We interupt the regular programming...First Warbly of the Year!!

They're back!

First of the year! Yellow-rumped Warbly!

I left work early a few days ago...actually I leave work early everyday...getting ready to retire in October! Woo-hoo!! Anyway, the weather was warm and beautiful so I thought I should get outside. And I did!

I live very close to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Cascade Valley Parks of Summit county. Today I had a nice walk in the Cascade Valley View area, which is undergoing a redesign near the Cuyahoga river. They have nice easy trails that will lead to the river soon. I wandered down those trails, petted a few dogs, and saw a few birds...so here ya go!

A walk wouldn't be complete without an orange-breasted ground thrush...or what most people call an American Robin...whoops...wrong end...

A helpful couple and their floofy dog told me about a bald eagle nest a bit of a distance from the trail.

I could see an adult on the nest and at one point a little wiggly head!

 

A very naughty bird! Brown-headed cowbirds will lay their eggs in other birds nests for them to raise. The young will try to push the natural babes out of the nest and hog all the food.

Another invader! Cabbage White butterflies were introduced to North America in about 1860 in Quebec and have spread all over the continent.

BOB?! Is that you?

Nope, just another eastern chipmunk trying to hide in the leaf litter...one day Bob may be back!

Just a couple of puddle ducks playing in a puddle...

AKA Mallards...

I could head red-bellied woodpeckers everywhere, calling and slamming their heads into trees in search of a mate.

I rarely take flight shots, they make my vertigo kick in.

I took a chance with this red-tailed hawk and didn't fall over!

I like to watch red-winged blackbirds inflate.

I haven't seen one burst yet...

A female red-winged blackbird giving her hotsie- totsie pose for the males...

My favorite non-warbly! I like song sparrows, they sing all year just because they're happy.

They put a lot of effort into their singing!

 One last shot...the male yellow-rumped warbly showing off the yellow patch on his crown.

 

The Biggest Week in American Birding starts May 2nd!! I'll be there driving a few van trips and leading 2 beginner bird walks at Pearson Metropark near Toledo. If you see me, say hello!! 

See ya soon!

 

More from Costa Rica...Toucans to Waterfalls...

That's a very distant Yellow-throated (or black-mandibled, depending on your field guide!)

Yep, still living the Pura Vida! I have so many memories of great times with my new and old friends in Costa Rica...not to mention the number of photos I took!

Most of these shots were taken during our trip to a finca, or farm, which I can't remember the name of, and of the Nauyaca Waterfalls. I do remember the heat of that day! Close to 90 degrees with all the humidity there is! I was soaking wet, even before the waterfalls! Even with that I would love to go back to do some serious birding!

In the meantime, enjoy a few more photos of our adventure!

I finally got close enough to get a good shot!

Another yellow-throated toucan trying to hide...he needs to find some bigger branches...

Woo-hoo! A lifer warbly! It's been a while since I've gotten a new one...this is a buff-rumped warbler hunting in a small stream.

Uh...moo amigo...

After the hike to the waterfalls and a wander around the finca property, we were parched to say the least. Our host made this very refreshing drink with pure and fresh cane sugar, lemons delivered by horseback(really!) and various spices. It tasted like sweet tea and was fantastic!

This is one of the views from the farm.I would love to wake up to this everyday!

This is definitely a flower...I could tell. Pretty clever, aren't I?

A pair of golden carpenter ants...with bad attitudes!

These are about a half inch long with serrated mandibles. I would not want to be chewed on by them, nope.

Under that leaf is a leaf cutter ant. They cut leaves. And carry them. I carry a camera, not leaves.

This was a big surprise to me! It's a Montezuma oropendula, normally found much further north of our location. Birds have wings and their territory is spreading.

Ken and I, kings of the rocks! That's Brian's head just to the left...what muscles I have!

This is the lower part of Nauyaca Waterfall. That man gives you some scale. He later climbed up much higher and leapt off...nope, not me!

So many streams branched off of the falls...with nice cool water!

Mini-falls!

Here we go...who's that skinny bald guy in the second row?

One of the only butterflies that sat still long enough for me! A white satyr.

I was truly surprised to see white-tailed deer in Costa Rica...they're a bit smaller than the Ohio deer.
 

Thanks again for visiting! Stay tuned for more of PURA VIDA!

Pura Vida, the Great Life Contunues....

The beach in Domanicalito...land of excellent smoothies!

Meanwhile, back in the warmth of Costa Rica...

This day was sort of a day off to rest and recuperate from the hiking and sweating in the forest primeval. And what did we do? Go to the beach along the pacific shore to dabble in the water...and sweat a little more. I discovered how out of shape I am this winter! I REALLY needed this day for a little rest. Ahhh, chillin' under a coconut tree...life really is "Pura Vida" down here!

Of course with Brian at the helm, a man who can't sit still for more than 30 seconds, and that's pushing it, we ended up  wandering through the jungle at the beaches edge and over a small river in search of gold...or birds...whichever...

Here's some more evidence that I wasn't in Ohio anymore!

Yep, still dealing with that birds from behind stuff...one these days I'll get it right...or not.

By the way, that's a black-hooded antshrike.

We saw hundreds of brown pelicans sailing and hunting fish over the ocean...or was it the same 12 every time? Hmmm...

Yeah, I know, he's out of focus...actually that's one of their defense mechanisms. Honest.

This is a flower...with ants. Yep.

In case you were wondering, yes indeed, this is another flower. You can find flowers here...in FEBRUARY!

This is Bob. Bob is a great-tailed grackle...and he followed us. Good dancer too by the way...

This crabby crab is a hermit crab that was feeling crabby.

 

Now here's a raptor, and I'm stumped on what he is. He looks like a juvenile with that much barring and he has a full crop. 

Hunting at the forest edge must be good!

 Brian makes a great bird spotter, he saw the raptor and this red-naped woodpecker before me...I was still watching Bob the grackle dancing...

 

Just like home! A bird I know, a spotted sandpiper in his winter home!

 He was hunting along the rivers edge and caught something tasty!

Zoom in!

 

 I knew I wasn't home anymore when we saw this variegated squirrel...a coat of many colors! 

 

Well, back to the real world...until next week when I post more of my adventures in Costa Rica!