Why They Call Me "Loopy..."

 Please note the water...it's not supposed to be that high...not even a little...

 Please note my tiny car....it's about 4 inches above the ground.

 So...I took my weekly trip out to Magee Marsh a couple weeks ago. They had thunder storm warnings. All the better to see them warblies down low I thought to my silly self. They also had flash flood warnings. What do those weather folks know? I thought "I'll be fine..." I just won't drive the Miata. I'll take the Fiat 500 Abarth...so it's lowered...what are the odds that it will flood while I'm there.

The odds were excellent. I was on the main road...cars and trucks in front of me and a very large semi right on my tail...oh my...look how deep that water is on the road ahead...oh my...look how big that bumper is on that semi behind me...SH*T!!!!!! Well, no choice but to push ahead and create a nice bow wake in front of my tiny car. The river was pushing over the road with a calm pace. The exhaust tips were under water...making a cool glurgling sound...as long as I don't slow down or stop I'll be fine. And I made it!...twice...the second flooded area was a little more exciting. As I was driving through slowly, a semi came charging through in the other direction and buried me in lovely smelling marsh water. I heard him laughing as he passed...my window was open a crack.

Well, the smell is finally gone from my car and my hands have stopped shaking...and now you know how I got the nickname "Loopy." I ain't the brightest bulb in the box...butt I have a fun time!

Anyway...by the time I made it to Magee Marsh, it was closed due to flooding...duh. So next stop would be Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge...which was closed due to flooding (I even tried to sneak in...nope.) Well, I can't get back home because the roads in that direction are now closed...something about a tiny white car floating down the road...

I'll just keep heading west and stop off at Maumee Bay. There's higher ground out that way, then if need be I can head south from there, then back east and home. Lucky me! Maumee was open and the flood waters on that end of Lake Erie were lowering just enough for a few hardy birders to take a chance on their boardwalk. As you can see in the above photo, the water dropped enough to have a nice walk. It's still a few feet above where it should be, but it dropped off the walkway in most of the areas...besides, my shoes are waterproof and I'm relatively water resistant!

Onward!

 I don't know if he was calling his mate or laughing at the skinny guy wading with his camera.

 I know the female Red-winged Blackbird was laughing...I get that a lot...

 It was an excellent time to spot Blue-gray Gnatcatchers!

They even posed properly for me!

 A day isn't complete without at least one Song Sparrow.

I think he was in shock over the flooding.

 There were only a few warblies out and about....smarter than us humans.

This female Yellow Warbly was heading to a nest in the distance...

 Argh...this male Yellow Warbly was posed so well on that branch...a great butt shot...then zoom...

 Yep, lots of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers around every corner!

Love that Groucho Marx eye brow!

 Yes indeed, that is the rump of a raccoon...you could hear him snoring.

 I bumped into a very nice couple from Colorado, they came just in time for the weather.

They had two target birds on their list, which some birders laughed at.

They wanted to see a Northern Cardinal and a Blue Jay...we found both within moments of each other.

Never laugh at folks from other areas, your common and local birds may be very uncommon to others!...plus Cardinals and Blue Jays are cool to look at!

 

 Blue Jays have the most beautiful pattern on their back!

Judging by the look on that Muskrats face, whatever he's eating must be deeeeelicious!

 You can tell by the detritus on the walk that the water was quite a bit higher earlier.

It should be about another foot or so lower in this area...

 Every year at Maumee for the past four or five years, I've seen a red morph Eastern Screech Owl.

She didn't let me down!

And...

 BEEBEE OWL!!!!

 We were playing peek-a-boo through the blowing leaves and branches.

 I heard that there were three of these cutie owlets in the trees, but I could only spot this one.

Look at those mighty talons! Mousies beware!

 I may be one of the few that will chase a simple brown House Wren around trying to get a photo...another common bird that I love.

As you can tell, I finally gave up...he was hiding too well.

 Another one of those one second earlier he was posed so nicely shots.

Magnolia Warblies are always so busy hunting juicy bugs.

 A first year American Redstart turned around just for me.

What a nice lil warbly.

 Have I told you about the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher invasion yet?

 This Chestnut-sided Warbly did his best to hide in the tangles.

I will leave you for now with one final shot of a Gnatcatcher and his flashy tail!

See ya soon!

The Longest Twitch meets The Biggest Week!

 Yes kids, that is a happy Doodles(with Bobb, remember him?)!

Thirty down...fifty five to go...yoiks. Little by little, we're adding to our list of birding sights along the outstanding Lake Erie Birding Trail. Luckily The Doodles is keeping a list, because I've already lost track...and that's why I'm called "Loopy."

So...here we are at Maumee State Park, right on the shores of Lake Erie AND visiting The Biggest Week in American Birding! It was hard to tear ourselves away from the crazy boardwalk at Magee Marsh, but we had to register for the BWIAB and get The Doodles her goodie bag...and visit with our buddies that we only see once a year. Oh, and do a little birding along their boardwalk and trails.

 

 The Loopy one and The Debbie one.

As we were walking through the parking lot to the lodge, we heard the pitter pat of foot steps behind us, followed by "Hey, aren't you Dave, the Birds From Behind guy?" That was so much nicer than hearing "Hey, it's the burdz buttz guy!" After thinking for a moment, (she didn't look like she was angry about my blog) I said "Yup." Hard to believe I know, butt she likes this blog. That now makes seven of you in the world that need as much help as me. WE ARE NOT ALONE!

Anyway, after a little talking, she told us of a couple interesting birds perched along the boardwalk that me might be interested in seeing. Well, duh! If there's a chance that I can see a bird...especially from behind, I'm there! After ambling a little ways down the wooden path...behold!

 

 Yep, that's a lovely Common Nighthawk chillin' out in the wetlands.

 Conveniently perched in a way to view both sides...that is left and right, not fore and aft.

Maybe next time.

 Under one of the nighthawk trees was the fattest Canada Goose I have ever seen!

She definitely has that nest covered...and then some.

 To top things off, Debbie led us to a tree just across the water with another Common Nighthawk snoozing away.

 Without going for a wade, I could only view one side...and no butt shots today.

Next time!

Still a two nighthawk afternoon is always good!

 

 The rest of the walk was very quiet as it was late in the afternoon.

Every once in a while we'd spot something zooming through the branches.

This was a young American Redstart not sitting still like most kids.

 Still waiting for Canon to send that 500mm lens.

Yeah, there's a bird back in there.

I'll give you a hint, it's a Swainson's Thrush. 

Oops.

 

 There were plenty of Midland Painted Turtles!

 This Groundhog popped up out of his hole and we scared the heck out of each other.

The Doodles laughed at me...again.

 It turns out he was trying to show us a bird.

A much sought after bird around here this time of year!

A skulky skulker...

 YES! A Life Butt Shot!

 And it even turned around...for a split second.

If you haven't figured it out, it's a Mourning Warbler.

One of those secretive little guys that hides way down low and taunts you with a peek every now and then...

 ...zoom and he's gone!

This was the longest look we've ever had of this warbly!

And I only took about 100 shots of him...or so...maybe 200...

 This is were he was hiding, right next to the nature center and their pond.

 At last, the butterflies, like this Red Admiral, are starting to show themselves.

No more snow, please!

 

 The Doodles gives Maumee a high rating on her "bench survey"

"Five Benches!" The highest...

 The Ring-billed Gulls and the Common Terns like it too.

If, unlike me, you can swim and enjoy being underwater where you can't breathe and strange creatures live, you will like their beaches.

I'll stick to the woods...where I can breath, stay relatively dry and not get eaten by a fish.

 

 Then there's those silly gray and white birds, always making trouble.

Chasing this poor innocent Killdeer.

BAD GULL, BAD!

 WARNING

POSSIBLE ADULT CONTENT!

 

 Spring is in the air after all...you know that song...

"Bees do it...ghosts do it..."

 

 "Even Tree Swallows on lamp posts do it..."

 It took them a number of crash landings before they figured out how to "do it!"

 Oh oh...I think he spotted me..

Just so you don't think I'm some sort of wacko,(though you'd be right!) I wasn't the only one watching!

Yellow Warblyz are a bit voyeuristic as well!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE...

"MAY MADNESS!"

A day in the life of my Peeps, part deux...

If you read my post yesterday about the vicious Sanderlings and you thought I was just kidding...well guess what! Look at these two going at it, beak and claw! Apparently someone got too close to someone elses turf and picked up a tasty morsel that he shouldn't have. The next thing you know...attack of the killer Sanderlings!

They moved so quickly I had a difficult time keeping them in the frame...oh, to have a video camera! And you thought it was boring being a peep...

Check out the fancy footwork! "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..."

And of course, a little fancy wing work also!

And the winner!

Gives a whole new meaning to 'a pain in the neck' doesn't it?

"You're next, camera boy!"

At this point, you would see me screaming like a little girl, arms waving and running down the beach!