Last Month at Munroe...

 A rude little American Goldfinch giving me the razzberries...back atcha bub!

 Yep, yep, yep...really behind...waaaayyyyy behind...oh well. This was from mid July at the lovely Munroe Falls/Tallmadge Meadows Park. And it's only two of the three days in a row I went out there to try to get a better shot of the Yellow-breasted Chat, former warbly thing and still hiding from my camera. They're kind of the feathered version of the "Wack-a-Mole" game...up for a second and back down as soon as you point at them and almost focus. He's up there with that stinking otter...furry jerks...

At least I have lots of photos to look at...and to eventually torment you with...not to mention my slightly deranged commentary. One day I'll get therapy...and I'll probably make the doc go off the deep end too. Wheeeee! Burdzburdzburdzburdz!

 I'm used to looking up for Cedar Waxwings...this guy was creeping along in the weeds and wildflowers.

 I was also playing peek-a-boo with this Common Yellowthroat.

I believe he has a nest just below camera view. I saw him pop down there with a bug, then a little rustling in the weeds, then he was up and out and back shortly with more goodies for junior.

 This is a Cooper's Hawk looking for dinner.

 This is a Cooper's Hawk dinner.

Some people call them Mourning Doves...mourning for each other...

 

 Oh those wacky flycatchers!

I'm sticking with Eastern Wood-Pewee on this one.

I gave up on last weeks pics...

 This is a Groundhog trying to find his shadow.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that he won't see it until February.

Maybe he was just practicing...

 I knew where two sets of Indigo Buntings had nests this year.

I was lucky enough to catch this young one sitting out in the open waiting for dad...and food.

 Indigo Buntings are quite handsome birds...almost up there with warblies in my book!

 

 Here's a happy lil buddy with what looks like grasshopper filet.

Juicy!

 And of course the Song Sparrows were still singing!

 One day I will leave the NOTTER out of a post...nah...

 This is a Red-bellied Woodpecker pretending to be part of the tree.

Needs a little more practice...

 This is a juvenile Common Yellowthroat (thanks to Brian Tinker! )...a lucky find for me!

I never did see an adult...

 The way he was begging, there must have been one near by.

 ...and the Song Sparrows are STILL singing...

 

 If you ever wondered why your cell phone reception goes on and off...wonder no more.

A popular game with Turkey Vultures is  spreading their wings to block your signal.

Another true fact you won't find anywhere else!

(I'll bet I could get a job in the White House!)

 I took a photo of this teasel(maybe a teasel?) just because I thought it was pretty....

 THen when I looked at it on the computer I noticed the fly and the caterpillar...and...

 ...Mrs. Spider and web he wove waiting patiently for dinner to be delivered...

It always amazes me what I find when I look even closer.

 More pretty wildflowers, thistle of some sort...no bugs...

 Another wildflower...I discovered amongst all of my field guides a Peterson guide to wildflowers...from 1968...I think I need a newer one with photos to assist my simple mind...

Maybe Spotted Cowbane...maybe not...let me know if you know then we'll all know...uh...

 I think I need a nap...one last bird butt and I'm out!

Have fun out there and don't forget to take a closer look...and when you arrive home tell your politicians to leave the parks for the people and the wildlife!

Cuckoo for Cicadas!

 Cicada exuvia...pretty, eh?

Around here the brood V periodical cicadas are coming out of the ground after 17 years of feeding on fluids of tree roots. Sounds like a great way to spend a few years...that would explain why when they finally make it out to fresh air they're so noisy! TIME TO PARTY!!! Just a few weeks or more to find a wife, make some babies and become bird food...

Walking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park the past week I found the sounds these crazy critters made to be deafening. There must be tens of thousands of the males covering all of the trees(and trying to land on me as well!) That many rowdy Romeos gathered  together to compete for the love of their bug eyed Juliets gets a little out of control. 

 A handsome lady killer...or not...

There was hardly a spot to walk without either stepping on one of crunchy creatures or getting smacked in the face by one. No barefoot hiking today. Normally I don't get too upset with insects, but, JEEZ! When they hit, they tend to stick to you and start to crawl to your highest point. No thank you Mr. Cicada, buzz off...

 The ground is covered with the exits of cicada abodes...and the shells of what they once were...

 A yellow-billed Cuckoo high over head...my camera is heavy.

Another song I've been hearing a lot lately is the call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I don't know a lot of calls but, this one is very unique! These are usually tree top and secretive birds that I've rarely seen. This spring there seems to be quite a few more than normal...and they like cicadas...not in a friendly "let's be buddies" kind of way though. More in, "my don't you look delicious" way.

While I was listening to them calling in the trees and chasing them without any good shots, I saw this one fly over the parking lot I was standing in. I was speaking with a newer birder, discussing their calls and all of the birds to be seen in our area. This guy landed right above us! My only way to get a shot was to hold my silly heavy camera, lens and monopod over my head. Now you now I've been blessed with sticks for arms, so that was not an easy task!

Moments later, a second Cuckoo flew in, a female! And we all know what happens in the spring when a cuckoo gets cuckoo! Yep, out in full sight(almost) with children around! My goodness...no morals in Cuckooland. Oh well, when nature calls...

 Soon we will have more Yellow-Billed Cuckoos...

 

...and a few less cicadas...and little a peace and quiet in the forest...until 2033 when it starts all over again!

Books and Books and MORE Books!

 Oboy! It's just like Christmas when I get new bird and bug books to peruse! They come in handy for trying to figure out what the heck I took a photo of last weekend...or a few years ago. Here's four of my latest additions to the library...

 I discovered hoverflies (or flowerflies as they're known in the U.S.) a few years ago when I started using a macro lens to shoot flowers and bee bumbles in our garden. These little beauties mimic bees and wasps and gather nectar from flowers. Their mimicry makes them appear as an insect that can sting and should be avoided as food by predators, but they're harmless tiny pollinators.

An image from the guide on their life cycle.

"Britain's Hoverflies, A Field Guide" by Stuart Ball and Roger Morris is a wonderful guide to these tiny gems of the gardens. Illustrated with photos of 167 of the most common and easily identified species of Britain, it also has a complete list of the 283 species recorded in Great Britain.

It has at least one member of each genera with ID info, similar species and observation tips, whether it's a large or small species or a fuzzy bee bumble copy cat, colours and other noticeable features.. A range map with expected dates is shown for each as well. If you have the slightest interest in what may be lurking in your gardens, this would be a great addition to your buggy library. I would love to find a version of this guide for North American flower flies!

This Eristalis transversa sp. was taken here in Ohio, but, like me, they have relatives in Britain too!

(Page 200 if you're curious!)

Me and The Doodles made a visit to Britain a number of years ago to visit a friend and chase birds. This book would have made a great addition to our luggage! We didn't see a lot of butterflies as we spent most of the time looking up into the trees and worrying about driving on the "wrong" side of the road!

"Britain's Butterflies, A field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Ireland" by David Newland, Robert Still, Andy Swash and David Tomlinson is another great book in the "Wild Guides" series.

Like the hoverfly guide, this is a photographic guide with outstanding photos throughout. It covers all 59 species species commonly found, plus a dozen rarities that could also be spotted on a fine sunny day. Each species has a detailed description, habitat and behaviour information, population and conservation facts and info on the life cycle from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis. Also listed are look alike species and where to look to find your favorite.

If you're new to butterflies, what took you so long?! If you're out birding, you should be looking at butterflies also, they're closer to the ground normally and it will give your neck a rest! For the beginner, this guide describes the life cycle, biology and habitats that you will need to know. It also has a nice "key features" illustration to teach you the parts of a flutterby.

All in all, a tremendous and compact guide to carry in your pack or place on your desk.

This is a Silver-studded Blue, one of the many great photos in this guide.

 

 This is a Peacock butterfly, the only butterfly I photographed while in England.

 The "Wild Guide" series from Princeton also have plastic covers to keep them clean and dry when you're in the field, handy when you drop the book running and screaming with something a little larger buzzing after you!
 

Now we're going a little south of the equator...

 "Birds of South America, passerines" by Ber van Perlo would have been wonderful to have on our trips to Ecuador and Panama! Very compact and excellently illustrated, it amazingly covers all 1,952 passerine species that may be found south of Panama to the Antarctic mainland.

This guide would be easy to use for anyone familiar with the Sibley's or Peterson's style of guide. As you can see by the sample page below, each species has range maps, descriptions of coloring and calls and plumage variations between males, females and juveniles where needed. I liked the family descriptions in the beginning of the book, broken down by Tyrannidae, Cotingidae and more, it gives you a quick reference of which family of birds o further research.

While the guide we carried on our trip was VERY thorough  and was split and rebound between illustrations and descriptions, it was heavy and left at our lodge the entire time. This book, on the other hand, is compact enough to be easily used and carried daily. If you should have the chance to visit South America, DO IT! The amount of birds you will see is dizzying. The views, the rain forests, cloud forests, rivers, mountains, jungles and the friends that you'll make, are things that will stay with you for the rest of your life...just like this guide.

A beautifully illustrated page from "Birds of South America."

 This Glossy Flowerpiercer was near Mindo and Reserva Las Gralarias in Ecuador.

Its description can be found on page 152!

  
"Birds and Animals of Australia's Top End" by Nick Leseberg & Iain Campbell is another one of the fine books in the Wild Guides series from Princeton University Press.

This guide covers most anything you could possibly see while visiting the Northern Territory of Australia(on my list of things to do when I win the lottery!) Nick and Iain are excellent guides from Tropical Birding that I've met several times at Magee Marsh here in Ohio. I don't think I'll be able to find any of these birds up here though...

Filled with vivid photographs of everything from Egrets to Echidnas, this would be an ideal small guide to keep on hand during your visit to the land down under. This has all the most common creatures you're likely to spy while wandering the varied habitats up north.

It gives you great information on equipment to bring, when to watch and the best parks and reserves to visit to find Cockatoos and Crocs. The species descriptions are great with wonderful photography, detailed descriptions and where to find them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my "imaginary visit" by reading through this book. If you're planning a trip south for the winter, this would be a perfect addition to your binoculars and camera...and me.

And there ya are! Waaaayyyyy up north!

 

 The ever so cheerful Iain Campbell. I have that effect on people...that's why I take photos of birds...

Okay kids, while you're at the book store browsing for your new guides, I'll get a few birdie photos for next time!

So...where was I?...

 American Goldfinch...booty time!

MWAHAHA! I'm back! You thought you could flood me out and wash me away, well...you're almost right...Lewis' are famous for not being able to float. BUTT...the computer is back online and I'm set to get out birding once again.

These picks are BF(before flood.) I shall have to torment you with some birds from the past for a while... 
AND...More Books for Birding...and bugs...and fish...coming soon!  
I missed the "Summer Reading" list that I planned, so it will be "Fun Fall Folios" or something...

In the meantime...we made a trip on a slightly drizzly day to the Lorain County Metroparks  Bacon Woods reservation...a great place for birds along the Vermilion River, with trails a little longer than The Doodles thought...sheeewww.....

 Loads of Chipping Sparrows in the tree tops singing in the rain...hmmm...that sounds like an idea for a movie...

 One of the first birds we spotted when we arrived was this goofy looking critter.

From a distance it was a mystery in the top of a gnarly old tree...when we got closer we were still a bit confused. Butt when we got really close, it turned out to be a Green Heron up there!

 I guess he was hunting for flying fish...

 (By the way, this is part of the Lake Erie Birding Trail, one more down on our "Longest Twitch!)

 ...almost forgot the money shot!...

 We saw this snake(maybe a Black Snake?) crossing the trail in front of us. I tried to pick it up to say hello...snakes are a lot stronger than you think...he wouldn't let go of the grass.

I left him alone like a good boy.

I guess I'll never find out why the snake crosses the road...

 With all of the rain, things are very lush out there.

 We watched a pair of Louisiana Waterthrush gathering nesting material.

 Hidden somewhere among those fallen logs is a nest...somewhere...

 I think he forgot where it was too...

 Speaking of lost...

 Oooohhh....pretty flower...

 A happy little Green Frog in a puddle in the middle of the trail. He didn't budge as we stepped over him. Must have been a cozy puddle...

 There's always quite a few Indigo Buntings there...and usually in the tree tops.

 This is the Benjamin Bacon home and museum.

They didn't have any bacon.

I was puzzled.

 Right across the road from Bacon Woods is Mill Hollow.

There's a large meadow with plenty of butterflies, the museum, a visitors center and more access to the Vermilion River.

 Why that's a Pearl Crescent butterfly!

 This is the visitors center and meeting area.

There's a large image from a patchwork quilt on the side.

We learned that this is a part of The Ohio Barn Quilt Trail that runs through Ohio with these images on barns and signs throughout the state.

 While we had a picnic lunch in the meadow, had plenty of company from Red Admiral butterflies too!

 

 This glittery beauty is a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle.

I think I counted more than six spots, butt I went to public school...

 You can tell this is a Silver-spotted Skipper because it has a white silver spot on its wing.

 I was trying to take a nice historic marker photo and this show off Eastern Wood-Pewee got in the way, sorry...

Until we meet again...TOODLES!