Meanwhile...Back at Ottawa...

 Oh those wacky Red-winged Blackbirds!

They just love to chase Bald Eagle teenagers!

Almost forgot about these! WAAAAAY back in July I kidnapped my brother Phil and dragged him out to Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to search out those wee little migrating shorebirds. It was just a bit cloudy...I thought for sure it would clear up and things would be fine. And it did...then it didn't...then it did...then it didn't...then...well, we're here, so lets go on the driving tour through the refuge. At least we won't get wet...oh wait, the windows are open. Oh well...

It wasn't really too bad, a bit drizzly on and off and a little breezy...and I had my camera set to under expose from my last outing and forgot to change it back...oops. Lunch was great!... Yep. I wonder if Phil will ever go out there again?...nah...

 Bird buttz galore at least!

Caspian Terns cleaning up and a couple of those silly gray and white gully things too...

 *Helpful hint!:

When shooting with a telephoto lens, watch out for sticks RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!

Oops...

 A Great Blue Heron preening in the breeze...

 I'm not sure where they were all heading...but I love watching a parade!

(By the way, that's a Yellowlegs, a Great Egret, a Dowitcher and a Great Blue Heron.)

All that work preening to make his Egrety self look great and the winds messes it all up...

 It was a day full of Egrets...great ones and jive ones(me!)...

 Those goof ball Canada Geese are always trying to get into the picture!

I thought I was going to get a nice Greater Yellowlegs shot...darn gooseseses...

 Drive twenty feet...stop the car...drive twenty feet, stop the car...drive twenty feet...watch Phil get nauseous...drive twenty feet...stop the car...turn off the engine...take twenty photos of Greater Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitchers...drive twenty feet...repeat...

 Uh...Great Yellowlegs? I'm really getting confused about those yellowy legged birds!

 Yea!

A simple bird!

A male Indigo Bunting...no confusion with them!

 Nutz...

Another Yellowleg...looks like a lesser.

I think...

Maybe...

 Midland Painted Turtles don't look a bit like any of those lil shorebird peep things!

Purple Loosetrife sure looks pretty for such a bad invasive plant.
(Turns out this is Pickeral Weed! Thanks Ray!)

 I'm glad I don't have to catch fish with my face.

 Snowy Egrets are most excellent face fishers!

Try it the next time you're in a marsh...

I dare you...

This was the saddest little Song Sparrow I ever saw.

Not  a single song...aw.

 This young Tree Swallow picking a rough neighborhood to perch in...ouch.

 A subtle derogatory comment from a Trumpeter Swan.

(Wondered where that trumpeting sound came from? Now you know.)

Still haven't got a wildflower book...

 One of those confusing birds!

Look at her beak...bi-colored...and very plain plumage almost like a sparrow.

It's a female Indigo Bunting with lunch for the kids!

Easier than peeps...

Well that's the end of the journey through the refuge. Not many migrating peeps around on that day...of course the next week was chock full...because I wasn't there. Next year...yep, we'll try it again next year...right Phil?...Phil?...where's he go...hmmm...maybe I'll go alone...

By the way, no Otters were sighted during the making of this blog...