Showing posts with label Cedar Waxwing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cedar Waxwing. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

More May at Magee!...

 This was the first May at Magee Marsh that I didn't see an American Woodcock.
I did see this nest with eggs right next to my car though!

Another May of mayhem at Magee Marsh is but a memory...now I'll dream of spending more time at Magee next year to see my favorite lil warbly buddies. In the meantime I'll go through the thousand or so photos I shot this year and relive the memories, one fuzzy photo at a time....and make you look at them too!

I also went to Ottawa and Howard Marsh after this morning at Magee...I'll share those soon...

 The Bald Eagles were busy at their nests tending to obnoxious kids begging for food.

 This was the first year I managed to get a couple decent photos of Bay-breasted Warblies!
Even one singing!


 I love pointing out black racer snakes...there's always one person in the crowd that says "Ewwwww!" and runs away.
Now there's more room for me to get some warbly shots!

 This was the popular pose for Black-throated Green Warblies this year.
I saw more than one like this...odd, very odd.

 All the Cape Mays were high up today...and giving me the crazy eye and laughing.

 Terrible pic of a beautiful Cedar Waxwing...they can't all be good...one would be nice though...

 The invisible Eastern Screech Owl.
I never would have noticed him excpet for the fact that he roosts in the same tree most days...

 This Magnolia Warbly was confused by the Maggie tattoo on my arm...

 Amazingly that young Mourning Dove managed to stay in that rickety nest all cozy under mom.

Playing peek-a-boo with a Red-winged Blackbird...as usual...

 Even a color blind guy like me can see a Scarlet Tanager!

 Yummy! Caterpillars for lunch!
This Yellow-rumped Warbly doesn't seem too excited though...nor would I...

I'll leave you for now with a Baltimore Oriole booty!

See ya soon!

Sunday, November 11, 2018

We Are Going For a Ride in the WABAC Machine!



 This is not a real Robin if you remember from your recent lesson.
What is it now called children?
Correct!
An Orange-breasted Ground Thrush.
Now tell your friends.

Yeah, yeah I know..."You've fallen WAY behind in your posts!" Get over it. I'm back to annoy you as much as I can...and maybe give you a giggle now and then and help you forget about the morons running this asylum.

We set the date in the way back machine to July 4th, 2018. The day Britain celebrates getting rid of us...or something like that. The place, Brust Park in Munroe Falls. If I remember correctly (ha!) it was quite a hot day and I was surprised that not many people were out. There was a group of teens jumping off of a low bridge into the Cuyahoga River, and I was tempted to join them...but that would make me the weird old man. Or should I say weirder?

Anyway, enough of the wordy stuff...

 This Orange-breasted Ground Thrush had the right idea!



 Splish splash! And it wasn't even Saturday night!

 This is still a Baltimore Oriole.
It was named after a baseball team for some odd reason.

This pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds weren't singing, they were trying to cool down in the heat.
Maybe Cleveland should name their footyball team after them!
Bird names are trendy in sporty sports.

 I always have a nice walk in this park. You have to dodge the occasional bicyclist, butt many of the birds enjoy sitting still for portraits, such as this delightful Cedar Waxwing.

 This Eastern Kingbird kept a close eye on me and followed me through the woods around a small pond. (I like being off the trail a lot!)

 When I arrived at the pond and scanned the trees, I discovered why I was being watched so closely.
He has a family on the nest!

 Stoopid Starling was yelling at me to keep my watercraft out of the water.
"And don't even think about swimming!"
Stoopid Starlings are soooo bossy. 
I should have asked for his green card.
(That was politically incorrect humor.)

 Damselflies confuse more than dragonflies...While not swimming in the pond I saw this Stream Bluet.

 Speaking of Britain...
A Gray Catbird made a visit to England last month.
He must have rode the hurricane winds over.

 "Wow! I'll bet they mispronounce his name!"
"It's HARRY, not 'ARRY!"
(You see, the catbird call sounds like he's saying Harry. That's a funny joke, You can laugh now.)

Another British import, the House Sparrow. 
He's reminiscing about the punk look...

 This is now my favorite photo of a Mallard.
And I thought I was the only one that couldn't swim...

 This poor Osprey was losing his nest piece by piece thanks to the Stoopid Starlings and the House Sparrows.

 Portrait of a frustrated Osprey.

 I never noticed the buggy eyes on a Red-bellied Woodpecker before.
Must be all the bugs in their diet...mahahahaha!

 You must appreciate the following photos...

 So, I heard a loud commotion in the woods. Dozens of songbirds making a racket.
I wandered in to see what the ruckus was all about...through poison ivy...

 Fortunately my dear readers that were hoping I would be suffering through and insufferable rash and scratching fest, I am not affected by poison ivy, so nyah!

 Where was I?
Oh, the ruckus among us...this poor and starving Red-shouldered Hawk was simply minding his own business while trying to eat the face off of one of the aforementioned songbirds and they seemed to take offense  and chased him off.
I followed in quick pursuit to get these lovely photos for your pleasure.
You're welcome.

This young Red-winged Blackbird was yelling for his mom because I was following him.
Red-winged Chickenbird.

 Picture for you to go "Aw..."
A lil Ruby-throated Hummingbird just chillin'.

 My woodsy wanders would never be complete without my favorite Song Sparrow!

 I'm sorry to say, I have many hundreds more photos to make you suffer through until I get caught up...which doesn't look likely...tata for now!

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Oooooo! A Small Furry Mammanil!!!!

 Yep...it's a muskrat...
 Still no stoopid otters! BAH!

 So...there I was, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm bored and sick of doing chores. Why, I have a swell idea! I think I'll go birding! Hey kids! Let's go to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and look for otters...or beavers...or maybe even a bird or two! Gee, this sounds like a peachy keen idea. Maybe we can put on a play after.

Okay, so I was watching Little Rascals and Leave It To Beaver that afternoon...ah, life in simple black and white with no smart phones...

I really did go to my local national park. How lucky am I? It was very peaceful when I arrived at about 5pm. Just a few bikers, joggers and wanderers like myself. As I got closer to the large wetland where I've heard rumors of otters and beavers, they do call this area the "Beaver Marsh," but I have yet to see one, a boy about 4 or 5 came up to me and said "Sir(very polite youngster!) have you seen the beavers today?"  Remembering to be kind to young people, I didn't go off about how I've never seen a single one of those blasted beavers OR the otters and I think they don't truly exist and are actually alternative facts playing games with our minds...nope, I just smiled and said "Why, no young lad, I have not seen the aforementioned beavers scurrying about on this fine afternoon." Of course, no sooner did I say that when we heard a splash close by in the water. (Of course the splash was in the water, Dave! Where else would it be?!) We all ran to the edge of the path to see....a muskrat.

Those are real. I've seen them before. Lots of times. Too many times. The boy was really excited anyway. Which put me in the proper frame of mind. Everything can be new and wondrous to someone and we shouldn't take everything in our natural world, no matter how common, for granted. With the changes our environment is going through, any day these wonders may cease.


 The Canada Geese were kind enough to pose...facing the proper direction for me.

 There's an Eastern Screech Owl that roosts in this hole...except for today.
I watched it anyway.
You never know HOO may show up!

 Even though there are many Great Blue Herons in this area, I'm always fascinated by them.
Something tasty caught his eye...

 His head went like an arrow into the muck.
KERPLUNK!

 And he caught a nice appetizer!

 Gotta let it wiggle for a minute...

 I sure am glad I don't have to fish with my face.

 Let's zoom in a bit...hmmm...looks like it may be a tadpole!
Nummy!

 Swallowing it whole...nah, I like my food cooked...and de-boned.

 The show is over. 
He's going to find a place without some skinny guy shooting a hundred photos of him while he eats...
I'm so rude some times...

 I love the iridescence of Mallards heads.

 Every time I heard something in the water in the reeds and weeds I shot a photo.
Ya know, those otters and beavers might be real...

 Fresh from a winters muddy nap, this Midland Painted Turtle came out for a little soak in the sun!
Seems like a great idea to me!

 I liked how this Mourning Dove ducked his head out of the sun so he could see what I was doing.
And people say they ain't so smart...

 One of my favorite little feathery friends!
I love hearing the Song Sparrows singing their hearts out for love.
Good luck lil buddy!

 I managed to sneak up behind this Cedar Waxwing to get a shot of his special presidential do.
They're such trendy stylish birds...

Well, that's all for today...aawwww...You'll get over it!

Until next week, get out there and rekindle YOUR sense of wonder!