A Little Break From Magee...

 Ca-caw!

Hard to believe, butt I actually spent a day closer to home(gotta save gas!) and paid a visit to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park...specifically, the Beaver Marsh and the Ira Road trail head. This is always a great place for birding, even on bad days there's always something of interest. This is also the spot where I got my first(and only) otter!

The path I walk is only a couple of miles at most, butt I can easily spend most of the day in that little area. There is so much to take in with woodlands, the marsh and wetlands and a meadow....and the fellow birders I always bump into.

This was a productive day, and I probably posted too many photos, butt have a seat, get a cool drink and enjoy...or run away while you can!

 The Baltimore Orioles were out in force, singing and squabbling with each other.

 Yep! There's warblies out there too!

THis view of a Black-and-White Warbly was better than the ones I had at Magee so far!

 Black-capped Chickadees are my brother Phil's favorite lil birdie.

(AND they're nesting in my nest box for the third year!)

 A Cape May Warbly on the hunt for juicy bugs...yum.

 I even saw a couple of Chestnut-sided Warblies out there!

 I'm getting the stare down from a Green Heron...he won, I gave up and left...

 Sometimes the Great Blue Herons are too close!

 I love to hear that crazy Gray Catbird song!

 This Eastern Kingbird found the perfect hunting perch.

 How could you have a bad day when there's an Eastern Bluebird over your shoulder?

 This Downy Woodpecker was picking ants off the tree branch...

 And apparently, he didn't like that one...

 Male Mallards are the meanest ducks I've ever seen.

Here he was holding the female under water.

She managed to escape unharmed.

 A Midland Painted Turtle chillin' in his own Monet painting.

 This Northern Water Ssssnake was ssssniffing out ssssomething for a sssssnack...

 This slightly disheveled Orchard Oriole was singing up a storm.

Well, not really a storm, more of a sunny day...

 Trying to find another otter and up popped this Pied-billed Grebe!

Close enough...

 This female Red-winged Blackbird was having a nice stroll across the lily pads...

 Holy cow! A Ruby-crowned Kinglet actually sitting still!

 I think this was an extra from one of those Godzilla movies...or maybe just a huge Snapping Turtle.

I saw a smaller one trying to race across a road a couple of weeks ago. I stopped traffic to grab him and get him off the roadway...and I still have all of my fingers.

Don't try that at home kids, I'm a trained semi-professional...or something...

 When I saw this Song Sparrow with a chopper full of bug bites, I knew he was going to a nest somewhere. I backed away and kept an eye on him and lo and behold...

 Buried down in the reeds, there's a little nest!

I took a couple of shots and left immediately so as not to stress them.

 Nope, still can't figure out the Thrushes...

Swainson's?

Never mind, I've decided I will call all of them Swainson's from now on.

Simple.

 The Tree Swallow doesn't like my idea.

Well, I'm gonna call you a Swainson's Swallow from now on.

So there.

 This is a Swainson's Wood Duck.

(Not really.)

 Would you believe a Swainson's Myrtle Warbly?

No? Me either.

Just a Yellow-rumped, soon to be Myrtle again.

 And I'll leave you with my only photo of a Yellow-throated Vireo, appropriate, eh?

Thanks for visiting! Tell your friends and neighbors to stop by and to say hello!

Cymru!

 Caban Coch Dam, Penbont Valley, Wales

 Just in case you weren't aware, today is St. David's Day. Being a David...and being Welsh...I always remember this day. There's not a lot of Welshmen  around, but there's four of us where I work. Go figure? I should mention that three of us are related, small details...We even had a little party at lunch to celebrate.

St. David is the patron saint of Wales and March 1st was chosen as the day of remembrance of his passing in about 569. LONG before me! Parades are held,festivals and lots of singing! I heard many stories from my father and uncles...ah, the good ole days! We were fortunate enough to be able to visit Wales on a birding adventure a few years ago...so, today's a good excuse to relive that trip...

This photo is of my family from about 1910. My dad is sitting on the lap of my grandmother.

Please note the smirk on granddad's face...same one I have!

 Red Kites were the highlight of the trip.

We visited a centre where Red Kites were banded and fed.

 Carrion Crows and Common Ravens waiting for the Red Kites to leave...

 

 A Common Buzzard.

In the states vultures are the ones commonly known as buzzards.

We would call this bird a hawk.

Wacky Americans...

 

 Pied Wagtail...in America we would call this rare!

 

 I would like a thatched roof home with an out of control yew covering our fence.

 

Uh...The Doodles has a way of finding the oddities of the world.

How many legs does a Welsh sheep have?

Happy St. David's Day to all of my Welsh friends!

Number Seven...

 The Doodles loved this park...she gives it a four bench rating!

 Yep...more of The Longest Twitch. This is number seven on our quest. 
Lakeview Park is a nice city type park, it's very close to Lorain Harbor from the last post. Lots of beach area, picnic areas and LOTS of benches to rest your weary bones after looking at all of the gray and white birds...We'll have to come back in the spring. There are actual trees here with actual birds that aren't gray and white!

 Gray and White birds flying in no particular direction after sitting on the beach and pooping.

There's a couple of dark gray and white ones in there too.

Probably pooping as well.

 

This is a Black and White gully thing.

I think it's a Great Black-backed Gully thing.

Why is it "Great?" 

Because the book says so.

 

 Hey wait a second!

Aren't those Great Black-backed Gully things supposed to have white wing tips?

And what's up with the band on the bill?

Oh, those wacky gully things.

 

There's a Great Black-backed Gully thing covering his head because he knows that Gray and White Gully 

thing flying over him is going to poop on him. 

The dark Gray and White Gully thing is just going to watch.

Rude.

  

 Look!

Canada Gooseses and Mallahrds frolicking in the sand.

Not really, they're hiding from the gray and white things...

 Benches, benches everywhere!

Who's the happy Doodles?

February sky along Lake Erie.

It matches the gray and white gully things.

 Hmmm.

One of those is NOT a gray and white gully thing!

I don't like the way he's looking at me.

I better go now...before he does!

Where my seed goes...

"Are you lookin' at me? Are you lookin' at me? You must be lookin at me, I'm the only one here!"*

*Say that with your best Robert DeNiro voice...

I owe an apology to the @##@*&%#@! Starlings that attack my feeders on occasion, that occasion being most every day lately. We were going through seed like it was water, fill them in the morning...completely empty by the time I got home...what the...! Of course I blamed the Starlings...the #@&*#*@! Starlings.

Then I discovered the truth. Sunday morning as we prepared for our walkies to the park to see some REAL birds...I saw him! Sitting there on the feeder, outside our dining room window, with his massive bulk causing the feeder to sway to and fro. Looking at me. Laughing. I heard him. That evil cackle. You've heard it before. Unnerving.

Do you know what it's like to have an American Crow laughing in your face, feeling helpless to do anything but watch...as the feeder is quickly depleted of lovely, energy packed, delicious black oil sunflower at you-know-how-much per pound! I watched in horror. I also took a few photos for evidence. I'll remember you! Beware the wrath of Loopy! You, you, you big piggy bird you!

"I look mahvelous!"*

*Do Billy Crystal now.

"Your seed is crap and I spit it at you...and your father is a hamster!"*
*Said with your best Monty Python voice.

"I shall rummage through and see if I shall find a seed worthy of my particular palate!"*

*Said in the voice of the Queen. God save the Queen.

"Yes, this single seed, by royal decree, shall be worthy of my regal beak!" *

*Repeat voice of the Queen. God save the Queen.