More Mysteries from Magee...and more, uh...just more.

Okay kids, put your thinking caps back on!

I have another mystery warbly-type thing for you to help me with. Once again, these were taken on August 7th at Magee Marsh. It was one of those days full of flustering fledglings and bewildering warblys! My brain was certainly itching that day. Now I know why I skipped that file and never labeled anything...yoiks.

Well, it's got a little streaky thing happening on the sides, no wing bars, possibly a weak eye ring.
If only I had a shot of it's booty...

Speaking of fledglings that I'm not sure about...Here's a fledgling I'm not sure about!
Definitely a Flycatcher...maybe an Eastern Wood-Pewee...or maybe not.
I await your decisions!

GARDEN BIRD UPDATE!!

Didn't anyone ever teach these birds that they should eat with their beaks shut.
How rude...

This Eastern Towhee was first spotted Wednesday evening under the feeders in our back garden.

The Ohio Ornithological Society brain trust in action!

During last weekends conference, the Black Swamp booth had my blog up on their laptop hoping someone give a proper ID to last weeks mystery bird.

From the left we have Andy Jones of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Larry Richardson, world birder, horse owner and curmudgeon extraordinaire, Judy Kolo-Rose, our neighbor and BSBO mega-volunteer, Dave Russell, ornithologist, educator and bird bander and John Pogacnik, Lake county Metroparks naturalist.

So, last weeks mystery bird with their help and many others is a...Common Yellowthroat. Thanks!

My new best friend...

Chipmunk Chaser!!

Oh yeah...a NEW best friend! And Bobb better be on his best behavior...or he'll have a new play mate...

A few months ago, after a "delightful" , uh, procedure as an out patient, I came home and spied what I thought was a Weasel in our small pond. Now being a bit on the medicated side, the Doodles thought I was hallucinating. Not this time! While we were cleaning up the gardens after being at the BirdMobile all summer (yoiks!), Doodles spotted this furry fella in our driveway.

I ran inside to get the camera hoping against hope that he wouldn't move, ha. When I came out he was in the neighbors garden chasing a Chipmunk around in circles. I thought to myself "Myself, that little Mink is a carnivore!" AND he likes to get them little @#%&*@ Chipmunks!

Those Chipmunks were getting a little too fat and need the exercise. By the way, no Chipmunks were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.

I shall call him Manny the Mink, and we shall be friends.

Isn't Manny a real cutie?
If it wasn't for those sharp little teeth, I would give him some nice petties on his heady.

...In other Garden news...

We had visits from hoards of Ruby-crowned Kinglets!
We also had a few Golden-crowns thrown in for good measure!

Where's Waldo?
Those Brown Creepers are still giving my auto focus a hard time!
Not to mention my faulty focusing eyes...

I know, stop shooting through screens!
The only way I could get a shot of the White-crowned Sparrows was by staying in the kitchen.
There's about a dozen under the feeder as I write this. How cool is that?!

The White-throated Sparrows aren't as bothered by my presence...kinda like the Doodles...

Warbly things in the yard are ALWAYS a good thing!
Sunday we had visits from a number of Yellow-rumped Warblys.
One of my favorite bird names...

I owe a lot of thank you's
... and apologies to all of the great birders that viewed my last blog post of this mystery fledgling warbly at the OOS conference.
It is indeed, a Common Yellowthroat.
Listening to all of the discussions was great!

...Mystery Bird of the Week!...

As usual, all I got was this butt shot of this mystery bird going into our Eastern Screech Owl box.
It's tail feathers seem to resemble fur, and note the odd foot and talons gripping the top of the box.

Any ideas on the identity of this would be greatly appreciated.