Sunday, October 24, 2010

A Sensational Sunday...

Eh, what's up Duck?

Today was a gorgeous day to be out and about...and shirking the responsibilities of the "real" world. Sunny, 70 degrees, friends close by and a new trail to be blazed! Neighbors Lisa and Paul started a new trail through the marsh out at the BirdMobile. And it was calling us!

We could see hundreds of ducks, mostly Gadwall and American Wigeon, zooming around on the other side of Turtle Creek. Something fowl was in the air!

Aha! A bored Bald Eagle was out enjoying a little rabble rousing!
There's nothing more fun than chasing ducks through the marsh, well next to eating one anyway...

This is Paul, the proficient prodigy of pishing...
When he saw the Eagle circling the marsh, he started to do his magical pishing thing...

...And the next thing you know, the Bald Eagle lands right in front of us!
I've pished at Sparrows, Warblys and Kinglets, butt never a Bald Eagle!

After he gave Paul the evil eye, he told him to knock it off!
Sheesh, Eagles have no sense of humor...

This is the BirdMobile Bird Gang, Judy, Paul, Lisa and some moron with a camera.
Membership is open and free...obviously, they let even me in!


Speaking of morons with cameras...this is the part of the trail that hasn't yet been cleared.
Can you tell?


Great Blue Heron cleared for landing!
We sometimes call these "Great Blue Eagles" when they're flying in the distance...


Meanwhile, back at Magee Marsh!

It was a big Bald Eagle day! This was a juvenile.

After our adventure at the BirdMobile...and lunch...we headed over to Magee Marsh. After visiting Hugh(also a member of the BMBG) at Black Swamp, we headed for the boardwalk at Magee to see what we could see.

And we saw LOTS of Common Grackles.

Isn't it amazing how we started off with 120 European Starlings in New York and now they're everywhere!

While I was looking at the Bald Eagle overhead, the Doodles spotted this Northern Harrier WAY out over the marsh.
Am I the only one that takes photos of birds even though I know they are too far away?


No butt shots, butt I did get an underside view as he was trying to scare up some sitting ducks.

One lone Rusty Blackbird looking for his buddies.

Winter Wrens are very frustrating to photograph...still.

This Yellow-rumped Warbly thing was eyeballing those little fruits.
"I wonder if I could eat ALL of them?"


Back at the BirdMobile...the Praying Mantis said...
"Get any closer and I'll eat your head!"

4 comments:

  1. Hi Dave,
    I did not know we could pished eagle.. I've done that too with wren, redpoll and goldcrest but an eagle man! That's big! Nice sotry you told us once again with very nice picture, especially the one of you behind the bush ;-)

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  2. ...you pulled a switch on us at the end. I love the eyes on the mantis--a mesmerizing shade of green... I also love the little winter wren shot, and of course, the eagles!! Lucky you...

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  3. Hi Chris, I didn't know you could pish an Eagle either...I think I look better hidden behind the bushes!

    Hi Kelly! Thanks. That was an evil looking mantis!

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  4. Hi there- I just came across your blog and am really enjoying it! I had to laugh at the comment about taking pictures of birds even though they're too far away... I do that all the time!

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