Just a Few More....

 An uncommon Common Nighthawk snoozin...

 Yep, it's still May 17th at Magee Marsh in my world...a little "behind?"...why of course!

 Just as me and my cranky stomach were leaving, someone told me there was a Least Bittern fishing right along the boardwalk. I figured he would be gone by the time I got there, but nope, he was still there...along with a hundred other birders trying to get a glimpse. It was a lifer for many so I hung back to give them the better view and fired off a few shots between bodies and branches.

 It'll never make National Geographic, but it makes for a great memory for me!

 

One of my favorite lil warblies, a Magnolia!

 He was even kind enough to give me a signature pose!

 ...then try to attack me and peck my eyes out!

AAAAAAhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

 A little Muskrat love for you...

 This Prothonotary Warbly was picking at the buds on trees...

 ...and playing show and tell with them...

 Prothonotary's do not make behind shots easy...

 

 Yep, my one and only crappy shot of a Scarlet Tanager for the day...maybe next time.

 Name that Thrush!

No, really, name that thrush...I think it may be a Gray-cheeked...or maybe not...I'm not sure.

 Yea! Yellow Warbly building a nest right along the boardwalk.

It's amazing what you normally walk right past and never notice until someone points it out.

And last, butt not least...a Yellow-rumped Warbly!

Soon we shall post another day of delightful birding!

An Otter Has Been Seen!...

...BUTT not by me...

 The beautiful Beaver Marsh in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park...sans otters...

So...apparently everyone thinks it's funny to mention the otters they saw...one of these days, someones gonna go swimming in that marsh! I lied to my brother Phil to get him up early and took him to look at birds...and maybe even an otter! I thought he would bring luck(or at least lunch!) At least he made lunch at little later...

I bumped into quite a few birders that were looking for the Least Bitterns and their offspring. One nice guy(I forget names, sorry!) mentioned that he sees the otters often and has photos...I haven't seen the photos...he was making things up just to get a laugh between he and my bro...argh.

 Right...they're real...and the I'll bet you think the earth is round too...

 We did see the moon...I think it's flat too.

And the sun revolves, flatly of course, around us.

You can't believe fake science!

 So, anyway, I did manage to see two of the juvenile Least Bitterns

Phil saw a "fuzzy brown spot."

That would be a lifer "fuzzy brown spot" for him.

 They were a bit far out there in the branches.

This is blown up quite a bit.

 This is Phil walking away from me because I talk to strangers.

Too much apparently..."birdsbirdsbirdsbirds...birds..."

 That's  Phil walking even faster and further.

Poor Phil.

I drove.

He'll have to wait for me.

 This is a Bluet sp. of damselfly.

I did this for Phil.

He hates bug photos.

I like to bug him.

 This is a juvenile Least Bittern zooming away from me too.

Must have been something I said...

...or something Phil said about me...

 Enough of that silliness...here's a juvenile Cedar Waxbean.

 This is a very shy Eastern Phoebe.

And yes, I said "Cedar Waxbean."

 I asked Phil what species of flycatcher this was.

He was too far away to hear me.

I think it's a Willow...maybe...

Phil? PHIL!!

 

 I must admit, European Starlings are very attractive birds.

I just wish they would attract themselves back across the ocean.

The Tree Swallows and Woodpeckers feel the same way.

 If you listen very closely, you can hear that fish saying "Oooh Nooooo!"

That Great Blue Heron took his time, trying to shake off the veggies before he swallowed the fish.

 Oh my gosh! Two weeks in a row I managed to get a Northern Cardinal to stand still!

They're finally listening to me!

More than I can say about Phil...

 Another shy Green Heron.

 Oh! Signs of a beaver in the marsh.

Oh, and a Red-winged Blackbird too.

 I love them lil Song Sparrows!

 They like to play in the mud.

 Why I do believe that's the butt of a Swamp Sparrow!

 They look so much like Song Sparrows except they have little bitty beaks for eating little bitty buggies.

Another new one for Phil...where ever he went...

 

 A male Wood Duck dressed in a more casual mode.

 Easily distracted, I see Honey and Bumble Bees!

 And another male Wood Duck...

 And a female Wood Duck giving me the stare down...just like Phil!

I must have been doing something wrong that day...I can't imagine.

 Ooooo...pretty water lily...

 

 It was truly surprising how many younger Wood Ducks were swimming amongst the weeds and what not in the marsh.

There were some "busy" duckies this summer!

 

 One butt for the road!

I have to find Phil...

 Until next time kiddies! Happy birding!

An Exciting Day at the Beaver Marsh!...

 An American Goldfinch trying to see what we were all looking for...

 My North Carolina posts will have to be postponed due to this very important blog...well sort of important...to me...with no political comments...yet...

I heard through the Ohio bird listserve that a special bird that I have seen before, butt failed to get a proper photo of, had been appearing on a regular basis OUT IN THE OPEN in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in an area called the beaver marsh...were OTTERS live! Oh My!
 

 Nope, that ain't it!

Just a Great Blue Heron looking at the world a little differently.

 I'll bet you thought I found the otters!

Nope...no otters, not even a muskrat today...

...and don't even get me started about the beaver that "lives" there...sure he does...

 LEAST BITTERN!!!

I wasn't sure exactly where it would be, I figured I would just walk the trail and keep my eyes open for anything small that moved amongst the pond plants. I noticed a couple of folks with cameras sitting on the edge of one of the old canal locks, staring into the marsh. I asked if they were looking for the Bittern. As they said yes, the Bittern called from just in front of us! What timing!

We watched...and watched a little more. My attention span isn't always the greatest...oh look a Goldfinch...Oh look an Eastern Wood-Pewee...oh look...as everyone was looking into the weeds, I looked up a bit with my bins...and there he was! Right out in the open staring back at us!

 I moved down the canal a bit to get a nice side shot to see his lovely coloring on his wings.

 He stretched his neck out, and I could have sworn he burped...maybe my imagination.

You may have noticed I have a lack of control of that at times...

 This was his mode of travel from one reed to the next...stretch out...leap out...grab the next plant...wobble back and forth a bit...repeat.

 Well, as fun as it was to take over 200(!) photos of a bird standing still, I had to move on...along with Loren and a few others...short attention span bird gang...

Oooo! Look, this Silver-spotted Skipper was just around the corner.

There's always something to photograph out here!

 And you know, every marsh has a gang of Bull Frogs trying to eat those butterflies..and anything else that gets within firing range of that springy tongue!

 This Eastern Kingbird is going to catch all of the bugs the frogs miss...

...And this Eastern Pondhawk will catch anything silly enough to get in front of his face!

 Speaking of bug eaters...there were plenty of juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewees out and about today!

 He was just posing so nicely for me.

 There's always a few Great Blue Herons out getting everyone's attention...

"Have you seen the big blue Crane over there?"

 Some times they're hiding and folks just wander past and never see them.

Slow down and open your eyes to nature and you will be amazed at whats right in front of you.

 Tree Swallow kids just hanging out...

 This Wood Duck was making eyes at me.

"Hey, come over here...hubba-hubba...check out my gams..."

She was  "de coyest" duck I ever saw...

Sorry...not really...

 Ya know when you scratch your dog or cat in just the right place they get that silly look on their face and stick their tongue...

...well Wood Ducks do the same thing when their buddies give them a little scratching on the cheek.

This Green Heron was preening for the longest time.

He must of had a hot date coming up...

 Gotta make sure the feathers up top look their best!

 Making sure that "eau du pond" isn't too offensive...

 Here's one proper Green Heron photo to make up for the silliness...

 I have to end with a bird form behind!

And he caught me...oh well...

We'll see you again out there somewhere!