Did You Know There Are Birds That AREN'T Warblies At Magee Marsh?!

 It's always cool to see an American Woodcock looking for fresh worms!

I have completely lost track of all the photos I've taken over the past month. So who knows what days of birding madness I'll be posting!

I do know WHERE I've taken everything...MAGEE MARSH!!! Rain or shine, I stopped by to visit my favoritest place in the world and to see my bird buddies...and the human ones at BSBO too!

No rain on this day...it was all sunshine and happiness! I spent about seven hours and never made it around the whole marsh...I still need to wander a little more..next weekend! You can never see too many birds...

Anyway...no more talking.

 The Bald Eagle "babies" are HUGE!

I think it's time for them to move out on their own...

 Yeah, well...I gotta post at least one warbly pic!

Black-throated Greens always get a lot of attention!

 Blue-headed Vireos have a curious look in their eyes...maybe there was a bug on my hat...

 The Downy Woodpeckers were working hard at getting them lil buggies out of the bark.

 And he apparently didn't like having his photo taken...

(He missed me by the way...I'm quicker than you think!)

 An Eastern Kingbird making Eastern Kingbird sounds.

 It's very hard to sneak up on a Gray Catbird...

 The House Wrens are back!

I think I hurt my neck with this one...

 Killdeers need to learn to relax...

 Oops...is that a Northern Parula peeking out?

MORE WARBLIES!!!

 hahahahahahaha....

 I did see quite a few Midland Painted Turtles though.

This one wandering through the scrub next to the boardwalk got a lot of attention.

"Is there a Mourning Warbly down there?!"

 Nope, just a turtle...

 I can't stop!

The unmistakable Palm Warbly booty!

 I haven't seen so many Red-breasted Nuthatches in a long time!

 And a Red-headed Woodpecker made an appearance!

 There's always dozens of Ruby-crowned Kinglets to catch your eye as they zip back and forth.

And sometimes they sit still...for a half a second.

 A pair of Sandhill Cranes were working through the far end of the marsh.

 Tree Swallow on bug patrol!

 And a brief moment a Warbling Vireo wasn't warbling.

...mouth full of bugs I think...good manners.

 It always pays to look down once in a while...it's good for your neck, and there's White-crowned Sparrows down there!

 ...and White-throated Sparrows too!

 I'll leave you with this very colorful Red-breasted Nuthatch!

I hope to see you out there somewhere!

Meanwhile, Back on the Boardwalk...

 The big storm has passed...

Saturday was a WHOLE different kind of day compared to Friday. Most of the flood waters had subsided enough to re-open the closed roads and birders were back out on the boardwalk at Magee. With the winds from the north continuing, the birds were few, butt still a fun time to be out...especially since I'm not soaked through today!

As you can see, I had a few new warblies on this day...and a bounty of booty shots to boot! In a sick way I enjoy hearing other birders complain about the birds facing the "wrong" way and hearing them mumble, over and over, "turn around!" You have to learn to love life from both sides! Enjoy it all, because these little feathered fliers will be gone in a few days!

 This Black-throated Green Warbly was living the high life...in the tree tops...and moving fast!

"Gotta get them buggies while they're fresh!"

 This lone Blue-winged Teal was along the causeway to the marsh...and of course swimming away.

 This little Chipping Sparrow was trying to balance on the rope around the Bald Eagle's nest.

He looked like a trapeze artist with the wind blowing him back and forth.

(Nope, didn't take a pic of the eagles...)

 I wonder how many birders walked pass him without even noticing?

 Even this Great Egret posed properly along the south end of the boardwalk!

 Really?

 This Ovenbird was one of the hardest birds I've ever tried to photograph.

He was moving so quickly in and out of the scrub and shadows.

Made me a dizzy boy!

 He sat still for a split second...then off again!

 LOTS of Palm Warblers wagging their tails.

Must be the happiest birds around!

 They were always close to the boardwalk...and watching the birders as much as we were watching them!

 This Racducoon in his cozy den woke up just long enough to scratch, then disappeared again into slumberland.

 Butterflies like this Red Admiral were back out in force today.

 It's always a treat to see a Snowy Egret...and no snow.

 It was still windy and this Tree Swallow was hanging on as tight as he could!

 I still love the patterns on the backs of sparrows.

I also keep calling White-throated Sparrows White-crowned...doh...throated...throated...throated...

 Speaking of nemesis birds...one day I'm going to get a photo of a WHOLE Wood Thrush...maybe.

That's what keeps going out birding...

 I told it was a "bootyful" day!

Even the Yellow Warblies were obliging.

 Still a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblies singing for the birders out there!

 Hmmm...female or first year?

As I mentioned in my last post, I stopped at Ottawa NWR to search, to no avail, for the Summer Tanager...which I've been told is in the same place I couldn't see him today. Oh well...

 There's a narrow brook that meanders through here normally...it seems to have turned into a small lake. 

Make sure your shoes are waterproof!

 Still lovin' those Brown Creepers!

 Here's your moment of "Aww."

A happy little Killdeer family

 Once it was decided I wasn't a threat, the little ones scrambled off to find something to eat.

They are amazingly fast!

 A couple of Sandhill Cranes flying off into the sunset...

 I made one last stop. While enjoying the fun and friendship at the Biggest Week hoopla at Maumee Bay Resort, I was asked by Kenn Kaufman if I'd seen the Marbled Godwit that was behind the Barnside Creamery ice cream shop. Nope, hadn't heard about that one. 

It was close to 8pm when I got there and couldn't see a thing. Luckily my friend Ed(also known as "The other Dave", long story...) showed up with a spotting scope and found it! Of course when I located it, it turned his back on me...YES! A fine "end" to another wonderful day of birding!

Stay tuned I'll be back out somewhere soon!

I'm Birdin' in the Rain...Just Birdin' in the Rain!...

I took the day off to go birding at Magee Marsh for the start of...THE BIGGEST WEEK IN AMERICAN BIRDING!!!...(add echo.) So what if a few roads were closed due to flooding...and the winds were howling and blowing everything sideways...and the rain was hitting me like freezing needles...suck it up, be a REAL birder! Jeez...am I crazy or what?! Shut up.

I had to take the two and a half hour drive to get there and dodge accidents and blowing semi's along the turnpike, but it turned out to be a good day and worth the trip! I first stopped at Maumee Bay State Park and resort to register and get my goodie bag from the great folks at Black Swamp Bird Observatory...and to say hello to some old and new friends. I then went back out into the craziness of the weather and blew down to Black Swamp to say hello. While there I spoke with a few birders about the boardwalk.

I was thinking of just heading home due to the high winds and rain. Not good for cameras...or skinny guys that blow away easily. Eh, while I'm here I may as well drive down the causeway to check things out. When I got to the boardwalk I actually saw a few cars!...and one poor guy hunkered down under the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources canopy. He sort of waved...or was it just the wind blowing him around...anyway...I'm here...HOW BAD COULD IT BE?

I prepared myself and my camera with a "water proof" layer and opened the car door. After I ran through the parking lot to catch my door and reattach it, I made my way to the boardwalk. You know those videos of people standing in a wind tunnel? That would've been me. I'm not built for high wind. Luckily my camera is heavy enough to keep me anchored, so off I went birdin' in the rain! Gene Kelly, eat your heart out...I got the moves...
 

 My first bird was a Gray Catbird...as wet as I was.

 And then there was my first warbly of the day!

A Yellow-rumped Warbly!

*Note to Canon...drill a drain hole in the lens hood for idiots that point their lenses up in storms...

 How many times do I have to tell me?! DON'T AIM UP IN THE RAIN!

Oh well, how could I pass up this adult Bald Eagle feeding that brat in a storm.

He just couldn't wait for the rain to let up...kids...

 Someone needs to add rain soaked birds to field guide descriptions.

This is a poor, soggy Warbling Vireo.

I resembled that...

 This Baltimore Oriole was hunkered down in a most unhappy way.

 This Downy Woodpecker found the dry side of this tree and was finding plenty to eat in there.

I was actually that close, no cropping needed today!

 Have I ever mentioned how much I like the pies at Blackberry Corners?

Oh, and she even put extra chocolate sauce and whipped cream on it.

I was going to take a photo of the whole slice, but temptation took over...

I finished within another second...

 I saw Egrets off in the distance and took a shot.

Turned out that along with the two Great Egrets on the left, there were two Snowy Egrets in there as well!

 Just off the boardwalk was a Green Heron hunting for dinner.

I'll bet he didn't have pie after...

 Oops, I'm busted...he heard me...

 ...forgot to look...

 Some folks thought they had an Orange-crowned Warbly, but I couldn't get on it quick enough to say.

A short time later, this one came right out in front of me getting ready to eat the face off some poor unsuspecting bug!

My pie was better...

 He twisted around so I could see a little orange.

I'm still color blind!

 But it posed so nicely!

AND the rain stopped!

 The White-throated Sparrows were still wandering in the scrub.

 I think this Palm Warbly just noticed the rain ended also!

 This will go down as the oddest butt shot of the day.

 Special thanks go to Sam Woods for ID'ing this Pine Warbly.

I would have stared for hours at this one...

 Trying to figure out what I am as well I suppose...

 Hmmm...it's a Thrush...maybe a Swainson's?

This was the only shot of the whole bird I managed...it was still raining at this point and both of us were thinking of leaving...

I will leave you today as these Sandhill Cranes were leaving me...

I'll be back at Magee again this weekend!

...without the rain of course...