King of the Marsh!...

 This is an Eastern Kingbird, very kingly, but not king of the marsh...

 I had a birdathon day last Friday with trips to Sheldon's Marsh, then Magee Marsh and finally Howard Marsh...10 hours of wandering not including the driving...I was beat! I need to remember to eat once in a while as well...

I show pics from Sheldon and Magee later on...butt right now I had an exciting find at Howard's! It was the end of the evening for me, the wind picked up and it was getting chilly...and dark. So...I decided(or actually my stomach decided) to turn around and head back to my wee little bird mobile and head for home...and food!  As I was heading back I heard some crazy sound coming from the marsh just ahead of me. It sounded like a rail, but it was LOUD!  I walked a little faster then stopped when I thought I was in the right area of the thickening reeds.

I stood there for about fifteen minutes before I heard the call again, watching intently for something to move. Every time it called I tried to find the center of its call. I wanted someone else to hear it, but I was the lone fool enjoying the marsh with the mosquitoes. Should brought more bug spray...add that to food. Finally there was some movement in the darkening marsh. Hot dog! There's the bird!

I watched it moving very slowly around in the background, carefully finding little meals hidden away. Amazingly it was walking towards me! I could see it look up at me a few times when my camera was clicking away. Ooooo...I thought at first Virginia Rail, butt looking at the size of it, like a small chicken, I thought "Hot Diggitty, it's a King Rail!" I saw one only once before, from a distance and got no photos of any quality. It was about 8:30pm now and I actually got a few decent shots.

I wonder if he'll find his soul mate in this amazing area?

 The King of the marsh!

Playing peek-a-boo through the grass and reeds.

 This American Coot was nearby doing a crazy dance to get my attention...it worked.

 I think he was a little embarrassed of himself...

 I swear I heard this lil angry Barn Swallow bark at me...

 Get your hip boots out! There's more little fuzzy poopers on the way!

(aka Canada Gooseseses...)

I forgot to mention the Snowy Egret...

 For you lovers of gray and white birbs...

Terns and Gulls...left terns I believe and gullibles.

 This is way I don't show more shorebird photos.

Uncropped image of Dunlin....waaaaayyy back there!

 Great, another Egret.

(Get it? Great Egret?!)

 And a Snowy Egret showing off his spring finery.

Looks better on him than some rich ladies hat...

 Until this Osprey flew into the nest, I didn't notice it was occupied.

I wonder if there's beebees yet?

 Yep, still love those Song Sparrows!

 A rude Spotted Sandpiper, just walking away form me while I'm talking...

Just in case you were wondering...I did indeed get a life butt shot of the King Rail!

Until next time...love those burdz from all directions!

Wetlands...

 You never know where you'll find wetland habitat.

This is in downtown Columbus, Ohio

 This Saturday, June 22nd 2013, the Ohio Wetland Association will be holding their annual meeting AND jamboree at the historic Homer Page Farm near Milan, Ohio. You know Milan, Ohio! It's the birthplace of Thomas A. Edison. Wow...three plugs in one sentence! I think that's a record for me...

A lot of people don't think about our endangered and disappearing watery habitats very much. They should. Especially birders. There's so many species to be found migrating through these areas and breeding and nesting as well. For decades, wetlands were considered nuisance areas and should be drained for farmland and development. "Let's make something useful out of that marsh!" Not realizing that these marshy areas help filter and clean out water that we so kindly pollute.

Now that we're hitting the summer season and the migrating warblys have passed us by for Canada, this would be a good time to visit your local misty moisty area and take a peek. You'll be surprised by all that's going on around you!

 Hey Doodles! 

Look at those Common Moorhens, oops, Gallinules fighting over who's gonna get the photo taken!

We're just starting to see more dragonflies appearing for summer buggy fun!

These Black Saddlebags are easy to spot as well as dozens of other species.

A good substitute for warblys in the summer!

 

 Oh yeah... Magee Marsh.

Definitely my favorite marsh in May!

You can find warblys and migrants in May, dragonflies and marsh birds in the summer, 

and shorebirds and ducks flying through in the fall.

 Every time I see a Green Heron, they look a little different.

This chubby guy was at Sanibel Island, Florida.

 

 Speaking of Florida...

We saw this Limpkin's butt while on a visit, give me a minute and I'll remember where...or not...

 

 Meadowbrook Marsh is very close to Magee.

The folks in this town realized how important this type of habitat is and restored it. 

Three cheers for them!

 

 You'll also see Midland Painted Turtles among others...and frogs...and snakes...and bugs...and...

 You didn't think I would forget one of my favorite wetland nesting warblys did you?

Oh boy, it's a Prothonotary Warbly thing!

Everyone gets excited when they see on of these bright little birds!

 

 Then there's the National Wildlife Refuge Systems.

These are supported by hunters when they buy their duck stamps.

Have YOU bought a duck stamp? Hmmmm?

This is Ottawa NWR.

 

 So, where do you think Sandhill Cranes nested?

Yep, marsh moisty wetlands.

 This Virginia Rail was not in Virginia...though I think it's name was Virginia...or Bob...

 Sandy Ridge Reservation is a great place to visit with woodland and wetland habitats.

You can spot Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, herons, ducks and shorebirds there.

 Ummm...these Sora are not fighting...they're...ummm...making more Soras. Yeah, that's it.

 

 Look closely and you may be surprised at what you see in a marsh!

Besides Wood Ducks...and yes, this is a real photo and I DO NOT use Photoshop in any of my photos!

 

And now for the token booty shot!

We found this Common Snipe sharing the boardwalk at the Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation with us.

He's so kind to lead the way.

NOW GET OUT THERE AND GET YOUR FEET WET!

Winous Point Marsh Conservancy

See those little fuzzy dots out there?
Those are Wilson's Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes.
Ya know what else they are? LIFERS!!!

We were lucky enough to go birding at the property owned by the Winous Point Shooting Club, the oldest duck hunting club in America. They were established in 1856 by some of the great people of Cleveland's past. Even at that early time in our history, they realized the importance of this area and the wetlands it contained. As we were told, they have 10 months of conservation and maybe, if they're lucky, 2 months of duck hunting.

The Conservancy now manages close to 5,000 acres in Ottawa and Sandusky counties. Since the 1940's they have had wildlife biologists working on the property including graduate-level interns from The Ohio State University.

On top of all of that great history, it's a really cool place to go birding!

This is a view of Muddy Bay...or is it Sandusky Bay?
We drove all around the dikes and I got a little confused...

No, no, no...that's not a homeless man in the marsh!
That's our buddy Tom "The BandMaster" Bartlett, with a few bags of shorebirds.

Tom is checking to see if this Short-billed Dowitcher measures up to his high standards.
It did.

I got this shot by crawling on my belly through the swamp and leaches!
(Not really, Tom was holding him for me...)

This is the dormitory and research facility.

They still go by the old rules of the club and use a number of 'punts' made in the 1800's.

"If I act casual, no one will notice..."
This Willet is taking a stroll through the Terns.

Does anyone remember Euclid Beach Park?
The "Flying Terns!"

Two for one butt special! Semi-palmated Sandpipers...

A lonely Pectoral Sandpiper.
The shorebird migration was just starting.

WOW! A Triple Booty!
That's a Marbled Godwit in the center.

There are birds other than shorebirds to see!
Such as this cute Warbling Vireo.

...and a Purple Finch...from behind!

How about a nice teneral Common Green Darner?

The boat house was FULL of swallows!
That's a Barn Swallow on the left and a Bank Swallow on the right.
You can tell a Bank Swallow because of the cash box he flies around with...now ask me about the Barn Swallow...

Sorry, the only King Rail I could get was this one stuffed in 1881...

This Green-winged Teal was from 1877.
I think that's the only way I'm gonna hold up that long...

Remember Bobb?
He's still around...and getting into mischief.
He found the perfect set of binoculars...too bad he couldn't lift them up...

For a little more info and more photos, go to the Western Cuyahoga Audubon site, the sponsor of this fun outing!