I'm Back...Did You Miss Me?!

 (as a co-worker often says..."Like a stick in the eye!")

Bald Eagles are nesting once again at Magee. Two nests are visible from the parking lot.

Hello again kiddies! Time to get the blog back in gear. I have a few older shots to share from Howard Marsh and Cuyahoga Valley as well...maybe we'll get to them after the Magee insanity!

Last Sunday was the first time in a while I made it out to Magee Marsh, just in time for the return of the warblies. Friday was the beginning of The Biggest Week in American Birding...and the 10th anniversary too! I'll be out there every weekend through the month of May to see our little feathered friends...and my hooman friends as well!

In the mean time, here's a little preview of what I saw last Sunday at Magee and a couple from Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

 Blue Gray Gnatcatchers were busy catching...uh...gnats I suppose...

 The invisible bird!

 There were dozens of Brown Creepers creeping around.

Their camouflage is amazing.  

 Incoming!

    A nice male Downy Woodpecker pecking wood...cause that's how they got their name.

It me the longest time to see this Eastern Screech Owl.

"No, no...not THAT second tree...the OTHER second tree!"

This is my usual photo of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet...always on the move.

 I asked politely if he would hold still for a second...and he did!

Look at them lil yellow feets!

First warbly of the season!

Appropriately enough, it's a Yellow-rumped Warbly.

Or as the cool kids say..."Myrtle..."

I'm not a cool kid.

Butter butt!

 A Common Loon just chillin' out at the pond in front of Ottawa NWR's visitors center.

 Contortionist...

 He's happy and he's flappy!

So long for now from me and this cute lil Pied-billed Grebe!

A NOT SO Creepy Day at Magee Marsh...

 Oooooo!...an Orange-breasted Ground Thrush!

Meanwhile, a couple of weeks ago at Magee Marsh...(still getting caught up.)

Hard to believe, but the Biggest Week in American Birding is here at last...and I plan on being there quite a bit...and NOT at work! This past trip, nope, no warbly things, but lots of other birdies to keep me occupied. So...here ya go...

 That fuzzy thing sticking up left of center is an eaglets wing!

 ...and on the far left you can see another begging for something to fill his ever growing stomach...

 It's always great to see a Blanding's Turtle.

They're an endangered species, but they can live to be 80 years old!

 Did I ever tell you how many Brown Creepers I saw?

 Hmmm...sure looks like a Chipping Sparrow to me, or is it a White-throated Sparrow. 

I'm confused today...well...everyday...

 This Downy Woodpecker was checking out the alignment of the branch...

"Seems pretty straight to me...okay, back to bugs..."

 There's always a few Great Egrets looking great...

 Why are Midland Painted Turtles always so angry?

 This lone Red-breasted Merganser kept staring at me.

Creepy duck...

Then again, I was staring at her too.

 A couple of Ring-necked Ducks.

I'm still trying to find the ring...

 Who's the cutest little boo-boo birdie?

I could just hug him up!

 This Ruby-crowned Kinglet got even closer to me, and it was the first time I heard him sing!

What an amazing little bird...I just stood there and listened.

 Speaking of confusing, Scaups of the Lesser variety.

 This was the most shy Song Sparrow I've seen in a long time.

Obviously, the ones that are more shy wouldn't be seen at all...

 It's a ping-pong ball with feathers!

Some people call them Winter Wrens, butt I like Feathered Ping-pong Ball better.

 You could tell this was a Hermit Thrush because he was alone...

I took made a quick visit to Ottawa Wildlife Refuge before I left for home, and it was a very productive little cruise!

 There was a good number of Blue-winged Teal packing their beaks...or bills...or choppers...

 Nom-nom!

 I don't see Common Loons very often!

This beautiful guy was circling in the pond in front of the nature center, posing nicely.

 In the wetlands this gorgeous Horned Grebe stayed close enough for me to finally get a nice photo!

Scary eyes...boogie-boogie!

 Oops, I think I may have offended him, sorry...

Okay...that's it for now. The next two days will be spent at Magee Marsh...tracking down those wily warblys!

Hide and Go Seek...

 The Song Sparrow didn't see him either...

So...we heard about a Cattle Egret, somewhat of a rarity up north where we live, not too far from our humble abode of the burds. We don't often chase birds, bad for gas, bad for the environment...and we usually get there too late anyway. This time we thought, what the heck...not much to see around the home turf and it's a great excuse to blow off yard work again!

We were told he was being seen in the grass right along the parking area and "DON'T GET OUT OF YOUR CAR!" because you may scare him away. Fine. We drove to the parking area. We sat in the car. We got bored. No Egret of the Cattle. Nuthin. Humph.

"Let's at least go for a walk" said The Doodles. The Dave agreed and so off we went for a little traipse through the moisty marsh. Maybe we'll see him along the trail...

 Nope, that ain't him.

That's a Dark-eyed Junco too far away because no one has sent Loopy a Canon 500mm lens yet.

(It's almost Christmas, though I have been bad this year.)

 Nope.

Redhead...Ruddy Duck...American Coot...no Egrets of any sort there...

 There's something moving back in the marshy stuff.

Nope.

A couple of Green-winged Teal playing hide and seek...

Nope.

Just another old Coot...

 Nice, a Common Loon but NOPE!

Nutz...let's just go back to the car and go home for lunch. I'm cold, I'm bored and I'm cranky.

What was that Doodles? You see something in the grass in FRONT of our car? WHAT?! Go figure...

 We got bored and left the car...don't ever do that!

 We crept quietly back to the car and, as you can see, the stoopid Cattle Egret is out in front of the Burdbuttzwagen. 

Well, we did have a nice walk...

 He's laughing at me...I can tell...stoopid burd.

 Lot's of yummy crickets in there!

 They must tickle his beak...

 

 Or maybe they taste better upside down...

 Grasshoppers are like peanut butter...

They stick to the roof of your mouth.

Deeelicious!

 Marching off to battle the bugs with his mighty bill of doom.

 So...until we meet again...Toodles!