We have one specific bird. It's a nuthatch. Just in the past couple of days, it has started to run into our big picture window over and over again and i'm concerned he's gonna injure himself and i'm trying to see what I can do about it.

Unfortunately this is normal breeding behavior as the bird tries to set up a territory. Birds do seem like they are going to hurt themselves when they peck and attack windows and car mirrors. However, they usually don’t do themselves any harm.

If you’d like, you can try to use something to disrupt the reflection in the future, like a sticker or something else that can be removed after breeding season. Good luck!

-Naturalist Denise Wolve

What to do if I find poison hemlock? Should I contact anyone to investigate or remove?

Poison hemlock should be handled very carefully with gloves. No, there is no need to notify any agencies about poison hemlock because it occurs in all counties in Ohio. Rather, the best thing to do is usually to put Roundup on it and be very, very careful when disposing of it, always wearing gloves because it is toxic.

-Naturalist Denise Wolfe

At the park, where is the best place to stargaze?

Observatory Park is the best place to stargaze in Geauga Park District. There are two observatories there that have large telescopes. The Oberle Observatory has a large 25-inch telescope, and the Nassau Astronomical Station has an even larger 36-inch telescope. This facility is 1-mile north of the Oberle Observatory and is connect by a trail or you can drive there.

We hold night sky viewing on the second and fourth Friday and Saturday evenings at the Oberle Observatory and the third Saturday evening at Nassau Astronomical Station, if the skies are clear.

On those evenings, there are smaller telescopes spread out around the observatory plaza, and you can look through those as well.

Please check our website for additional information.

-Naturalist Denise Wolfe

Please check out our website for more information on these programs.

Hello, I live on a corner lot in Chesterland and have a lot of lawn that I would like to stop mowing. If I wanted that property to look like Orchard Hills Park, would it just be enough to stop mowing? Or would I have to plant as well. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you so much!

While not mowing your yard will give you some wildflowers, you will also get a lot of undesirable plants as well. We would recommend you start with a section where you plant meadow plants, and put down mulch or other weed block to prevent weeds from growing in. These areas could be expanded as you go along from year to year, and also the mulch will not be needed once your plants are established.

-Naturalist Denise Wolfe

With fall bird migration getting under way, I'd like to share an amazing tool with readers, lovers of the parks and bird watchers of all skill levels. Merlin Bird ID is an app released by the Cornell Lab of ornithology that can help people ID birds by sight and most incredibly, sound. Merlin can "listen" to the environment and "hear" bird calls and ID a species based on that call. It's nothing short of amazing! Merlin and binoculars make for a great birding adventure in your back yard or your local Geauga County parks!

We don’t disagree! Thanks for the suggestion for our readers.

-Geauga Park District Naturalists

Hi! This was on our back patio in Russell Twp crawling out of a crack in the concrete. It was about 20" and our best guess it that it is an Eastern Milk Snake. Your thoughts? Thank you!

A young Northern Water Snake is what you saw!

-Naturalist Andy Avram

What kind of feather is this, found on our property near a dead/eaten large fish?

We believe this is a duck.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Any fungi fanatics among the ranks of our Geauga Naturalists? Just spotted this along the Pioneer Bridal Trail in The West Woods. Roughly 4". I should have made a mental note as to what kind of tree it was on.

What you found was a Bear’s Head Tooth Fungus (Hericium americanum). Nice one!

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Sunday morning 6/8/25 ... multiple large creatures coming to surface of water on bass lake. Did not swim with its head out like an otter. Looked more like a dolphin would look with it breaking the surface and going under coming back out further along. Many of them and made a loud splashing sound. Some kind of carp? What are they?

Yes, we believe what you saw were carp. June would have been the tail end of their mating season, when they splash around a lot.

Good question and sorry it look awhile for us to reply.

-Chief Naturalist John Kolar & Naturalist Andy Avram

Hello, on our walk at the West Woods, I have many times gone past this tree and it has these flowers on it. I took pictures of the flowers. The tree and some of the leaves that fell on the ground. Can you please tell me what kind of tree this is? It is beautiful in the fall.

The tree you are referring to is a non-native tree known as the European spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus).

It has brilliant fall foliage and interesting and colorful seed capsules that people often mistake as flowers.

Being that this is a non-native plant and it can compete with our native trees and shrubs, we discourage anyone from planting it. Other options to plant are American hazelnut, common witch-hazel, red twig dogwood, spicebush and winterberry to name a few.

Click here for a link to the alternative native plant list from the Ohio Invasive Plants Council, and for more information on the European spindle tree, click here for a link from Vermont Invasives.

Thank you for your inquiry.

-Naturalist Denise Wolfe