More confusing than usual...

We'll start with an easy one. Let's see...open mouth(waiting for more food), brightly colored tail...American Redstart!

I hope you're not getting sick of my warbly friends! You know, the next best thing to Warblys in May is Warblys in September! The only problem is the drastic plumage change in many of these little buggars!

When I'm out in the woods, I think I know them. Then I shoot a few(hundred!) photos, download them when we get home and am immediately confused by what I see. Three field guides later...my head hurts. HELP ME!!

This one took a long time and I'm still not positive.
I thinking first year Black-throated Blue Warbly...and you?

This has to be a Cape May Warblything. Maybe.

When all you see is the booty, guessing becomes the way to go!
I'm guessing a Chestnut-sided Warbly.

Accipiters give me migraines.
Big head, Cooper's Hawk?

Then again, wings forward in flight, Sharp-shinned Hawk?
Nah, big head, dark streaks on breast...uh...

This is another easy one.
Gray-cheeked Thrush...

Why do I have such a hard time focusing some days(most)?
Gray head, white eye ring, big mouth...Nashville Warbly!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet from below!
This is the longest I've ever seen one sit still.
Made me wonder if it really was a Kinglet!

I'm leaning towards Tennessee Warbly on this one.
On the boardwalk at Magee I was thinking it was A Bay-breasted Warbly, but it didn't quite feel right to me.

Isn't it nice when they look up at you?

How could you miss a Bald Eagle?

This teenager flew into the tree directly above two men and a very young boy.
They never noticed! I wanted a closer shot, so walked up to them and asked if they've ever seen a Bald Eagle, up close.
Then I pointed up.
Boy were they shocked! Then an adult flew in and rapped him on the head and chased him away.
Pretty good for their first encounter with a Bald Eagle!

I know, these aren't birds...they're Common Buckeye caterpillars!
There was a 'flock' of them in the grass!

Autumn Meadowhawk from behind!

Oh my. Another one of those migrating thrushes!
Look at that pretty face, must be a Swainson's Thrush...

Hey! These are supposed to be on the ground!
It's a chunky little Ovenbird.

You can always tell a Wilson's Warbly by his too dark toupee!
At least he doesn't have a comb-over!

Look at the buttery butt and you know you have a Yellow-rumped Warbly!

I saved the biggest butt for last!
I'll give you a hint, I've showed him before and there are a lot flying through right now,
on their way to South America on one of the longest migrations!
Look at his feet!

DON'T FORGET!

The Ohio Young Birders Club is having their "BIG SIT" on October 10th and still need your help!

Getting Twitchy!

And they even signed it for me!

Yes I know, it's hard to believe that I can actually read. Butt it's true! Thank you Collinwood High!

The Biggest Twitch fills my lunch breaks at work with the wonders of birding the world. Every chapter leads you somewhere exciting, somewhere unknown before, somewhere mysterious. If you have ever birded outside of your own patch or if have ever dreamed of birding outside your home, this is an outstanding book to read.

Ruth Miller and Alan Davies chucked everything to attempt to break the record for seeing the most species worldwide in a year. And I thought we were daring getting the BirdMobile to be closer to Magee Marsh! With the help of many friends including the amazing folks from our buddies at Tropical Birding, they toured the globe on their quest.

There's something for everyone, sex, violence, plagues(well diarrhea is pretty close!), adventure and even birds! Ruth and Alan alternate writing chapters and describing their feats of daring do on their quest to see more in a year than I'll see in a lifetime.

The Biggest Twitch is available at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Amazon.com and on Ruth and Alan's website, "The Biggest Twitch."

We met Alan and Ruth in person at this years "Biggest Week In American Birding" festival.
If you get the opportunity to hear them speak, you will not regret it!

Bobb posing with his other hero, Toco the Toucan.
Toco traveled the world with Ruth and Alan on their quest.