Biggest Week in American Birding...part...uh...again.

Whose butt is this?

Yep, the Biggest Week was pretty long...10 days actually. And I drove all over northwest Ohio in search of birdies! This was the best festival I've been involved with. I never drove fine feathered folks around this much before, and what a great group of people they were! I hope I didn't scare anyone, I tried to curb the pun and sarcastic asides as best I could.

The first group of slightly focused photos are from a small park on Catawba Island a little east of Magee Marsh. This was the first visit for all of us and it turned quite well! Even a few lifers for some lucky birders!

This Baltimore Oriole must have been very happy, he was wagging his tail like crazy!

Ever time I see a Double-crested Cormorant, I think of Goofy from the Disney cartoons..."huh, huh, eyup."

Catching flies from behind...

Did you guess right? Yep, it's an Eastern Phoebe. Flycatchers always confuse me...until you see his waggy tail!

 

This was at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Everyone was talking about owls that were easy to see...that's a rarity! Low and behold, there's a lovely Eastern Screech Owl hiding in that hole!

 

I had better shots of this Great Blue Heron, butt this one cracked me up.

Birds don't sweat, so leave breathe with their beaks open when they are hot.

 

Here ya go...a nice normal shot of a Great Egret...almost from behind!

 

This was the other east to find owl...a Great Horned Owlet...all floofy!

 

I was going to go out on limb and say this was a Green Heron...butt he left the limb...

Trying to shoot a Thrush through all of the scrub and leaves is always exciting! I believe this was a Swainson's Thrush.

Yep...it's one of those wildflower things...Tommy will let me know what it is!

In the bush right next to this tree was a Blue-winged Warbly. While I was trying to get everyone on it, it flew before I got a shot. By the way, this is a Yellow-billed Cuckoo...cuckoo like me!

 

There weren't a lot of warblies to see this year...a good number of species but the quantities seemed to be low. Could have been caused by the Canadian wild fires in their breeding range. This is a butter butt! Also known as a Yellow-rumped Warbly. Also know as a Myrtle Warbly...just to confuse you more...

Okay! Did you guess the birdie at the start of the bloggity post?

Yep, a beautiful Blackburnian Warbly!

Until next week..get out and find some birds!

On Lake Erie with My Ottawa Friends...AND a Special Guest!

 Woo-hoo! I get a sunset cruise on Lake Erie!

First, I need to give a HUGE hug and and a big thank you to Amy Arent of the Friends of Ottawa group for asking me along to take some birdy photos! These are a great group of folks that are helping out the refuge when it is really needed...now more than ever!!

Okay, now on with the show!

This was a sunset cruise leaving Port Clinton and heading out to West Sister Island, Ohio's only Wilderness Area. This island is part of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the it's the largest Great Blue Heron and Great Egret rookery on the U.S. Great Lakes...and there's a couple of Double-crested Cormorants too...oh...and a gang of those gray and white birds...uh...gulls, yep, Herring Gulls...silly birds.

Along for the ride were a number of birding experts  including the amazing H. Thomas "Tom Terrific" Bartlett, the man who always has a bluebird on his shoulder...and a wise crack at the ready. I am always in awe of his skills, and he's an amazing bird bander as well! Also on the boat(ship?...watercraft?) was President Theodore Roosevelt, the leader on the early conservation of wildlife areas to save our national treasures. I won't get into any politics concerning the moron in that current position... Teddy was kind enough to shake my hand, yell "Bully" at me and give me his autograph. This is a day I will always remember...in a confused sort of way...

Somehow Tom managed to spot this lone Lesser Black-backed Gull as it flew along the channel and out to the lake. 

He sees all and knows all....

 Not a homeless man.

Tom Bartlett and his bag o' birds.

 President Roosevelt himself!

 

 The number of Double-crested Cormorants is astounding to see.

That lovely white wash is killing the trees they nest in and their numbers have to be surveyed closely to ensure they don't harm the areas for the nesting Herons and Egrets.

 

 There's a pair of Bald Eagles nesting on the island also.

 The Jet Express is doing more to make America great again than a certain orange headed person in D.C.

 I wonder if these Canada Geese have their passports?

 This buoy marks the spot of the Battle of Lake Erie of the War of 1812...which actually took place in 1813...details, details...

This was when Oliver Hazard Perry said:

"Dear General:
We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.
Yours with great respect and esteem, O.H. Perry^"

 A Double-crested Cormorant on it's way home.

 LOTS of Herring Gulls on their nests along the rocky coast.

 Oh...my...

I can taste the fresh Lake Erie perch...oh....tasty...

 Taking photos from a not so steady, fast moving boat at sunset with a 500mm lens is a new experience...and I don't think I learned anything.

Milliseconds before this shot, two Spotted Sandpipers flew past.

Really. Ask Tom.

 At last! A Great Blue Heron!

Because of the cormorants, the herons are now nesting towards the center of the island.

These birds get banding and counted by very brave volunteers that climb up trees covered with poison ivy...followed by nestlings vomiting and defecating on them.

Such fun!

I think I'll donate a little extra this year...

 Hey Look!

It's a gray and white bird sitting on a nest making more gray and white birds!

(It's a Herring Gull by the way.)

 A group of Great Egrets going home to roost for the night.

 The Bald Eagles left their nest to watch the sunset too...

 The cormorant on the lower left was teaching a class in nest maintenance.

No one was paying attention.

 Birbs.

Little ones.

Flying. 

 Nope, no lake otters either.

 Oooo...a gray and white bird that doesn't look gray and white in the glow of the sunset!

 It's a glorious night for a cruise on Lake Erie!

 The last of the herons going home for the night...just like me soon.

 

 A truly beautiful sunset on the island...

 Stay tuned!!

More Warbly Fun Coming Soon!!

Meanwhile, Back on the Boardwalk...

 The big storm has passed...

Saturday was a WHOLE different kind of day compared to Friday. Most of the flood waters had subsided enough to re-open the closed roads and birders were back out on the boardwalk at Magee. With the winds from the north continuing, the birds were few, butt still a fun time to be out...especially since I'm not soaked through today!

As you can see, I had a few new warblies on this day...and a bounty of booty shots to boot! In a sick way I enjoy hearing other birders complain about the birds facing the "wrong" way and hearing them mumble, over and over, "turn around!" You have to learn to love life from both sides! Enjoy it all, because these little feathered fliers will be gone in a few days!

 This Black-throated Green Warbly was living the high life...in the tree tops...and moving fast!

"Gotta get them buggies while they're fresh!"

 This lone Blue-winged Teal was along the causeway to the marsh...and of course swimming away.

 This little Chipping Sparrow was trying to balance on the rope around the Bald Eagle's nest.

He looked like a trapeze artist with the wind blowing him back and forth.

(Nope, didn't take a pic of the eagles...)

 I wonder how many birders walked pass him without even noticing?

 Even this Great Egret posed properly along the south end of the boardwalk!

 Really?

 This Ovenbird was one of the hardest birds I've ever tried to photograph.

He was moving so quickly in and out of the scrub and shadows.

Made me a dizzy boy!

 He sat still for a split second...then off again!

 LOTS of Palm Warblers wagging their tails.

Must be the happiest birds around!

 They were always close to the boardwalk...and watching the birders as much as we were watching them!

 This Racducoon in his cozy den woke up just long enough to scratch, then disappeared again into slumberland.

 Butterflies like this Red Admiral were back out in force today.

 It's always a treat to see a Snowy Egret...and no snow.

 It was still windy and this Tree Swallow was hanging on as tight as he could!

 I still love the patterns on the backs of sparrows.

I also keep calling White-throated Sparrows White-crowned...doh...throated...throated...throated...

 Speaking of nemesis birds...one day I'm going to get a photo of a WHOLE Wood Thrush...maybe.

That's what keeps going out birding...

 I told it was a "bootyful" day!

Even the Yellow Warblies were obliging.

 Still a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblies singing for the birders out there!

 Hmmm...female or first year?

As I mentioned in my last post, I stopped at Ottawa NWR to search, to no avail, for the Summer Tanager...which I've been told is in the same place I couldn't see him today. Oh well...

 There's a narrow brook that meanders through here normally...it seems to have turned into a small lake. 

Make sure your shoes are waterproof!

 Still lovin' those Brown Creepers!

 Here's your moment of "Aww."

A happy little Killdeer family

 Once it was decided I wasn't a threat, the little ones scrambled off to find something to eat.

They are amazingly fast!

 A couple of Sandhill Cranes flying off into the sunset...

 I made one last stop. While enjoying the fun and friendship at the Biggest Week hoopla at Maumee Bay Resort, I was asked by Kenn Kaufman if I'd seen the Marbled Godwit that was behind the Barnside Creamery ice cream shop. Nope, hadn't heard about that one. 

It was close to 8pm when I got there and couldn't see a thing. Luckily my friend Ed(also known as "The other Dave", long story...) showed up with a spotting scope and found it! Of course when I located it, it turned his back on me...YES! A fine "end" to another wonderful day of birding!

Stay tuned I'll be back out somewhere soon!