High Winds Means An Angry Lake Erie

It’s a very windy day here in Northeast Ohio, which means it’s a great day to head to Mentor Headlands to catch a few pictures of a turbulent Lake Eire. The beach was almost deserted, with only 4 (crazy) people besides me trying to walk the mile long beach. Wind gusts in the area were reported at 50 mph and it was very hard to stand up, much less walk near the shore. I took a few hundred photos, and have included a few of them below. (I also took some video, but since it was hard to stand up or hold the camera steady, I am not quite sure if they will be watchable. If they are, I’ll get it up on my YouTube channel.)

For the birders out there, I saw quite a few gull-like birds flying against the wind, and doing a pretty good job at holding steady. I think I caught some ring-billed gulls in these photos, but since identifying gulls is my weak spot, I hope someone will tell me if I am wrong.

Now I have to figure out how to get sand out of my ears. I took quite a sandblasting out there.










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Happy 60th Birthday To My Sister in Law, Chris

Today is the 60th birthday of my sister in law, who is also named Chris. (This day is also known as the 20th anniversary of her 40th birthday.) I thought this was a good time to go through some of the old family photos to help remind her of, and to celebrate, her younger days.

Living in the Pittsburgh area for a short time made Chris (at left) a Cleveland Browns fan.

Chris (at left) loves to travel. Here, she is getting ready to pilot her first flight.



Cleveland winters are why she moved to Arizona (Chris at right). I think those eyeglasses are back in style.

Chris had the latest "do" for her senior picture and looked fabulous!

Every woman must be photographed in curlers. It's just one of those passages of life.

Chris eats a bite of cake while the rest of the gang are drinking and being merry.

This is what happens after eating, drinking, and being merry.

Celebrating your 40th Birthday - Happy 20th Anniversary!

Happy 60th Birthday!

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A Good Day For Fliers – Man and Bird

We have another beautiful weekend here in Northeast Ohio – few clouds and nice temperatures - making for perfect weather for fliers or all kinds – the feathered kind and the human kind.

While trying to catch a picture of a very vocal male red-bellied woodpecker, I also caught a biplane flying overhead. Later in the day, we had several raucous blue jays in the yard, and two of them later settled down to sun themselves and preen.

There was an added bonus – the sight of the moon, high up in the sky, just before noon.

Enjoy the photos!

Biplane

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Two Blue Jays Sun and Preen

The Noon Moon

All Content © Chris A. Zimmer and chriszimmer.blogspot.com


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My Mystery Birds: The Double Crested Cormorant

While at Mentor Headlands over the Labor Day weekend , we saw a few huge black birds flying overhead that we were not quite sure of their species. Having many turkey vultures (AKA buzzards) in the area and being very familiar with how they look in flight, we knew they were not buzzards. I caught a few pictures of the birds as they flew overhead in hopes that I would get a shot good enough to help me identify it. I assumed it was some sort of cormorant, but never seeing one in this area, I had to be sure.

After looking at an enlarged image, I think I have it pegged as a double-crested cormorant. It seems that they are only in this area when migrating, which is probably why I haven’t seen one here before - I haven't been in the right place at the right time. With fall on our doorstep, these birds were probably making a stop to rest at the beach dunes before heading further south. Here are the pictures – while not as clear as I would like them to be as they were taken a quite a distance, I think it gives a good idea of the coloring and shape of the bird.






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Mentor Headlands Beach Labor Day Weekend

It wouldn’t be the ceremonial end of summer without a trip to Mentor Headlands State Park, in our home town of Mentor Ohio. The weather was perfect for a walk down Ohio’s largest beach, with the camera in tow. Here are a few random pictures.















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Light Fog Brings Crepuscular Rays

The nights have been cool and the humidity up, which brought some light fog this morning. As the sun began to shine through the trees, it created some beautiful crepuscular rays. Steam also floated off the roof as the sun reached it and looked quite hypnotic as it trailed off the house.

Crepuscular rays

Steam drifting off the roof

All Content © Chris A. Zimmer and chriszimmer.blogspot.com

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Taunted By A Deer

We have a small herd of deer that stop by the yard every few days. They like to eat the apples that have fallen off the apple tree. One doe recently had children so now two fawns come along with her, and they have been growing steadily.

But, sometimes the apples are not enough for them, and the adults decide to snack on seed from our bird feeder. Our feeder is squirrel and large bird proofed, but the deer have figured out that if they tip the feeder with their nose they can get some of the seed to fall out onto their tongue.

Yesterday, one deer was being particularly persistent with trying to empty the bird feeder. Despite the fact that she seemed to respond to the word “SHOO!” she also seems to think that the word means “Ignore the lady yelling at you and keep eating.” She stepped away from the feeder for a minute, and then, seemingly aware that I had my camera pointed at her, decided to lick her lips to taunt me before she walked right back to the feeder to keep eating. I swear she was laughing at me.

The new family, picture taken a few weeks ago in a neighboring yard

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A Fair Weather “Simpsons” Sky

Yesterday morning’s sky was filled with dark “lake effect” clouds, as if it was preparing to snow. Things changed today; while it was still a little cool in the morning (upper 40s!), as the day warmed up, some fair weather cumulus clouds moved in. In fact, the whole sky resembled the cartoon sky in the intro of “The Simpsons”. Deciding to have some fun, I took a few pictures and thought I would share one of today’s real life “Simpsons Sky” photos with you.

The real "Simpsons Sky"

The cartoon "Simpsons Sky"

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