Week-end at Deer Creek State Park, Ohio

We arrived at the lodge Friday night in the dark with great thoughts of the week-end.

All checked-in and tired, fell fast to sleep.

The sunrise on our first morning over the lake was beautiful and there were hundred of Sea Gulls and maybe other ducks we just couldn't identify.  They were little dots on the lake surface.

Then we saw the red flash!!!!  A Pileated Woodpecker right outside our window!

Look closely and you can see that red top of his!

He was hunting for his morning meal and hopped around the tree branches but we knew it was him by his profile!

So we were off to a great start.  There were squirrels in the tree.  There was Song Sparrows hopping around on the ground under our balcony...

He stopped for a moment to check me out and I was able to get this picture of him.

The sun is up and off we go to see what else we can find. It didn't take too long as we hit our favorite places where we have seen creatures before.

In this tree we found 4 Red-winged Blackbirds.  They seemed cold and wondering why they came back so soon!

Sea Gulls on the Lake at sunrise.....

We then noticed that there was a thin layer of ice that they were sitting on.










We drove to Paint Creek to see what was there and found more Sea Gulls and some Hooded Mergansers...

I think he was trying to steal the fish that the Hooded Merganser would get when he dived down.







There was this one lone Swan.  While we had our meals we would watch him swim back and forth.

There were allot of Crows.

These are Canadian Geese and you can see the water line along this bank.  I found the roots of the trees very interesting.  The water level is down now but if we get allot of spring rain that could change.

Near the beach area of Deer Creek we saw these two Hairy Woodpeckers flying around in this tree.  They were beautiful.

We couldn't decide if they were playing or fighting...it looks like males.
In the same area was this Mockingbird.
He wouldn't look at me so this was the best picture I could get.

At the golf course pond there were some Mallards and this duck.  It's mate flew away as soon as we pulled up but I did get this picture.  Not sure but it might be
Gadwall ??? If anyone recognizes please let me know...I am still new at this and not the best at identifying them yet.

We also saw a Red-tailed Hawk, but he was so smart to let me get a good picture.  We have seen him in the same area many times.  There were some dogs, big dogs running loose in the park which wasn't fun.  But back to the lodge and good food and evening time to play scrabble (over the internet)... Was a fun stay...

The rest of the story will follow soon...The Drive Home!.....stay tuned.