The Observation Deck

Before the Observer Project I had a website the was pro-Lakewood some of the more fun sections were the Flora and Fauna sections where people sent in their photos of animals and flowers in and around Lakewood.

Seeing some of Joe Ott's amazing bird photos last week in another thread made me think we should start it again

So please post your photos of Fauna in and around Lakewood into this thread.

Thank you.

Turkey Vultures



13 Turkey Vultures, flying through the Emerald Canyon. The vutures come back each year to Hinckley Ohio. "Hinckley is also known for the return of Turkey Vultures each spring. For 23 years a park ranger made note that the Vultures returned each year on March 15. A Cleveland newspaper published this phenomenon in February of 1957. Since then, thousands of photographers, naturalists, ornithologists, and "backyard buzzard watchers" gather each year for what is called the largest organized bird walk in the United States. The community of Hinckley has designated the first Sunday after March 15th as "Buzzard Sunday." The timely return of the Turkey Vulture to Hinckley has even been attributed to the numerous carcasses that were a result of the Great Hinckley Hunt..." Duane Smith Findlay Living



A couple Turkey Vultures, flying through the Emerald Canyon.




A couple Turkey Vultures, catching sun on the rim of the Emerald Canyon.




A Turkey Vulture flying through the Emerald Canyon.





.[/i]

Here's a Kinglet from a couple weeks ago heading back to Canada. Wish I had my flash when I took this to fill in a little...


and a Great Blue Heron from last year

Joe

Beautiful work.

not so nice but to get it in.

Bunny / Rabbitt


On an early evening watch you can see bunnies/rabbits throughout the entire city. Here one peeks above the grass before running off.


To hook up with his little buddy around the corner.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny




.

a few more...


Jonathan Livingston Seagull?


somebody was being watched during an early morning dog walk...



this was in our oak tree last fall.


a lkwd Golden puppy

What is this, a competition? I should stay out of it- unless I feel like getting embarrassed!

FWIW, this, to me, is the real "Lakewood Conversation".

Try again.

With feeling...

American Robin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin


American Robin



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel
Squirrel, in his natural surroundings. The center of a road causing
everyone to brake and dodge him.



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Bald Eagle seen in the Emerald Canyon, photographed from
West Clifton and Riverside Dr.





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Heron, in the Emerald Canyon, as a fish swims by.
Right outside my front door in Lakewood, Ohio.





Red Tail Hawks play on the thermals off the West rim of the Emerald
Canyon in Lakewood, Ohio.


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Mallards swimming in Lakewood's Rocky River, in the Emerald Canyon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard




Mallard Hen in Westlake.



I mean a Mallard Hen in Westlake, looking for Lakewood's Rocky
River and the Emerald Canyon.

African Spurred Tortoise, cleaning weeds between sidewalks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Spurred_Tortoise


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Hoover the 40 lb. African Spurred Tortoise, that comes when called, with one of his
terrarium mates Elvis, an Eastern Box Turtle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Box_Turtle

After going through some of my other photos of the Rocky River in the Emerald Canyon.
I could not help but notice how many large fish are in the river. Here are three fish
at least a foot long, as a Heron watches them.




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