First Warbly of the Year!

First Warbly of the year, guess who?!

 

After one crazy year I finally made it out to find some of my birdy buddies!

I decided to stay somewhat close to home and went into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Station road. I've always had a great time finding something to photograph there and this day was no exception.

I haven't done much other than dust my camera since last May...and it was still a bit dusty. The batteries were dead...first thing, charge them up. All of my settings seemed to have disappeared as well...so, go in and reset date, time, name and my personal preferences. Next I did an inventory of what to take out with me...I went very light, being my first time out. Camera, extra batteries, polarizer for shooting in the water and a monopod.

Jeepers! After a year of only working and idle laziness, going out chasing birbs really hurts!  My out of shape body needs a lot of work, but, boy did I have a great time! Four hours and a few miles and even a few birds along the way!

With a little more practice, I hope to get back into burd butt mode!

 

A White-crowned Sparrow trying to hide amongst the new growth.

This Tufted Titmouse found something delightful to tear to shreds! 

Nom-nom-nom!

 Another Titmouse doing a few pull ups to keep in shape and impress the ladies.

 

I was surprised at the number of tadpoles swimming in the old canal and puddles.

 

There had been a dam running across this section of the Cuyahoga River for years and years. They finally removed it and the river is running much faster. It will add to the health of the river.

Another surprise was watching this crazy squirrel balancing on branches...

 The first peep of the year too! This Solitary Sandpiper was wandering up and down the canal probing for tasty morsels...

Woo-hoo! At long last, a burd from behind!

Believe it or not, there's a tiny lil fuzzy headed burb in that nest. He stuck his head up for a millisecond then disappeared....it may have been a raptor of some sort...hmmmm.

 All of the regulars were around today also...like this Northern Cardinal striking a dramatic pose....maybe Hollywood is looking!

 With all of the bright sunshine and warmth, the Midland Painted Turtles were out in force. This trio was having some sort of union meeting.

Mallard.....awake...

Mallard...asleep...

And I thought I was tall and skinny! This Great Blue Heron has me beat!

I seemed to have gained a little weight lounging about instead of birding...ruh-roh!

A very rare and elusive Treemunk! Cavity nesters, they are rarely see in the open...

Yea! A Choo-choo train!

CVNP has a rail line going through the park for sight seers and bicyclists that discovered they aren't in as good a shape as they thought...

Ribit.

I'm not sure what that means, but that's what the Bullfrog said to me.

I had a hard time finding a Black-capped Chickadee that would sit still for more than a second! I am wayyyy out of practice!

 I kept getting asked if I've seen the Bald Eagles...yep, I saw one...a juvenal too.

They also have a nest close by.

Yes, you guessed right! The first warbly of the year was a Yellow-rumped Warbly! 

How appropriate for me! 

 

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Birds From Behind!

Back to the Present...

 A hot day in the neighborhood! Even the Ruby-throated Hummers were sitting still.

 Hard to believe, but I'm actually posting from this weekend! Yes, there's more from the crazy migration month...we'll save that for later...In the meantime...YOIKS! It was hot on Sunday when I went to Tallmadge Meadows for a "short" walk through the woodland and around the meadow. The temps were already in the low 90's when I got there in the morning. By the time I finished my "short" walk it was 99 on the car thermometer! And I could feel it. I wonder why the birds were all hiding in the leaves and scrub?

I planned on leaving before lunch when the temps were going to burn me alive, butt I kept seeing a bird here and there...AND THEN...the wild call of a Yellow-breasted Chat...the non-warbly warbly! I followed him back and forth through the scrub and into the trees...for an hour and a half...back and forth...forth and back...and...anyway...stoopid burd never came out. Nope, time spent on fire in the full sun and not a single photo to chat about...jerk burd. All I got was a sun burn. Stoopid human...

Oh well, I had a good time anyway and even managed a few good shots!

 This is a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird winding up for a take off...

 You could even hear the sonic boom when he let loose!

This photo was taken at one millionth of a second...really...fast camera...maybe...

  (Alternative facts are my life.)

 Please note the "rising" icon and the temp alert.

I should have noticed that earlier...

 A smarter than me American Goldfinch, aka imitation warbly, hiding in the shade.

 I could clearly hear this Brown Thrasher laughing at me...a lot...another burd that's a jerk.

 Uh...Cedar Waxwing being fluffy?

 These two were confused by the fluffiness as well...

 This is a Chipmunk frozen in time pretending to be not there.

He needs a little more practice.

 Any day I can sneak up on a "Common" Yellowthroat and get his photo is a good day!

 There was at least a dozen singing in the meadow, I found two!

This one yelled at me for blowing his cover.

Angry little guy...

 This is a dragonfly.

It's not really a dragon or a fly...

 This is another dragonfly that isn't a dragon or a fly.

I need to find a "Dragonflies From Behind" field guide.

 This is a guilty looking Eastern Gray Squirrel.

I think he stole that nut from the frozen Chipmunk.

 Lots of flycatchers out today catching flies.

Except for this Eastern Kingbird.

Please note the juicy bumble bee in the upper right.

Flew right past his face.

Must not like sweet bees.

 Speaking of far sighted birds.

This Eastern Wood-Pewee almost got clobbered by that Virginia Ctenucha moth!

 The moth was being a daredevil and strafed him again!

 "Doh...did you see a juicy bug fly by?"

Love that look of bewilderment...

 Wow...when a Field Sparrow sings, his whole body shakes with those trills!

I need to learn to shoot and post video...

 Okay, first, to the lady that was standing behind me while I was calling out "HARRY!," that's how you talk to a Gray Catbird. I'm not crazy...well...mostly not.

By the way, the catbird called back "David!"

I heard it.

I'll bet that lady talks to herself...at least I only talk to birds...and chipmunks...and bugs...and snakes...

 I also occasionally talk to Midland Painted Turtles when they're sneaking through the wetland.

 ...and sometimes Raccoons...

 I don't talk to Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

That would be silly.

 Enough of that...this Red-winged Blackbird told me to be quiet...

 Um...excuse me, butt you got a little something stuck in your beak. Might want to wipe yer face.

Those Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are messy eaters...

 

 All the Ruby-throats I saw were just chillin' out...or trying to.

 This poor Song Sparrow was singing his brains out, butt sinking lower and lower on that branch.

He needed to take a break.

 This one told me he just wanted to sit for a few minutes and rest.

Me too.

 This is the look you get when you ask a Tree Swallow if he's ever swallowed a tree.

Not evne a chuckle out of him.

Nothing.

 Just the crazy eye...

I think feeding all of those kids did a number on his sense of humor.

 Hey Look!!

It's that Virginia Ctenucha moth that the flycatcher couldn't catch!

 Hmmm...those wacky Empidonax flycatchers...

I think it was a Willow, he disappeared right after this shot...

 Lots of Yellow Warblies were singing...and hiding except for this one!

I got you!

 Just like this Pewee, I waving bye-bye for now!

See ya soon!