Horned Grebe on a Colorful Monday Morning

Early Bird

Despite being more of a “night owl,” I’ve been loving these sunrise walks at Prairie Oaks Metro Park. With multiple lakes that reflect the rising sun AND provide space for various waterfowl, I just can’t resist. Wintertime seems to be especially good for colorful skies, and slightly later sunrises. So, I set my alarms and headed back again. After all, the early bird does get the worm (and the early photographer gets the bird!).

At first, I just enjoyed watching the sky light up and reflect across the still waters. There weren’t many notable birds as I began my walk, so I took the opportunity to capture the sunrise a bit, focusing on a small walking bridge over the lake. At one point, I heard an odd “Whoo! Whoo!” noise overhead. The sound seemed to be coming from one lone bird in the sky, and with my binoculars, I could see that it was a swan. Two swan species are native migrators to Ohio (although some non-native species can also be found occasionally); the Trumpeter Swan and the Tundra Swan. Both species have a very similar appearance, except for size and a few small facial features. However, the “Whoo!” call distinctively belongs to the Tundra Swan. I believe this was only my second time seeing a Tundra Swan (with the first also being at Prairie Oaks a couple weeks earlier), but my first time hearing one!

Breakfast Time

Once I had enough shots of the lake, I continued my walk down to another lake. Along the way, I encountered several songbirds. I dipped off the main trail onto a smaller dirt path that led closer to the water, and found a great patch of morning bird activity. The trees were full of Cardinals, Chickadees, and sparrows- including an American Tree Sparrow, which was a lifer for me. On the ground, I spotted a little Song Sparrow digging and pecking in the mud, catching plenty of bugs for breakfast. I’ve seen plenty of Song Sparrows before, but it was really exciting to watch this one actively hunting right in front of me!

Horned Grebe Highlight

After a while, I started moving again down the dirt path. It led right to a small boat dock, which is where I noticed a single bird swimming not too far away. Through my lens, I could tell that it was a bit different from the other ducks and geese I’d seen here before, and I thought it seemed to have a bit of a “grebe” shape. Later on, I did some research and confirmed that it was in fact a Horned Grebe in its winter plumage. This was definitely the highlight of my trip, and it was truly amazing that I was able to see it at a fairly close distance. This was another lifer for me, and really just so enjoyable to watch and photograph.

Cute Killdeer

Eventually, the Grebe had swam across the lake and I didn’t have a great view of it anymore, so I returned to the main trail and explored a bit more. During my walk back to the parking lot, I took some more distant photos of the Horned Grebe along the way. As I approached the parking lot, I encountered a Killdeer at the nearby lake and got a few “beachy” shots of him standing by the water. Killdeer are common shorebirds, but I just love them! Between their big eyes, cute faces, and the silly way they run around, I will probably never get bored of photographing them.

I hope you enjoyed my photos from this trip to Prairie Oaks Metro Park! You can always see more of my work on my gallery page or by reading through my other blog posts. If you like reading about my adventures, then be sure to check back in for the next one!