Definitely NOT a 'Bored'walk!

This is one of those confusing fall warblys!
When I first spotted it, I thought it must be a Vireo, big eye brow, dark eye.
But, wait...it has wing bars, it's my first fall Blackburnian Warbly!

I'm not getting caught up on my photos! Argh! Actually, having the opportunity to shoot this many birds is a good thing. Going out on the Magee Marsh boardwalk this month has been outstanding! Lots of great warblys, butterflies, dragonflies and all of my favorite bird buddies too!

The boardwalk isn't all that long, but when you keep bumping into birders you haven't seen since spring, you can add an extra two or three hours to your walk. Friends always update me on their latest sightings and where the hot spots are..."Ernie Limes bench!"

So, enough blathering, let's look at some birdies!

American Redstart, master of moth mastication.

It was one of those days...butts and booty over and over again.
Butt at least I was seeing birds like this Blackpoll Warbly!

Can you tell that this is a Black-throated Blue Warbly?
Look at the tail markings...ignore his throat...you can't see it anyway!

Chestnut-sided Warblys like to peek at you first...

...then if you talk nicely to them, out they'll pop!
I like to pish on the boardwalk... Doodles gets embarrassed.

This is a beautiful adult Magnolia Warbler.

Mmmm, spiders for lunch. Some Magnolias have a curious appetite...

Amazingly enough, this American Robin seems to always be on this same branch every weekend!
I saw him move, so I know it's real...

Downy Woodpeckers are everywhere along the boardwalk.
They don't like their picture taken...

I was getting ready to leave and talking to the Doodles on the phone,
when I turned my head and saw this Great Blue Heron standing along the water about fifteen feet from me!

This Dragonfly was chowing down on some poor slow little buggie.
"Om-nom-nom!"

Funny, I can't stand to be close to spiders, but Honey Bees don't bother me.
I even like to pet big fuzzy Bumble Bees.

I saw these another week also.
I think they are a species of Flower Fly, still trying to figure it out...

Speaking of spiders! This actually isn't one.
It's an arachnid called a Harvestman.
I didn't know that either...

Philadelphia Vireo, the south side...

This is the north side of Philly...

Speaking of Vireos, here's the Red-eyed version...he really should get to bed earlier...

*Why it's important to look through the shrubbery!

You may see a flasher!
Like this Black-and-White Warbly...

...or you might spot this little booty zooming and chattering...

It's a Carolina Wren singing "Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina!"

...or...Heads, it's a Fox Snake...

A big Fox Snake!...

At last, there goes the tail!

Like I said, you never know what you'll see down there!
Lucky me! A Mourning Warbly!
Woo-hoo!

Up a little higher...an Ovenbird popped out!

Then back down in the scrub, a Prothonotary Warbly.
I believed they had all left for the season, so I thought this was 'just' a Common Yellowthroat.
What a surprise when I looked at my pics!

A sure sign of a cold winter, the early arrival of White-throated Sparrows.
I like them anyway...

Willy the Wilson's Warbly sez:

The Ohio Young Birders are having a "Big Sit" on October 10th at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. They are going to be raising lots of money for the preservation of habitat on Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie.

We really need to support our young bird buddies when they are so keen on saving the world!

Show your love and help them out!

Thanks!