Birding My Old Neighborhood...

 You know it's a good day when you see an owl!

This Barred Owl sat nicely for his portrait and the oohs and aahs of everyone!

On one of my many trips to Magee Marsh, I bumped into some old friends...not that they're old, but they are friendly...and I didn't actually bump into them...I saw them before they could run away! I've known Joanne and Terry for quite some time now. We met through the Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society when I was living on the west side of the mighty Cuyahoga River. We had a nice time birding along the boardwalk getting some good warbly action. 

They mentioned an upcoming bird walk through WCAS with Tim Jasinski, a rehaber at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village. I lived in Bay for about 16 years or so and spent lots of time walking the paths around Huntington Reservation. I thought it would be fun to meet up and bird around the old neighborhood.

I forgot about the rush hour traffic that I would have to go through to make it there. I got there just in the nick of time as they were preparing to head out. I saw a few of my old birding buddies amongst the large group of new and old birders. I'm sure this walk will be one that the newbies won't soon forget! How often to you get to see a Barred Owl fledgling sitting on a limb and easily viewed without binoculars? That was a great start to the night...

 As we were prepping for the walk, I looked up and noticed a number of birds soaring overhead.

COMMON NIGHTHAWKS!

The first a lot of us had seen this year.

 The first bird along the path was this Gray Catbird doing his cat thing.

When I finally made it up to see him, he decided he was bored and had to go...

 Those Common Nighthawks were WAAAAYYYYY up there!

 Soaring along with the nighthawks  turkey vultures was this Great Blue Heron.

Maybe he had an identity crisis...he just wants to belong...

 Ah, no.

 While everyone was ogling the owl, I spotted this Tufted Titmouse tucking in on a juicy caterpillar.

Mmmm...squishy...

 We could hear Baltimore Orioles singing everywhere, and I finally had a good look at one close to the lake front...he had a good look at me too!

 Northern Rough-winged Swallows always look like they're getting ready to burst out in tears.

Don't be sad little buddies!

 

 Now don't flip your computer screen over!

This Downy Woodpecker was creeping along the underside looking for snacks.

 A Great Blue Heron flying at a more normal altitude...

 We also had a few flycatchers like this Eastern Kingbird.

The others wouldn't hold still...

 Must be spring...a Jack-in-the-Pulpit...and a bonus mosquito-y looking insect trying to hide.

 Another great bird for the night was this Red-headed Woodpecker.

I've seen more this year than I have in the past few years!

 You know you're having a good time when you get a butt shot and a face shot all in the same photo!

Loved that screwy little owl!

Well, that's all for now...don't get too excited! I have plenty more!

See ya out there somewhere!

Until then...please visit Wild Bird Wednesday!... http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/

Thank You...

Today I'm' thankful  for all those little warblies that sit still long enough for me to get a nice photo...

 I'm also thankful for great friends like Kim Kaufman of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory for all they do to promote conservation and the love of nature.

 We need to also be thankful for all of the Audubon groups like Western Cuyahoga Audubon for their ongoing support and protection of the Important Bird Areas.

When I thanked Kim for  promoting conservation, I also need to be thankful for all the young people that have heard the call of the wild.

Support groups like The Ohio Young Birders Club!

Better not forget The Doodles for putting up with me!

And the lovely birds that have visited our gardens and brought a little joy and a sense of wonder to our lives.

I am very thankful for our friends at the Las Gralarias Foundation for helping to save wild areas in Ecuador for our feathered friends.

There are groups like this the world over that need our support.

Thanks to all of the bird banders and researchers that strive to help and preserve the birds that we love so much.

 Our friends at all the the parks and refuges that are struggling to protect a little bit of nature through all of the government cuts and inane laws need thanks and support as well.

 On behalf of the birds on this Thanksgiving, I thank the insects. Yummmmm...

An Invasion of Privacy...

 A little spring dance...

 So,( I like to start my posts with "So,")...sheesh...SO, anyway, me and that retired lady, what's her name...uh...The Dawdles, went birding with our friends from the Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society(they haven't kicked me out yet) to the Puritas wetlands. This is eighty acres of land that contains run off from a major highway...when it rains. The west branch of the Big Creek(clever name) also runs through this area. If you click HERE you'll see what else there was to be seen, so see what we saw.

SO, while everyone else was looking left, I, as usual was looking right. Or was it the other way around. Left and right have always confused me. Did I ever tell you the story of my older brother teaching me about left and right when I was in kindegarten? No? Well, you'll have to wait...and I'll tell you how he broke my collar bone and set me on fire once too. Another post, another day...

SO, where was I? Oh, Puritas wetlands looking in the opposite direction(that's how you get burd buttz you know!) As you can see by the terribly grainy photos, I saw what I shouldn't have. I am a bad person. Butt they do have a certain cheesy 60's porn photo quality to them, don't you think? Bow-chik-a-bow-wow!  Maybe not...I better go now before the police get here.

 Whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

"chirp...babee..chirp..."

 

 I could have sworn I heard an eight track tape of Barry White in the background...

 "Hey, do you hear a clicking sound?"

 "It's that skinny guy again! Does my butt look fat?"

"The show's over bud! Get a life!"

Okay kids! That's all for now. 

Don't forget...Support your local wetland!

Birdin' with my Buddies...

Don't Nashville Warblies have the cutest little booty?

While The Doodles was away...I went out to play! I spent the morning(and afternoon!) with our friends of the Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society at West Creek Park, one of the newer additions to the Cleveland Metropark system. This just happens to be part of the Lake Erie Birding Trail , but because The Doodles wasn't there, it doesn't count towards "The Longest Twitch." I guess I'll be forced to go back!

It was a great day to be out with friends, sunny and very warm and there were those little warbly things bouncing around from tree to tree! Visit the WCAS site for a list of the birds and additional photos. I wish we had video of the creek crossing...no one fell in but it was fun to watch folks trying to keep their feet dry!

Accidental photo of autumn leaves.
There was a dragonfly hovering here...until I clicked the shutter...

There's that Nashville Warbly again!

Blackpoll Booty...

This Black-throated Green Warbly LOVED to be at the tip top of the trees!

Brown Creeper. Still creeping me out.

Canadians...they never leave when their supposed to.
Watch your step...

If Common Yellowthroats are so common, why don't we see them more often?

Well, at least his throat really is yellow.

Mallards. They like to show you their butts. Rude ducks.

Look closely on the right side of this hornets nest and you'll see that someone is still home!
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

One of our members(hi Nancy!) works for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
If you look closely at this shale in the creek, you'll see swirl trails left by some long gone critter.
She's so handy at pointing out fun facts of pre-history!

One of my favorite non-warbly birds!
Song Sparrows love to play hide and seek!

This Yellow-rumped Warbly tried to make as difficult as possible to get a shot.
I finally gave up...

It'th a Thistle.
Tho there.

These are wildflowers.
Wildflowers can be dangerous.
They are untrained and they bite.
Be careful.

WOW...look at that.
It's almost in focus!
By the way, that's a Black-throated Blue Warbly...

*Special note of ultra importance!! We have a new bird on our yard list...a Hermit Thrush has been here for the past two days! Well...I'm excited...

Another exciting post comes to an end...AND no politics...yet.

Birdin' On The Boardwalk...

This Prothonotary Warbly is checking out the boardwalk for any bugs left by the birders...

It's amazing what you can see ON the boardwalk in May! You may even see a few birders out and about...and maybe soon I'll show more of the folks we met this May during the Biggest Week!

...and then sometimes you don't see anything...I knew it was there a second ago...

This TimberDoodle was actually a few inches from the boardwalk. Close enough for me!
What a cool set of peepers!

Hey kids! It's Dawn and Jeff from "Dawn's Bloggy Blog!"
We finally met up and had a few meals together...oh yeah, we went birding too!

A little Black-capped Chickadee wondering what all the hub-bub is about.

Actually I think he saw a juicy bug on this guys little camera!

Did I mention the Dunlins we saw...near the boardwalk?

This was known as "The Mourning Warbly Zone."
He's down in there somewhere...

This is not a Mourning Warbly.
Poor House Wren, nobody is paying any attention to you...

It's Terry and Joanne from Western Cuyahoga Audubon!

Why do Red-winged Blackbirds always turn their backs on me?
For that matter, why do ALL birds turn their backs on me?

Our buddies from Tropical Birding were out in force helping ID birds and leading walks all around the area.
That's Christian in the "loud" vest!

Another Red-winged Blackbird walking away...
I'm starting to get a complex...

Hi! My name is Dave and I have a very bad memory.
This is a friend of our friend Will from Colorado.
I'm sure she'll send me an email to remind me...(I really need to write things down...)

WARBLY BUTT!!