OH MY GOSH! A Blue Jay actually sitting still for me!
In between the trips to Magee Marsh and the Jet Express trip with the Friends of Ottawa, I made to Sheldon Marsh in Huron, Ohio. This is a place I really need to visit a little more often in the spring, a tad closer than Magee and less populated. You never know what you're going to see, but you know you'll find something interesting! There's a paved path that leads back to overlooks of the wetlands, then a boardwalk that leads to a beach and also a path that leads to a closed NASA building and the lake. I had to pass on the beach both days because it seemed to have disappeared! Lots of storms lately have raised the lake level...and lowered the beach level...next time.
This is a combination of two trips...cause I'm getting behind in my bloggity duties...
Along the edge of the boardwalk in the woods you can normally find a duckie or two.
Today I had a Blue-winged Teal. I also saw Wood Ducks waaaay back in a corner.
Speaking of politicians...here's a BULLfrog...
This poor confused Muskrat...his home was overtaken by the neighbors...
A Great Blue Heron and a turtle have taken over!
The otters have just taken off...somewhere...
My laughing at this Red-bellied Woodpecker hopping along the ground seemed to ave made him a little testy. He mumbled some nasty grumbles then took off.
(The Red-winged Blackbird was laughing too!)
Even handsome Red-headed Woodpeckers look silly hopping along the trail..
That's much better.
They are better suited to trees...
SPRINGTIME!
Pretty flower...ooooo.....
I don't see hoppy toads too often!
This American Toad even posed properly.
Baltimore Orioles were plentiful in the deep woods and tree tops.
( These are from the second day...yep, they are dark. I usually have my camera set one stop under, I seemed to have reset it to THREE stops under exposure...a little too dark...)
Another Oriole hiding in the scrub...
I had given up on seeing any warblies for the day.
When I came off the boardwalk and was heading back, WARBLIES appeared!
First up was this Black-and-White Warbly...
Then a Chestnut-sided Warbly popped out into a ray of setting sun...
Then this Wilson's Warbly appeared through a break in the scrub, just long enough for me to ogle him...and get a few shots too!
He made my day!
This Eastern Kingbird was hawking insects close to the parking area.
Good eats out there!
I always love being serenaded by a crazy Gray Catbird!
I think they're into jazz...maybe Be-bop...
This tiny Mallard was all alone swimming in circles and finding things to nibble on.
No sign of adults anywhere...I wanted to give him a hug and tell him things will be fine...
This Rose-breasted Grosbeak was keeping a close eye on me.
I think he was afraid I may take some of his caterpillars...
I don't eat bugs...at least not on purpose...
A very shy Ruby-crowned Kinglet skulking and singing quietly in the bushes...
And then there's my favorite Song Sparrow, out in the open, belting out a wonderful tune for all to hear and enjoy.
Hmmm...
Thrushes always puzzle me.
I think this was a Swainson's Thrush.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong...
YEA! That's a Tree Swallow!
I know that one!
He was perched on a tree and I saw him swallow a bug.
Pretty simple breast, must be a Veery!
You can always tell which White-crowned Sparrows are from the city...
They like the barbed wire and chain link fences...
Country White-crowned Sparrow...
He just took a bath and can't do a thing with those feathers...
A lone White-throated Sparrow waiting for the right wind to blow him across Lake Erie to Canada.
A little Chestnut-sided booty to close out the show...
See you soon!
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