My husband took this photo of me standing next to the Chippewa Inlet Trail North Trailhead sign last summer. I drove past here a few days ago and saw two swans swimming in the nearby lake. I’ve got to find some time this week to walk over here with my binoculars and my dog, Mack, to get a closer look. They were probably Mute Swans but you just never know… I would love to be able to add a Trumpeter Swan to my Medina County bird list!

 

A quick visit on Saturday to an extremely cold and windy Lake Medina resulted in the Bufflehead Duck being added to my year list. On the drive home, I also spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk perched in the lower portion of a tree. We stopped to get a better look and to also consult our field guide. My bird count is now 38 different species in Medina County, and my goal is to find 62 more by December 31, 2012!

 

Photo: Bufflehead Duck. Bill Heban. Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

These signs are at my favorite birding spot in Ohio. I’m looking forward to attending “The Biggest Week in American Birding” festival being held there in May! Let me know if you’re going too.

 

I’ve been using the photo above as my wallpaper/screen image on my Blackberry this week. It makes me feel good just to look at it! I snapped it a little over a week ago when it was finally snowing and I was on my way inside to help with Project Feeder Watch. I was hoping to see lots of hungry birds at the feeders that morning because of the snow.

I love this outdoorsy room and it’s warm, welcoming fireplace.

This is the view when you’re seated at the fireplace. Or, like me, on your way to the back room to view the birds at the feeders.

Everyone who sees this room for the first time tells me that they want one just like it. There’s a microphone outside — I can hear the birds and the water as it flows in the little stream beneath the feeders. It’s just like being outside except it’s WARM.

Tim and I weren’t disappointed with our bird count that day. Hungry Pine Siskins, American Goldfinches, American Tree Sparrows, Hairy, Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers were all busy feeding. Cardinals, more than I’ve ever seen at one time, were in the trees and at the feeders. A Red-Winged Blackbird, the first sign of spring depending on who you talk with, stopped by to visit us, too!

 

I bought my first Birding Field Guide in 1998 to help me learn to identify birds. As I was paying for my book, the volunteer working at the Magee Marsh Visitors Center gave me some advice, “Write your name and telephone number in it, people forget these in the park all the time.” So I did, right then and there, all the while wishing that I had found one of those forgotten field guides, preferably new, and saved myself some money. After that, whenever I spotted a new bird, I looked it up in my guide and logged the date and location in the margin next to it’s picture. Now, 14 years later, it also serves as my diary of birding adventures and road trips that I’ve shared with my husband, Tim (shown above at Lake Medina, Medina, Ohio). Sure I’ve had other Field Guides since then, but I always seem to go back to that one. I would be devastated if I lost it — how would I know what birds I’ve seen?

Now I’m wondering exactly how many species of birds HAVE I seen? I’ve not logged them ALL in my old field guide, after all, Cardinals and Blue Jays are common in Ohio and nothing special — until now. On a whim, I’ve decided to keep a list of how many bird species I can spot in Medina County in 2012. So far, I have 31 and you can be sure that I’ve counted the common Cardinal and Blue Jay. I’ve set a goal for myself — find and check off on my list at least 100 different species by December 31, 2012!

 

I took a snowy morning hike along Chippewa Lake today. There were six to eight dozen Canada Geese, all crowded together on the icy lake around several small pools of open water. A lone Mute Swan swam gracefully a short distance away from the noisy geese. An American Bald Eagle waited and watched for breakfast from his perch in the nearby trees. I left before he caught his meal, but learned later that he had been spotted at his nest with a fish!

Trading the fuzzy bedroom slippers in for the heavy-duty snow boots had been a tough decision this morning, I’m so very happy that the snow boots won out.

Photo: Al Freeman. Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

 

The blog Diana Komjati On Advertising is being changed to Komjati Design’s Warblers and Wetlands. Until now I’ve written about advertising and design, along with thousands of other designers. If that’s why you’re here, let me know and I’ll e-mail you some links to my favorites. I’ll also be making some behind-the-scenes technical changes and hope that I don’t accidentally drop anyone from my RSS feed — if I do, please come back!

Komjati Design’s “Warblers and Wetlands“ reflects my commitment to birds and nature. I believe there is a correlation between my wide-ranging talent as a graphic designer and my love of bird watching. Both require skilled “lookers,” planning, and detailed knowledge of color and shape. Please keep in mind that I’m not a professional writer, and that you may find grammatical mishaps or errant punctuation. I use professional freelance writers for business writing, but my blog is, and always has been, written entirely by me. Here at “Warblers and Wetlands” you’ll find content fresh from the great outdoors, written on the fly — content that (I hope) inspires you to get up, go out and explore!

Photo: Early morning at Marblehead Lighthouse State Park, Marblehead, Ohio.

I’ve always loved receiving mail. As a child it was birthday cards from my grandparents. Today my mailbox is a plethora of surprises with my favorite being the retail catalog. Most people look at a catalog for the sale items – I look at it for concept, design, print and paper quality and then – just maybe – the sale items. That’s just the way I’m wired after years of working in direct mail design. Plus, I really do get excited when I see exceptional work from other designers. I file these catalogs in my file cabinet under “creative inspiration” and all the others go in my “circular file.”

December is retail’s big month, not only for in-store sales but for the amount of Christmas catalogs that they print and mail. Major retailers start designing their Christmas catalogs in the late spring/early summer. By the time the catalogs are printed and sent to the mailing house, most designers and art directors feel as if they have delivered a baby.

As a rule, Monday is said to be the heaviest day for mail delivery because of the weekend. Experts say that for a mailpiece to be noticed it should arrive on Tuesday, since Tuesday is the lightest mail day. My question is, will catalog retailers follow this rule and cause Tuesday to become the new Monday? To answer this question, I will be conducting my own unofficial, non-scientific poll and will keep you posted as the results roll in.

The photo above is of my mailbox and it was taken yesterday which was Monday. It contained a business letter, a postcard advertisement from Hallmark, a 12-page Bed Bath & Beyond catalog (wahoo, now I can buy the Pajama Jean) and a crumbled, overcrowded sale flyer that I tossed in my “circular file.” Not the amount of mail I would expect for a “heavy” Monday going into the Christmas shopping season.

Please answer one of the following questions for me before you go:

1. Do you think that Tuesday will go from being the lightest day for mail delivery to being the heaviest during the month of December?
2. Which day do YOU receive the most mail – have you ever given it much thought?
3. Should I ask my husband for a new mailbox for Christmas or should I buy one for him?

Today people are in constant contact with one another through Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, cellphones and numerous other electronic and digital devices. With so many methods of communication available to us, why do many people communicate so poorly? Is it possible that they’ve never had the opportunity to learn to communicate effectively? Good communication skills are essential to a healthy and happy life. Whether it’s on the job or with friends and family, good speaking AND listening skills are vital.

I’ve recently been elected VP/Public Relations for  the Medina Toastmasters Club 941. I am looking forward to an exciting year in which our Toastmasters International club helps it’s members build confidence and find their voices. Our members, through practice and diligence, become good communicators. Good communicators are happy employees, community leaders and successful business owners. To learn more please visit the website of Medina Toastmasters Club 941 or to find a club near you visit the website of Toastmasters International.