Easter Egg Hunt!

 This former Canada Goose egg was the only egg we found...and they didn't even bother to dye it!

Another fine Easter at Sandy Ridge Reservation, one of our favorite places to burd! What a wonderful change from our walk there a couple of weeks ago... It was sunny and warm...just like spring is supposed to be! There were lots of walkers and birders out enjoying the weather along with us and the birds. We could hear many of them lil birdies singing their hearts out in the forested area...not that we could see them though. Next time...in the mean time...

 Look Ma! No ice!

 The wonders of nature...and a few degrees of warmth!

(If you're wondering why I didn't post any pics of this walk...look closely.

THERE AIN'T NO BIRDS OUT IN THAT WEATHER!)

 Even this Canada Goose was trying to run away from the cold winds!

 "OH YEA!"

He likes this nice warm bath...

 Look into his eyes and you'll see me and The Doodles standing there!

 American Robins were doing a little personal spring cleaning...

 ...then drying out in the sun.

Remember the sun? It comes back after winter...until the April showers anyway.

 Oh, those American Tree Sparrows...such jokers!

 As soon as they see a camera, they start making faces and acting goofy.

I can't imagine ever doing that myself...really.

 As always, the ducks were on the far side of the marsh.

There had been a Eurasian Wigeon around.

Not today, just an American Wigeon...and lots of American Coots(and a couple of old Coots as well!)

 The Bald Eagle is still sitting on the nest.

I wonder whats going on under there?

 The mate was getting ready to fly into that pine tree.

ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

(Not really.)

 The Great Egrets are back too!

That's just great.

 Ya know, I was trying to get a nice photo of these empty branches and one of those show off 

Golden-crowned Kinglets just had to fly through and ruin my shot.

Idiots.

(If you ever need an excuse for a bad photo, email me. I have lots!)

 Why do Black-capped Chickadees always look at me like I'm crazy?

 Those are Green Frog Tadpoles writhing around in the muck.

Some will make it through the winter every year.

"Witaj! Czy rozumiesz po Polsku?"

(That was a tad Polish...)

((Get it?))

(((HA!)))

 

 These butts are for you!

 "Really Loopy?"

(Mallards are so sensitive...)

 TURTLE BOOTY!

What other blog shows you quality stuff like this? Hmmm?

Yep, NO ONE!

Midland Painted Turtle Butt.

 Tell your friends.
Limited time only.
Operators are standing by...

 They have very artistic Beavers at Sandy Ridge.

(Honest, I didn't do that.)

 This was the most serious Red-winged Blackbird I've ever met.

Maybe his stocks went down...

 LOOK!

The Doodles came out of hibernation!

And she has a new Black Swamp hat...

 I hope those Sandhill Cranes weren't laughing at that hat, because I have one too.

Silly cranes, must be spring fever...

 This Sandhill was walking out of the marsh and right across the trail in front of us.

He got too close to take photos!

 This was the first time we saw THREE Sandhill Cranes here.

There have been two  unsuccessfully trying to nest for a few years,
now there's this third wheel coming in.

Uh-oh.

 

 Did you know that Rusty Blackbird populations have dropped 85-95%?

That's why he's so angry.

If you see any out there report them to the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group and eBird.

Thanks!

Oh those Song Sparrows are soooo cute!

One last butt for the road!

(It's a Killdeer!)

You may be excused now. Thanks for visiting!

A Long Winter Along the Lake...

*Caution: There is one graphic image in this post...

Winter, like the ice on Lake Erie, just won't go away.

Like most of the Midwest, winter is still putting up a good fight with spring. We had one day in the sixties, followed the next day with a severe storm and temps diving back to zero. I don't like it when we're having "nothing" for a temperature. It's just not right.

This has been an especially bad winter for waterfowl trying to survive on the Great Lakes. With most of the lakes still frozen over, some for the first time in years, these birds are having a tough time. With so little open water, there's little to eat and birds like mergansers and grebes, no where to land and take off. 

The Doodles was out with Mother Doodles for the day, SO I decided to brave the icy winds and see what I could see on the lake front near downtown Cleveland. I ended up at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island, part of the Lake Erie Birding Trail. There was a breezy breeze blowing strong off the ice covered lake. I don't know how those crazy birds can sit in that water! I also don't understand how those gull watchers can stand there with their scopes, going through each of the thousands of gulls, one at a time, hoping for an Iceland or Glaucous in that crowd. I think I'll walk towards the mouth of the Cuyahoga River where the wind is less wicked...

 

 Yep. Them are ducks. And Gulls. Yep.

 

 Okay, this is what I want you to do...take off your clothes and sit in the lake.

I dare you.

You can tape a few feathers to your nether regions if you think it will help.

Brrr.

(By the way, those are Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Lesser Scaup and Redheads.)

No, not those kind of redheads...

This would be a Canvasback. 

I looked close...didn't see any canvas, just feathers.

 A lesson in scoping Lesser Scaup.

 It's much more fun watching mergansers taking off than watching those silly gray and white birds eating dead fish.

 

 A couple of Mallards chillin' out with the cool guys.

(See what I did there? Oh, those clever little puns!)

 One of the reasons so many waterfowl have perished this winter.

These guys fly in thinking the water is clear and it turns out to be frozen solid.

Once they land, it's nearly impossible for them to take off.

This Red-breasted Merganser managed, after a long struggle, to push himself into some clear water.

 There were hundreds of bodies scattered along the shore and ice.

This has been a rough winter for his first.

 This gorgeous female Red-breasted Merganser was preening with a group on a little sheltered area along the river.

Now that he's made it to a safe harbor, he can relax.

 Just making sure everything is intact after that long flight.

 Silly Herring Gulls, racing to get a dead fish.

"HEY! It ain't going anywhere!"

Silly gray and white birds...

 Typical blank stare on a typical Ring-billed Gull.

 Now this is odd.

There appears to be a little Beaver activity at Wendy Park.

Who'd have thought we have beavers living near downtown Cleveland?

 A sign of spring?

This little Chipping Sparrow was a pleasant surprise!

One of my favorite birds, a Song Sparrow.

He hopped along the path just ahead of me to keep me company.

We were the only ones not looking at gulls...

Maybe we'll see a few live wildflowers within the next month!

A trunk from behind!

The Doodles saw this washed up on a beach close by.

With the rivers freezing and thawing and flooding recently, lots of odd things have been washing up on our shores.

Keep your eyes open out there!

You never know what you'll find.

Maybe even an attractive gull...

Feelin ducky...

Green-winged Teal gang...very dangerous bunch to be around.

 Meanwhile...still at Sandy Ridge Reservation...

We haven't had a chance to get out to bird lately, so you'll have to look at the rest of our sightings from the past trip. Maybe next time I'll dig up some REAL oldies for you!

Pint sized compared to the Mallard.

A little Teal booty...

This Northern Shoveler was convinced he lost something in the marsh...

He looked high and low...mostly low...

I told this female Shoveler about the Republicans plan to eliminate the EPA. She was not happy.

Not a duck. A Pied-billed Grebe. I like pie.

Also not a duck. It's a Egret. Yes, I said "a" Egret. Great one too.

More non-ducks. Red-winged Blackbirds to be precise.

Back to ducks. Wood Ducks. Not really made of wood.

American Black Ducks.

American Wigeon

Yellow-rumped Warblers quite often spend the winter up here. Silly warblys!

An Autumn Amberwing, last of the dragonflies for the year.

Beware of beavers if you have a wooden tripod...or leg...

Egads. Gadwalls...

Great Blue Heron with...did I mention these guys lately? An American Coot.

Mallard choirs are not very good...nor are their conductors...

Northern Pintails were hiding among the reeds and grass.

"Am I drooling?"