It Pays to Get Up

I glanced at my watch to see what time it wasn’t: O-dark 30. I was already a quarter mile down the tracks at Station Road in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I had a spot in mind to make some pictures, except the sun has to be just right, no wind and 1,000 other things over which I have no control had to fall into place.
The distraction of Red-headed Woodpeckers, however, chattering further down the trail, would not allow my mind to focus on the task at hand. The challenge of photographing this threatened species drew me deeper into the nearly dry wetlands. I’m still babying my allegedly injured knee so I took it slow, making sure I had good purchase on the railroad ties with each step. Birds were all around me, enjoying the promise of sun, apparently. Yellow-rump Warblers were making pests of themselves as they gleaned insects from low branches, seemingly unaware of my presence. I tried not to take it personally. Cedar Waxwings were snaging the higher-hanging fruits and bugs.

Eastern Screech-owl
I spotted the woodpeckers and watched as they flitted around, more like late spring, than early fall. As I scanned the trees I caught sight of an Eastern Screech-owl snoozing on its front porch, enjoying the first rays of the morning already hitting the upper branches.
Eastern Bluebirds were hawking bugs and making a lot of noise; unusual for this species, I thought. Then those sentinels of the forest, the Blue Jays, started making a serious racket. I looked around to see what had everyone so upset and spotted a Merlin perched high atop a snag.
To the Merlin’s credit, he was minding his own business, preening, paying little or no attention to the jays. This medium-size falcon species is a rare treat. They’re often confused with American Kestrels or Sharp-shin Hawks.
Some folks I know were probably just stumbling into the kitchen for that first cup of coffee. As Bob Dylan has noted, “Sleep is like temporary death.” If so, then early morning birding is certainly like life. And life is good.

Merlin