WOW!
 

WOW! moments transform someone's vision of nature. They may be up close and personal or a step back into contemplation. We've all had one: our feet seemed glued in place or we had a rush of adrenaline. Yours is special!  Record your WOW! moment for posterity by clicking here. Be brief and crisp. Tell your WOW! moment in 75 words or less.

 

You can view your WOW! moment here and at the Audubon Ohio website. Please tell us in your email if you do not want us to forward your email to Audubon Ohio.

 

Here is a WOW! moment from a Northeast Ohio resident

 

As my husband and I were walking home from Michael Ries park three deer darted in front of us from across the street so close that I swear I felt my hair move! Surprised us as we didn't see them coming.  Also surprised that we were left standing!  That certainly was a wow moment for me.

Kathy Heil

and here's another

 

Thank you for your comprehensive website - very enjoyable!  This summer I was wowed to see my first pileated woodpecker feeding at the Rocky River Nature Center.  I could not believe what I was seeing!  Even though I had seen pictures of it - I was awed by how prehistoric it looked in person!  For the rest of the summer I continued to watch for him on trails - I even came at different times of the day, but never had that opportunity again!  

About the same time of year, my husband & I were beginning our walk near the nature center (between the ponds) when a red-tailed hawk practically parted our hair in hot pursuit of a rabbit approaching the pond.  The hawk scooped up his rabbit and sat on the fence, holding his kill with one claw, while looking us over very carefully with his piercing eyes!  Another WOW! moment. ( I took a picture of him with my cell phone, but I have no idea HOW to download that to my computer!  :))

The reason I'm writing is because we live in North Olmsted on the eastern side of Bradley Woods (one street away from the woods),  and normally we have a lot of wildlife and bird activity this time of year at our feeder.  We usually can't keep it filled fast enough!  But this winter we have rarely even seen ONE bird in the SKY!!   Not even a sparrow.   It's been at least a couple weeks since I really started watching closely.

The only change in the area is construction near Lorain Road, south of the wooded area, but one wouldn't think this should affect bird activity within the quiet of our neighborhood so radically.   Soon the Crocker-Stearns Road project will cut through our beloved woods, and I'm already saddened to think what that will do to the wildlife population.  

The only other explanation for lack of birds is mosquito spraying, which may also kill the sources of food for the birds OR the bird itself if it eats a sprayed insect.  Any thoughts on why we have no birds?   

Thanks,
Sharon Bramhall

 

Here's another:

 

from R.C. "Rob" Shurell of Cuyahoga County:

I live in Berea, Ohio and regularly drive back and forth to Detroit.   Yesterday evening (about 5:30) while driving west on the Ohio turnpike, about 4 miles east of the route 57 (the Lorain exit), I saw a pair of cranes flying north at low level (I'd guess 200 ft).   Wow!   

They passed just in front of me, and while I was moving at interstate speed, and they too were making rapid progress, there is no doubt about the outstreched necks and legs.   I'd guess Sandhill, as there were no dark wing tips.   

 

 

Here are examples of WOW! moments that people have submitted to Audubon Ohio:

 

March 5th, 2005 .....My son, Jeff, nonchalantly told my husband and I we should go take a look in the tree in our backyard (We live on a farm). We went to take a look and WOW... there was a Bald Eagle!!   It truly has been our greatest birding WOW moment. 

              

   -- Ellen Kannen, Granger Township , Medina County

Still getting WOW moments at age 50. I am always on the lookout on my walks. On a very pleasant sunny early afternoon at Englewood reserve, at the back of Aullwood Audubon Center, I saw my first 'owl in the wild'. It was a barred Owl.

    -- Michael Clark

On the front porch for early morning coffee, sunshine gleamed through an especially big red bead at the end of my glasses chain. Suddenly WOW! a Ruby-throated Hummingbird hovered directly in front of me...like up close and personal!! and magnified all the more by my glasses. Instantly realizing its mistake, the hummingbird flitted away but my WOW! moment will last forever.

-- Debra Bowles, Oxford


Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society, 4310 Bush Ave, Cleveland, OH 44109 info@wcasohio.org