The Gilded Gosling

06/12/2026

We are a little delayed this week by a trip to Arkansas and back, but Bird of the Week soldiers, or flys, on.

Tree Swallows are a refreshing sign in Ohio that winter is over, spring has come, and summer will be here soon. These flitting flyers are notoriously hard to capture on camera thanks to their sudden swoops and apparent directional indecision, but we love them anyway.

Check them out and the rest of our Birds of Ohio on our ever growing, and as always free, website.

While Ohio may be the butt of many jokes made by the other Midwestern states, it does have a surprising amount to offer in the way of natural life, both flora and fauna. Below are some of the examples you can expect to find on a hike through many of the excellent parks and natural areas in the Heart...

05/27/2026

In our inaugural post of our Bird of the Week series, we’re highlighting an Ohio favorite: the Great Blue Heron. The tallest bird in Ohio, GBHs are a fascinating and integral part of the ecosystem, unmistakable on sight, and equally identifiable by their unique croak. Check out our new Birds of Ohio page on our website to learn more about Great Blue Herons.

05/19/2026

We like birds, so we did what we do and wrote about birding. It's not too late to go to Northern Ohio and see some pretty cool birds.

https://www.gildedgosling.com/travel-blog/biggest-week-in-birding

05/12/2026

A beautiful day at Magee Marsh

05/10/2026

A Red-Tail Hawk in action along the Cuyahoga River.

05/06/2026

Just a swarm of bees, no big deal. These honey bees left their last hive and are looking for a new home. Their queen will be in the swarm somewhere. Scout bees will be out looking for a suitable place, and will communicate their findings to the rest, at which point they’ll all move off and start making the new place home.

05/04/2026

The Pileated Woodpecker has one of the goofiest calls of all bird kind, only possibly surpassed by the American Woodcock. Large, laughing like an idiot, and hard to miss with that Weasley-like hair, this Woody Woodpecker inspiration is one of my favorites.

05/03/2026

The Sora is described as walking like a “chicken that has had too much coffee.”

I hadn’t seen or photographed one until this year, despite it being rather widespread in North America. If you want to see cool birds, you’ve got to get out there and find ‘em 🤷‍♂️

05/02/2026

Here’s a nice Ohio rat snake to start your Saturday
He’s a nice guy, I promise

04/22/2026

Small actions today = a better tomorrow. Happy Earth Day 🌱