Rudy leads the way on a winter walk in the woods Tim Fleck
A red fox stops from running to look back for a moment. Photo taken at Oakland Cemetery. Tim Fleck
When COVID hit in 2020, I had to look for a new place to walk my dog Rudy.
One of our regular walks had been at the Ohio Veterans Home, but with COVID, the grounds were closed to pedestrians.
I found that Oakland Cemetery was perfect for our walks.
I had taken photos on our walks, but almost always with my phone.
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Rudy is a shepherd-mix who adopted the Flecks at the beginning of summer 2019.
One day while walking at Oakland, I saw a red fox. He was too far away to get a pic with my phone, so I thought I would start to carry a camera and telephoto lens to try and get a picture of the fox.
That started what became an almost daily nature walk with Rudy and getting photos of wildlife; mostly birds, and what would become “Walks with Rudy.”
Sometimes we see some amazing things and sometimes we don’t, but it’s always a great walk and exciting when we see something new. We’re blessed to be living in such a great area for bird watching.
An extra benefit: After carrying a camera for 3 years, this summer I finally got a pic of a red fox at Oakland.
Tim Fleck is a retired news photographer and high school teacher. Rudy is a shepherd-mix rescue dog from the Erie County Humane Society. He adopted the Flecks at the beginning of summer 2019.
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A Ring-billed Gull grabs a fish from a small area of open water on a frozen Sandusky Bay. Gulls can swallow a fish whole. Photo taken at Wyandot Wetland Meadows Preserve.
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Juvenile Eastern Kingbirds are not being shy about wanting to get some of the dragonfly that a parent caught. Photo taken at Oakland Cemetery.
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A Red-Headed Woodpecker peeks over a tree stump. Photo taken at Oakland Cemetery.
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A Great Egret grooms itself. Photo taken at Stockdale Arboretum