Summer Birding...

 Oboy! An American Goldfinch sitting kinda still!

 ...and of course, just when I start to focus...zoom!

Jerk Goldfinch...

One of these days...

So, where were we? Oh yeah, out birding! I'm not really caught up. These are from this past weekend at Pond Brook, my new favorite place to escape to. I wanted to post more pics from last month, but my computer crashed and I seemed to "misplace" my photo files...I even have a back up drive and that now appears empty...oh well.At least the latest are still there...

So...at Pond Brook...all to myself! I still don't understand why there aren't more folks out here...I had the place all to myself again! Butt I won't complain. I can be free in nature!

Summer birding...a little slow as everyone likes to say. But, if you look closely, there's always something to see! (Like me if you're not paying attention!) There's birds quietly feeding, preening and going about their days. There's always a few fledglings and juvenile birds skulking about, begging for food or learning to feed themselves. Soon the American Goldfinch's will start fledging.

And then there's all of the insects flying around your head! We won't count the deer flies and ticks and mosquitoes, oh my! But butterflies abound this time of year when the weather is warm and sunny and the wildflowers are in bloom. We're in a drought in northern Ohio, the pickings are a little slim this year. Because of the mosquitoes this weekend, I avoided the drying up wetland area and the hoards of dragonflies...maybe next week.

Anyway, get out and get busy! There's ALWAYS something to see in nature!

 

 Black Rat snakes always seem to come out to say hello when I'm out.

They are harmless...unless you're a rodent...

 The only folks I saw this day where an older couple heading for the lone picnic table for lunch.

They asked what I was looking at...

I said "Just a little nature!"

The snake was heading their way...

I wonder if I should have told them.

Nah.

 The only Black Swallowtail I saw was deep in the undergrowth.

I was determined to get a shot anyway...

 Silly Cabbage White butterflies never sit still long enough for me!

And when they do, they try to turn invisible.

When I turn sideways the same thing happens!

 I believe this to be an Eastern Wood-Pewee fledgling....very shy too!

I told him not to worry, I could hear his parents calling close by.

 He felt better then.

 This Eastern Carpenter Bee is enjoying the pollen on this milkweed.

Eastern Chipmunk.

Not Bobb.

Bobb doesn't go out much anymore.

Poor Bobb.

One day I'll let Bobb out to play again.

 Like so many butterflies this time of year, this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is a little worse for wear.

Their wings are very delicate and get scraped in the scrub, or picked at by hunger birds that are bad shots.

 Of course, when you see a flock of European Starlings, they have to pose on a dead tree.

It's the "Alfred Hitchcock Rule."

 So,"Hey! Mr. Northern Flicker," I said,

why do they call you "yellow shafted" out here?

I thought maybe they were scaredy cats in a detective movie or something...

Nope, he showed off his yellow shafts on his feathers.

Oh, NOW I get it...

 Being sorta color blind, I'll have to take your word for it...

A "Red-spotted Purple" butterfly...okay...I guess so.

 I think I offended him...

 More babies!

This young Song Sparrow was cheeping and begging...and being ignored.

 Only an inch and a quarter or so...these Summer Azures are tiny and fast!

I wandered all over trying to follow these guys as they zig zagged in and out and across the paths.

This was the only one that sat still long enough.

I really need to carry my macro lens for these shots...it's hard to track something so small with 500mm's of Canon!

 It wasn't until I looked at this shot of an obnoxious Tufted Titmouse that I noticed the unkind jesture he flashed me!

You can just barely see his right foot.

Rude little guy!

Today I will leave you with a butterfly butt!

That's where their name REALLY came from you know!

This is a Viceroy, very similar to a Monarch.

The Viceroy has that black line going through their hind wing.

There, you learned something today and I can go now.

See ya next week!!

Gone Fishin'...part deux...(fancy, eh?)

 ...still hunting for tasty tidbits...

 ...nothing but mud...

 ...hmmmm...something smells fishy...

 So....yet another collection of lost and found files. This is from the same walk in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, obviously in warm spring weather, from last year. Soon we shall have warmth, sunshine and happy birdies again, although this winter has had a number of nice "spring" days.

I've been exploring the local parks all winter, though not usually with a camera. It's just nice to be out in nature sometimes...and NOT hear the latest idiotic thing Trump has done or said...not to start a rant...BUT...I have friends from the world over and Americans are becoming the laughing stock of the planet due to their support of this moron. I just don't get it...okay, enough...back to nature where we all feel better!

 My ramblings are probably putting you to sleep just like this Red Squirrel all cozy in the warm rays of the sun.

Midland Painted Turtles get cranky when it comes to sharing their special sunny log...

"AND STAY OFF!!!"

Oooohhhh....a Yellow Warbly thing!

It's almost time for the Biggest Week in American Birding!

Female Red-winged Blackbirds seemed to always get ignored by birders.

It's such a pretty bird!

 There's someone naked wandering around here!

That Great Blue Heron was still fishing in the same area, but was looking a bit puzzled...

 I think that guy in the foreground was making him a little uncomfortable!

 A very prehistoric Snapping Turtle was chillin' out close by.

A toddler was walking by when I was taking these photos and he thought it was a dead dinosaur laying there...and then it moved and scared the daylights out of him!

I only laughed a little...

Tree Swallows are insecure and need to checks their parts a lot.

I read that in a field guide...I think...

 This White-breasted Nuthatch was searching out a juicy meal from the cracks and crevices...yum.

 Like you, the Red Squirrel has been bored to sleep by my blog...zzzzz.....

 I had the hardest time trying to catch this Palm Warbly. 

He kept hoping in and out of branches...looking over at me...and laughing.

Very rude little warbly.

 Whenever a Bald Eagle soars overhead, everyone in the area stops and goes "Ooooooo!"

A true symbol of American politicians...a thieving opportunist.

 Great Blues are the only ones that laugh at my poor humor...

 

 I would prefer a Black Rat Snake or any cold blooded reptile over a few unmentionable ultra right-winged, war mongering, wall building, anti middle class...anyway...never mind.

 

 I shall leave you now with the butt of a Yellow-rumped Warbly...a nice spot that's easy to see...that Trump can kiss...or Rubio...or Cruz...or...I'm out!

The Island Twitch that never seems to end...part...uh...3?

 This is a very angry Blackpoll Warbly in his fall finest.

He will eat your face.

Meanwhile...back on Kelleys Island...

Hard to believe how many places we visited on our short weekend visit! We hit four spots on the Lake Erie Birding Trail, that puts us at 38...only a "few" more to go... 

We also went to see our friend, Tom Bartlett's bird banding operation at Long Point, part of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History's preserves. Tom enjoys teaching visitors and residents of the island about the wonders of these birds and their amazing migratory adventures. Folks come away with a much better appreciation of our tiny friends and what they go through twice a year. Thanks Tom!

If you ever have the opportunity to meet Tom, do it! He'll be banding northern saw-whet owls sometime this month on the island, and he does the "Big Sit" every year(20 years in a row!) at The Biggest Week in American Birding.

 

 This is Tom talking nicely to a bird.

Sometimes he doesn't...

 Tom kindly showing off the butt of this American Redstart.

He's so helpful!

 Don't worry, The Doodles didn't kill that bird.

It's just tired from his flight and is resting.

Within a few moments, off he flew and on to South America!

And that's why he needed a little rest.

 Lincoln's Sparrows are much more comfortable skulking around in the leaves and debris than in your hand.

 Did I mention that there are a few Grove Snails on the island?

 Back to birds...

Swainson's Thrushes are much calmer than sparrows.

 

 Black-capped Chickadees were abundant...and fast today!

 In between banding, we wandered around a few of the other parks and preserves.

We found this Least Flycatcher on the North Pond Preserve.

 Yep, that's a Magnolia Warbly hiding in the leaves.

They would not come out.

I even said please!

 You never know what you'll find in the woods...

Like an old truck from the 30's or 40's with trees growing through it.

I checked the spark plugs, they looked okay...

 And of course...just a few more Grove Snails.

If only I liked escargot...

 There were still a few butterflies like this Pearl Crescent floating about.

 Have you ever had a berry so tart that it made your head spin?

 This Philadelphia Vireo avoided that sour berries that made the others head spin.

 So...I was looking at the fruit on this flower and couldn't believe how bright they were.

"What is that stick on top?" I said as I was looking at the photo on my computer...

 Funny how you get so focused on one thing when you're out in nature and sometimes miss the bigger picture.

When I looked closer and followed the "stick" up the frame, I found that it was attached to something!

A Katydid!

What a surprise...The Doodles didn't notice it either, even when she was looking at the same thing with her 10X50's!

 The Doodles did spot this Wilson's Warbly hiding in the branches.

He never did come out to say hello.

So sad, we had to leave the island BEHIND!

Ha! Gotcha on that one!

There may be one more part to this island adventure...stay tuned!