Still Lost...Part 38...maybe...

 The only bird that sat still this day...a kindly Dark-eyed Junco...and he even faced the right way.

So, where was I? THAT was a good question! Every time I saw a sign with a new states name, I was surprised. I was driving on autopilot, letting my GPS tell me where to go(at least it's polite when it does it!) I'm not good at sitting in a car for more than 3 or 4 hours. Knees cramp up...boredom strikes and I keep seeing signs for parks at the "next" exit...oooo...maybe there's some good birds there!

Brian told me about a state park I should visit that was close to Asheville...Rocky Fork Sate Park. For some reason, I thought being close to Brian's home, this would be in North Carolina(AKA North Cackylacky.) Nope,it was in Tennessee!  I didn't find that out until I arrived back home. Yep, Loopy doesn't always pay attention.

What a great place to stop and stretch! I realize that 1:30 in the afternoon isn't the best time to go birding, but this place was gorgeous. A nice steep trail winding along side Rocky Fork Creek. Very peaceful with the sounds of the creek burbling over the mossy rocks and small waterfalls. I only tripped a few times watching the water...

I only saw the Junco and a fleeing Red-bellied Woodpecker...apparently news of my arrival traveled fast...oh well, back in the BirdMobile to continue the journey...

 Even the dead trees were interesting to look at.

( this was one of the places I tripped...camera is safe!)

 I looked at that bridge a long time...then turned around.

Why push my luck?

 Can you hear the babbling?

...of the brook! Not me!

 

 At last, I arrived in Asheville, North Carolina!

They've been in a severe drought for some time now. All that haze is due to forest fires not too far away. Every morning on our bird walk, you could smell the odor of the burning trees and scrub. It was a very disturbing feeling, know that the homes of so many of my woodland and feathered friends were being destroyed. And of course, none of this is due to climate change...my politician buddies told me so and they're smarter than anyone else on Earth....but anyway...where was I?

Oh, Asheville...more precisely, Biltmore Lake. There's a great trail that circles the man-made lake with a few side paths. At one end was a wetland area that will be great to explore in the spring and summer...next time...if I didn't wear out my welcome. Imagine dealing with me for a week? Let alone the more than 13 years I've worked for Brian and Caron...sheesh...I couldn't do it...

 That's my swell hosts at the North Carolina Arboretum...and my camera...

We went for a cruise down the Blue Ridge Parkway and a hike through the arboretum.

I think they were hoping I would fall in the creek...you can tell by the look on Brian's face.

 

 A good ole American Robin.

You can always count on seeing them no matter how lost you may be.

 Speaking of lost. This Chipping Sparrow was trying to hide.

I think he was hoping I would get lost and leave him be.

 " Don't even think about taking a photo of my butt...y'all!"

Even the birds said "Y'all."

Very odd.

Really.

 He did let me take of photo of his feathery crown.

 There were dozens of southern Eastern Bluebirds around us!

 He was nice enough to give me his southern exposure.

Southern hospitality extends to the birds as well!

 

 Them thar is some really BIG bugs!

They had a cool display of insects...and they moved!

Nothing like a few scared screaming children to give you a few laughs...

 

 And once again...a Pileated Woodpecker is right in front of me and I almost missed.

Of course all I ended up with was a blurry butt shot.

One day you Pileated! One Day!!!

 

 How many times do I have to say "Not Yet!?"

 

 A southern Northern Mockingbird not happy that I was mocking his southern end.

Sorry, I had to.

 I was so busy looking at birds that I forgot this was an arboretum and I should be taking a few of those botanically type pitchers!

(Get it? It's a PITCHER plant?...No? Oh well. I tried.)

 Yes, I even got a life bird bird while visiting my buddies at Biltmore Lake.

More on that next time...as the Adventures in Asheville continues...

 Until next time...

Uh...It's a...Uh...Um...Fall Warbly?...maybe...

 See that blur in the center?

Yep, that was my day with the warblyz.

AARGH!

A few weeks ago lots of folks were posting sightings of fall migrating warblyz at Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve. It was very cloudy with impending storms, but what the heck, what else is there to do? I saw lots of warblyz...in the trees...behind the leaves...in the dark. I figured out what a few of them were and I even managed a few quite unsatisfactory photos...even crappier than usual!

It never rained while I was there...sunny...cloudy...sunny...cloudy...typical Cleveland weather. It was warm and a great day to be out looking for migrators that may sit still for a moment. And that's why thee are so many insect photos today...

By the way, that blur at the top? That was a Magnolia Warbly...honest.

 I did see lots of Scarlet Tanagers that day.

Everyone was heading over the lake from Canada, eh.

 

 See that little tiny spider on the left?

That Tanager studied him for the longest time, then finally decided it wasn't worth the effort.

 

 The last of the Summer Azures.

 Having a staring contest with a Viceroy butterfly.

He won...

 

 A lovely Monarch butterfly on Goldenrod.

Look closely at the wings of the Viceroy and you'll see a bar going across them.

Monarchs don't have that bar on the hind wing.

An easy way to tell them apart!

 Uh...lets see...

I do believe this to be a Bay-breasted Warbly.

Yep, them lil fall warblyz sure can be confusing!

 

 My buddy Harry the Gray Catbird was confused too.

 "MEOW! I think it's an eagle...meow!"

Catbirds are such kidders...

 I love it when a bee...or anything!...sits still!

That's an Eastern Carpenter Bee.

He left his tool belt at home.

 And this is how I knew the warbly in the first photo was a Magnolia.

That tail is unmistakable.

 This Great BLue Heron was trying to figure out how to reach the fish WAY down below in the lake.

He figured it out after a long while...he flew to a different area.

 A nice jogger was staring at me as I struggled with my big lens on the ground to get a photo of this Eastern Comma butterfly.

I'm sure it looked odd, I was twenty feet away, aiming at the base of a sign post.

"Weirdo's with cameras..."

 You can tell it's a Comma by the comma...clever.

 Ya know, I'm getting too old to crawl on the ground trying to find a Grasshopper that will sit still long enough for a portrait.

Ouch.

Getting back up is worse.

 There were THOUSANDS of these little one half inch leapers!

 The Double-crested Coromorant gang up to no good as usual.

 When I saw this, I thought it was a very unusual skipper butterfly. The eyes were so light!

Then I emailed my good buddy Jim McCormac  of the ODNR.

He corrected me right away...it's actually a moth.

Corn Earworm Moth.

If I would have slowed down and looked at the antennae, I would have noticed they were straight and not clubbed like a butterflies would have been.

Thanks Jim!

 I'm convinced that this is a Blackburnian Warbly.

I thought at first it was a Blackpoll as there were many about, but the face pattern is too dark and there's too much color on the breast.

What do you think?

 This is the only shot you'll see today of a Black-swallowtail Butterfly.

I gave up chasing him...

Stay tuned for more fall warbly adventures coming soon!

Hard to believe, but I didn't give up and went to Wendy Park to try my luck again...

By the way...still no Otters...

...Meanwhile...Back at the Marsh...(oh my.)

 The Yellow-billed Cuckoos were abundant this year...cicadas for lunch anyone?

 Yep, this is the continuation of last weeks ever so thrilling bloggity kids! I'll bet you were going mad all week in anticipation...or maybe not...well I was CUCKOO for this post! Ha! Get it? there's a photo of a Cuckoo up there! See it? Scroll back up...sheesh...yep, there ya go. I knew you'd figure it out. I have only the best and the brightest burd nerds on my site!

(Shield your sensitive eyes for this next one children!)

 You are correct in your assumption.

Those are two Yellow-billed Cuckoos making preparations for a third Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

They did teach you about the BIRDS and the bees did they not?

 And yes, that is the male skipping out before there's more mouths to feed.

The Baltimore Orioles were busy as well!

So, where was I? Oh I remember now...sort of...these are a combination of two trips to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, more specifically, the Ira Road trail head and the beaver marsh(and I STILL haven't seen any beavers there!)

Both days were hot and sunny with lots of friendly folks out and about. A big lens always attracts curiosity and it's a great way for me to introduce more people to the birds that populate(and RE-populate!) our area. It's surprising how many people don't notice what's going on in the natural world around them. They're all too busy biking, jogging, playing with their silly cell phones to see the amazing life that surrounds us all.

Next time you're out in nature, get someones attention and show them a bird or a turtle, anything, just try to rekindle their sense of wonder.

 A bird as simple and common as this Black-capped Chickadee got the attention of quite a few after I pointed it out.

He was spinning around this leaf and others getting his fill of insects.

 People tend to be fearful of insects until you explain their place in nature.

This Blue Dasher dragonfly and many others like him were circling the marsh eating as many of those tiny insects that buzz around your head when you're trying to take photos of dragonflies and swatting at those tiny little insects that buzz around your head.

Am I repeating myself?

 Speaking of bug eaters...this Bull Frog was poised under a branch that had dragonflies perched on it.

He tried jumping to get them...not high enough...lucky for the dragons...

 Carpe Diem.

Actually, just a plain ole carp.

With a very big mouth.

I think he was trying to growl at me.

"Rooooaaarrrr!"

I never heard it.

 Cedar Waxwing.

Doing something.

That's all I got...

 Okay kids, I'm leaving this one up to you!

To me, it looks like a Clay-colored Sparrow.

Very hard to find around here, but he sure as heck looks like one!

Let me know what you think...

 This is an obnoxious Common Grackle checking out a Tree Swallows nest cavity.

 This is the same Common Grackle, even more obnoxious, taking over the Tree Swallows nest cavity.

 Proud, but still obnoxious Common Grackle.

They did raise a family in there...

 This is half of the pair of Eastern Kingbirds that were patrolling the wetlands.

Also a big bug eater!

 One of my favorite birdies! Gray Catbird singing his crazy jumble of songs.

(Don't tell the warblies I said that!)

 Great Blue Herons also garner quite a bit of attention out here.

They're large and easy to spot and folks always love seeing them.

He's not a "crane" even though most people say "Did you see the Crane over there?"

At which point I get out the iBird Pro guide app on my phone and begin to get excited and over explain things until they say "Oh, uh-huh."...

 ...then I just say, isn't he gorgeous?

And everyone smiles and agrees.

(That was a close one!)

These Great Spangled Fritillary's on milkweed seemed to have a few close calls with our birdie friends!

 This is a very aggravated  Midland Painted Turtle.

Aggravated because he has a leaf stuck to his face...and I just stood there, giggled and took his picture...then walked away.

Sorry buddy, but it WAS funny!

 The Mourning Dove would have laughed as well, but birds can't laugh.

Except for the Kookaburra, but they don't live here.

 Sorry folks, that ain't no beaver!

It's a Muskrat and yes I'm sure.

He is om-nomming something tasty!

 Northern Cardinals have always been difficult for me to shoot.

UNTIL I discovered that they fall for that "look behind you" line!

 Got you this time!

 I like pond lilies.

They don't move...too much.

 Oh, that poor Red-tailed Hawk.

Why is it that Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles love chasing them around...?

 ...and plucking feathers out of their behinds?

They must have some sort of feather collecting game going on.

 "Whoaaaa!"

Don't you hate when get yourself into a predicament like that?

 That female Red-winged Blackbird didn't laugh as much as me.

Now that I think about it...BIRDS STILL CAN'T LAUGH!

Except, of course, for the Kookaburra...and they still don't live here.

Ask Stewart.

 Speaking of no sense of humor... Snapping Turtles...zero sense of humor...

Good stare though...

 I just remembered...this is Bird From Behind...

There. It's a Song Sparrows butt.

Happy?

 Okay fine.

Here's another.

Tree Swallow FROM BEHIND.

Bossy kids...

 Ha-ha!

Tree Swallows front!

 I had a beautiful serenade from this Veery.

I walked all around and under this guy and he just kept singing.

I just sat there quietly and listened.

Life is good when you can listen and be still.

CUTE DUCKIES!!!

 I have a friend that goes crazy for duckie photos.

This mother Wood Duck with duckling will make her go wild.

 The kids are getting a lesson on proper preening.

 Now they can go for a swim and have a little lunch...

 I get the crazy eye from so many birds...I wonder why?

Maybe they've seen this goofy blog...

WARBLY!!!

And it's a Yellow one! 

It's getting harder to see them with all of the leaves out.

Speaking of leaves out...I'm leaving!

For now...

See you next week with more wacky adventures in...

BIRDS FROM BEHINDDDDDDD....(pretend that's an echo. Cool.)