Toledo Zoo visit

We decided to visit the Toledo Zoo last Tuesday. Sometimes adventures happen later in the day and so we set off around noon. Toledo, Ohio is about sixty miles from Kevin's home so we still had time for a good part of the day. 

We needed to get gas in the car so that was the first thing we did by the highway entrance. While filling up we noticed a hitch hiker at the highway entrance where we were going to get on. He was playing a guitar and whenever cars turned to get on the highway he would hold a cardboard sign that said Southern Ohio. Kevin decided to be helpful and give him a lift at least to northern Ohio. His name is Elvin and is twenty four years old. He's a musician heading out to Northern California to work on a ranch in order to make enough money so that he can work his way down to Peru. He wants to travel all over South America and learn more about the music. 

We arrived at our exit and looked around for a place to drop him off but there was none. We got back on the highway and took him a couple exits further where there was a gas station. We said goodbyes and wished him luck. 

I guess Elvin and I are doing the same thing. He's going further than I am in his travels with youth on his side but as Kathy Bates once said "Face it girls, I'm older and I have Motel Miguel!" Or something to the like!  Hahahaha maybe in my younger days I would have done the hitch hiking thing but not now, I like driving my own car on my journey. 

We eventually made it to the Toledo Zoo by around two in the afternoon. It was hot and the humidity was high. I like to take pictures of street art whenever the opportunity presents itself and on the way off of the highway to the zoo there were several pieces. 

Once inside the zoo the first thing we saw was the Australian Parakeet feeding exhibit. Most of the birds are kept in indoor exhibits because of the harsh winters. The parakeets were all around and I believe the attendant told us they had two hundred on display. 

We only stayed in there for a few minutes because it was way too warm for us. We then moved over to their flamingo and waterfowl exhibit.  This was a covered outdoor exhibit housing flamingos, spoonbills,  cormorants and lots of waterfowl. 

Kevin is a very good photographer and he was getting some nice pictures in this aviary. 

This Long-tailed duck was checking me out!

The Mergansers were pretty active. 

As we were admiring the waterfowl I received a text from my good friend Dominique. Dom is the curator of birds and reptiles at the San Francisco zoo. After answering his questions I asked if he knew anyone at the Toledo Zoo. He kindly contacted his long time friend Chuck Cerbini whom he had worked with back in New York. Chuck made time from his busy schedule and met up with Kevin and I to give us a tour of their facility. I recognized Chuck right away from a talk he gave at the Aviculture Society of America in San Diego a few years back.   While waiting for Chuck we went into the birdhouse. The exhibits are beautiful and the lighting in the building was perfect for taking pictures. 

The Bali Mynahs were in beautiful condition and looked as if they were building a nest. 

One of the Sun Bitterns in another exhibit was acting silly and tossing a leaf up in the air and pouncing on it. 

A gorgeous pair of Red Crested Cardinals were singing away in the warm sunlight. 

The female cock of the rock in the same exhibit was enjoying what seemed her favorite perch. 

Kevin was really enjoying that she posed for him!

Moving on we saw Spangled Cotingas....

Lesser Bird of Paradise......

Tawney Frogmouths....

In another large walk through aviary there were lots and lots of African birds flying all around us. The Pin-tailed Whydas were really active....

A pair of Bearded Barbets were even comfortable enough above our heads to mate...

A pair of Plovers were sitting on a clutch of four eggs....

As we moved along we walked into the Australian exhibit and the little jewels were all about, taking baths.....this Blue headed Parrot Finch was soaking wet!

The Star finches were beautiful.....

And the Plum-headed Finches were beautiful. 

We finally met up with Chuck and he wanted to show us their breeding center where they are working with several species. 

The Pink Headed Fruit Dove being one of them. The Population was doing good for many years and then it crashed a few years back. Most of the zoo population was sent to Toledo where they have been concentrating on them and are having some nice success before sending some out to other zoos. 

Another species being the Crested Coua....

And Spangled Cotingas. 

Chuck was telling us about the new Pheasantry that just opened up this spring. It's a circular building with ten flights of about three hundred square feet each. Many species are housed in here like Firebacks, Reeves, Tragopans, Seriamas, Victoria Crown Pigeons. 

This Chestnut-breasted Malkoha was really friendly...

The Double-striped Thick-knee was just sitting very still in the ferns.....

And the Spectacled Owl was observing us from his perch. 

We had a wonderful time at the Toledo Zoo and thanks to Chuck for taking time away from his busy schedule for making another day so memorable for me.