reservoir

Color, in my opinion, is one of the aspects of life that is taken most for granted. I truly believe that it is a vital element of mood and an essential component to something as complex as well-being. I have always noticed that on a bright, sunny day where all of the colors of the world are more vivid and vibrant to the eye, that I am in a much happier and cheerful mood than on a gloomy, dull day. I feel that many people can relate to this feeing of euphoria; an increase in dopamine and serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmintters) levels in the brain must be present, right? Color is beautiful; the warmness of a red autumn leaf, the orange of a pumpkin, and the yellow of the sun provide a sense of coziness that lies deep in the heart. The coolness of the green grass, the blue of an ocean, the indigo on an indigo bunting, or the violet of the flower (respectively) are calming and nurturing in nature. This sense of gratitude towards the colors of the world has really been brought on the past couple of weeks as they are starting to make rise in this early spring season - wildflowers are coming out, birds are migrating back to Ohio, and the atmosphere has been putting on special displays at sundown.

Fresh, vibrant sprouts

The colors of the world have been presenting themselves for the past few weeks, as mentioned, however our last time out and about was when the colors had really popped. Doug, Jeremy, Clint and I had gone out to Mogodore once again for a canoe ride on a gloomy late afternoon, which didn't stay that way for long. When we got there, the magic started happening. We were greeted, once on the water, by hundreds of swallows that covered the area of the reservoir. Tree Swallows have been present the past few weeks; this was the first week that we had seen Barn Swallows, though! As they performed their aerial acrobatics and  nabbed insects off of the surface of the water which we paddled,  Belted Kingfishers, Great Blue Herons, Red-Tailed Hawks, and the ever-circling Turkey Vultures were also making appearances. I am glad to say that Clint, the rookie of the trip, spotted the first Osprey of Mogodore 2011. We made our way through the causeway that goes under Route 43. Once on the West side of Route 43 we began to spot Bald Eagles, along with mass numbers of Double-Crested Cormorants and Coots. It had been an amazing day for birding at Mogodore Reservoir. After paddling a half-hour back to the launch spot we set foot on land and began to take in the beauty of the atmosphere surrounding us. The colors
were changing fast.

The progression of the color was mesmerizing, extraordinary, remarkable, exceptional...the list of adjectives could go on and on. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets that I had ever seen. At this moment, I realized that I had to start to appreciate the colors of the world more than I already do. I  am grateful for nature in its entirety, including the aspect of color. I feel as though it is something that is not appreciated or talked about enough. Maybe it's just me. Beautiful in picture, it gives no justice as to what it was like in the moment. Until the next moment that I am out and about, I'll leave you with one more picture - While the sunset was painting the foreground pictured above, this was going on in the background behind us.

Double Rainbow

Exploration

White Willow

As I watch the Cleveland Indians move towards a third straight victory (hopefully), leaving the Boston Red Sox winless, I decided that I need to throw up another blog. Doug Marcum and I made our typical Tuesday afternoon venture out to Mogodore Reservoir. We decided to take the canoe out again on a bitterly-cold, late, April afternoon. This time, my friend Jeremy joined us for a evening of adventure on the water. Prior to our departure from land Jeremy and I did a short hike through the woods while we waited for Doug and the canoe to arrive. I offered a quick birding lesson to Jeremy as we heard and spotted a few different birds and waterfowl (Double-Crested Cormorant, Ring-Billed Gulls, Lesser Scaup, Ring-Necked Ducks, Mallards, Tree Swallows, Pileated Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, and Great Blue Herons). We were inching closer and closer towards a Kingfisher that we spotted on the edge of the road near a wetland. This was a pretty forgiving Kingfisher, as they are typically very skittish. This one, a female, let us within 25 yards and Jeremy was able to get a great view of it via binoculars. We tried to get closer but it flew away as predicted. While going to track it down through the woods we heard a Pileated woodpecker voice its laugh-like call as it undulated through the air; I saw it fly, Jeremy did not. In attempt to spot it on the tree it landed on, we climbed up a tree that overlooked the inlet of the reservoir.

Jeremy making his way up

 After sitting up in the tree for a bit and spotting the Kingfisher, Jeremy spotted the Pileated Woodpecker flying around - it was his first! We quickly climbed down the tree to see if we could spot it again, however, we were without luck unfortunately. We got the call from Doug that he was there and ready to set out. We launched form a different spot this time and headed East from Congress Lake Road. I sat in back and served the purpose of steering and paddling while Jeremy manned the front of the canoe as a paddler - Doug was our navigator, sitting on a self-made seat of life preserves in the middle of the watercraft. We set out and perimetered the reservoir, coming across a small population of Eastern Phoebes (at least 6). Doug was snapping pictures as Jeremy and I skillfully set him up for the shots. We made our way around a large portion of the Eastern part of the reservoir when we scared up a pair of mallards, allowing for a great opportunity for Doug to shoot them, with his camera that is (link to Doug's Flickr account). Near there, we discovered an island with a decomposed carcass of an eight-point buck with his rack still attached. We landed our canoe and took a hike.

The island had shown many signs of animal life: The deer (carcass and fresh droppings) were not the only animals on the island, there was a lot of evidence of beaver activity as well! There were a lot of down trees from them, gnawed at the base of the trunks and left for future collection. There were also a variety of trees on the island: Red Pine, Red Oak, Beech, Cherry, and Shag-Bark Hickory. We came across a Red Oak that was mammoth in size. Along with the trees were a few species of a prehistoric plant - lycopods. You can see them make up the green of the island floor.

Doug and the Monster Red Oak

View off of the island

We boarded the canoe and continued on with our journey around the reservoir. The wind had picked up and we were showered on occasionally by ice pellets, however, that was short-lived. Not too long after, the sky opened up and created a magnificent painting in the sky. Doug captured the moment.

Reserved by Doug Marcum - The shot he took from previous picture

We made our way back to Congress Lake Road and docked the canoe so we could take a few pictures of the forming sunset. While waiting, Doug spotted a Bald Eagle that made a fly by right over us. Jeremy, had been wishing the whole time to see his first Bald Eagle in person, and his wish came true as the juvenile made its appearance close up. We watched it circle the entire reservoir and disappear in the distance. Behind us, the sun had made its way to the horizon, and as usual, the sunset was unreal and breathtaking. No sunset can compare to one which takes place over a body of water. The shimmering water, the dense clouds, and the harsh sun once again made an epic sunset. I couldn't have enjoyed myself more than with the two that I went out and about with on this adventure - many more to come.