A Weekend in Asheville...

  Caron and Brian...and me!

I had the opportunity to visit my friends Brian and Caron in Asheville, North Carolina last week for a few days. I've worked with Brian for the past 18 years...and he hasn't killed me yet...he hasn't tried hard enough!

We did a little birding around the gorgeous Biltmore Lake in the mornings and toured the area looking at art and some crazy graffiti later in the day. We also saw some spectacular sunsets and best of all...the Buddy Guy 25th anniversary tour! The man turned 85 this past July and he's still kicking a$$ and taking names. What a great show!

Here's a few photos of the things I saw...I really get to kick this writers block and get back to posting...maybe...yep...hopefully...probably...

 

...just one little shove and I can own the company!

  (don't tell him I said that!)

     The amazing Buddy Guy...he told some great stories...

     Buddy Guy with his opener Ally Venable.

  Biltmore Lake...beee-yoo-tiful!

  I figure since it's Carolina, this is a Carolina Chickadee...

Hmmm...maybe a Fence Lizard...or not...

The local neighborhood Great Blue Heron.

   The look when he caught spying on him...

   Mallards...they're everywhere...

A pair of Pied-billed Grebes were hanging with the Mallards. 

 

  All alone...so sad...

  This guy sure looks like a Red-shouldered Hawk to me...

 

         You'll have to trust me, Ruby-crowned Kinglet...

 

          Sarge was my best buddy during my visit!

 

If you visit Asheville, hit the arts area and check out the graffiti!

    A Tufted Titmouse...from below...

 

At last a White-breasted Nuthatch from behind!

 

The last warbly of the year, appropriately Yellow-rumped!

 

 The moon over Tennessee on my drive back north to Ohio.

 

Special thanks to my wonderful hosts...and Sarge the puppy for putting me up and putting up with me!

What Day Is It?

 It's hard to sneak up on American Goldfinches to get the proper angle!

 Today's post goes back to two days in late November and early December when I visited my buddies at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and Magee Marsh. (Yep, you're right. I haven't been out much lately with the camera...)

No lil warbly things out this time of year, butt there's always something to see out there...plus the people are nice!

 The Goldie caught me!

Sorry!

 Eastern Fox Squirrels ALWAYS seem to be eating...I wonder what that is?

 Still not a fan of European Starlings since they take over cavities that our native birds need to nest in.

 It was a bit on the cold and windy side and this Great Blue Heron was trying to hunker down to stay warm.

I asked if he wanted to sit in my car for a bit, he declined.

 Be vewy, vewy quiet...this Great Egret is hunting fwogs...shhhh...

 A Red-bellied Woodpecker striking a dramatic pose.

 Why looky there! They really do have a red belly, and this one is banded too!

Must have been a friend of Black Swamp!

 It's always fun to hear the crazy sounds these Rusty Blackbirds make!

There was a flock skulking through the wetlands.

 And he even turned around for me!

 Tufted Titmouseseses look so cute...butt I'll bet he would try to eat my face off if he was bigger.

I can tell by that look in it's eye...

 Speaking of face eaters, this White-breasted Nuthatch was busy eating the faces of bugs under the bark...

There were dozens of Wooly Bear caterpillars wandering across the boardwalk.

That stripe doesn't actually predict the harshness of the winter by the way...

One of these days I'll post something new...or more warblies from May to chase away the winter blahs!

A Nice Walk...and a few crappy pics...

One of those days...

The weather has been unusual to say the least around here. It was a warm afternoon and I was done cleaning and all that fun stuff, Soooo I decided to go for a little birding jaunt around the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Beaver Marsh (where I've never seen a beaver.) This was before the shut down...and don't get me started on that morons idiotic game...

I thought it would be nice to find a few nuthatches (other than myself) and get some nice photos of whatever else may be around. What luck, just as I entered the trail, nuthatches were all around me...in the tree tops...and behind branches...or flying away.

Except for one that came down low just for me. Butt would he stay still long enough for a photo? Well, yes and no.

 I had him for a second, then he jumped up a little higher...fine I'll try again...

 Missed again...almost a butt shot.

Try one more time!

 Um, what the heck is that?!

I quit.

 Well, at least I got a slightly blurry pic of a Belted Kingfisher spitting.

Something you don't see everyday...

 I don't know what it was, but it was sitting still so I took a shot.

 I'm so glad that Mallards are large and slow moving or I wouldn't have had a thing for the day!

 He was very polite and came out of the water and posed for me.

Nice ducky.

Yep, I stayed a long time trying butt it was getting dark.

No butt shots today BUTT I did get a Moon that day!

Hopefully next time we'll do better...

Until we meet again...

Shhhh! It May Be Spring...Maybe...

 Well hello there...I'm back! Mwahaha!

So...anyway...after setting up my wonderful photo show, (I gave up humble for Lent)I went for a little walk about through the woods of Carlisle Reservation. The sun was out, mostly, the frogs were singing...until I walked near them, then poof they were gone, and the temps were above freezing. I think spring may actually be here!

Judging by the industrious little Black-capped Chickadee in these photos, she thinks it's spring as well. She was busy excavating a nest hole in a dead snag. Imagine building your house with your mouth...talk about splinters! There were few birds out and about during my walk, but a few is better than none...it will be WARBLIE time soon!

 Uh, ya got a little something on yer choppers there buddy!

 Yum, soft rotten wood...must be one of those vegans...

 The fungus is among us!

 Yes, I'm still taking those behind shots...I try to be sneaky, some birds are offended you know.

 Oops! I'm busted!

There's no rage like the ire of an angry Mourning Dove...or maybe not.

 No, no, no, no, no...

 This female Red-bellied Woodpecker was busy redecorating her home for the new year.

And she was being harassed by a bored Red Squirrel down below.

 This is the obnoxious Red Squirrel that wanted ever so badly to look inside that nest hole.

Maybe he lost his nuts there...

 

 Just making sure there are no other visitors inside.

 A rare Rufus-booty Nuthatch!

 Uh, sorry...caught again.

He said he's a White-breasted Nuthatch.

My mistake...

Yep, the photos are still there! At least I think they are...I better call and check...