Anybody Seen Any Otters Out There?

 So...a couple of weeks ago(obviously) it was quite warm and I suddenly came down with a mysterious illness and couldn't make it to work! I decided to take an aspirin and a convertible hoping that would ease my pain. It seemed to work and I figured I may as well go for a ride and see if I can some silly otters. I went to Pond Brook Reservation. I should know better by now. I found plenty of mud. Yep, mostly mud. My car is muddy now as well. Stoopid otters...




I did feel better though...(don't tell my boss...)
 

 The first sign of spring up here...no... not the American Robin! 

The real first sign is the Red-winged Blackbird. I didn't see one.

 Another good sign! The "weeds" are coming up!

I love dandelions.

We have a foot of snow now.

I don't think the dandelions are still there.

 With all of the unseasonable warmth(not climate change by the way) the frogs were out singing en masse.

Again, as of today, that water is frozen. Hopefully some of those green guys will make it through.

 Seriously?

 This Green Frog popped up to say hello.

I think he saw his shadow and we're going to have 5 more weeks of winter.

More accurate than a silly ground hog.

It's true.

 I watched for a while....not because I thought the Woodpecker may be home, I was stuck in the mud.

Oops.

 This White-breasted Nuthatch was laughing at me.

Some folks think that's their call, nope, that's them laughing at us.

 O-boy! A new book!  The NEW NEOTROPICAL COMPANION is a fantastic book covering all of the American tropics. It covers the species and the habitats from rain forests to cloud forests and more. It's an outstanding book if you're planning any trips to South or Central America for birding.
PLUS it features some wonderful photography by my good friend(and amazing guide!) Edison Buenano!

Not to change the subject...well yeah, I'm changing it...can't help myself!

Maybe the president and his staff of intellectuals should invest in a White-breasted Nuthatch!

As you can see, they are excellent at finding bugs...

Happy trails my buddies! Until we meet again...

 Vía con Dios amigos!

The SECOND Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio...

 A beautiful cover by Julie Zickafoose!

After years of hard work by a great staff, including Matt Shumar, the "Second Atlas of the Breeding Birds in Ohio" is out. And what an amazing book it is! Nearly 1000 birders in Ohio volunteered their time in observing and recording all of the data needed to make this book...then add on the hours spent by the staff organizing and presenting all of the data...it's mind boggling.

I couldn't begin to describe all of the info in this book. More than 200 species of birds that nest in Ohio, including many that weren't recorded in the previous atlas and some that had never been recorded as nesting in Ohio are shown in this book. Each listed species has photos and data regarding where they nest in the state, population status, conservation info and general information about the birds themselves.

If you're a birder in Ohio, you really need this book, it's a font of valuable information on species you may be looking for and it's a great way to support further research in our great state.

Oh, did I mention that I have a few photos published in this book? What a coincidence that I would mention this book...(it really is an outstanding book to own, even with my photos included!)

If you go to the Penn State Publishing (just click on that link!) website now, you can get this book at a discount by using the discount code "OH16."

Thanks for supporting Ohio birding!

Here's a sample page...

 Matt Shumar giving a talk about the Atlas recently at the West Creek Nature Center.

 Yes, that is fear in his eyes...everyone tries to run when I'm near, but he couldn't get away!

Would you believe someone actually asked me to sign their book?

Really!

 Here's a few of my photos from the Atlas...

 This is a Baltimore Oriole nest I spotted at Magee Marsh.

 This Black-capped Chickadee nested in this box at my old house.

I have the box hanging outside my door at my new apartment and guess what?

There's Chickadees in it again!

 Once again at Magee, a Common Nighthawk chillin...

 A Great Horned Owl waiting for darkness to fall.

 

 I watched these Trumpeter Swans for months at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

This was one of my favorites and I'm really happy that it got in.

This adult Yellow-billed Cuckoo was cramming dragonflies down the gullet of that VERY hungry fledgling.

If you don't live in Ohio, check with your area birding groups, your state or country may be working on an atlas as well and need your support!

Feed Yer Brain!

  Hello little buddies! I have just two more books to recommend for your perusal...for now...

 First up is a very interesting tome about the history of feeding birds, oddly enough titled "Feeding Wild Birds in America." Written by Paul J. Baicich(who may deny knowing me!,) Margaret A. Barker and Carrol L Henderson.

As you probably know, or not, I was very fond of all the birdies(95 species!) that visited my feeding sanctuary in the past. Our new feeding station has been downsized, but we're still getting plenty of company! This book on feeding was a great addition to my library, and definitely something different and original.

The book is broken down by decades, starting before 1900 and progressing into the 21st century( that would be now.) Reading about the earliest experiences of feeding wild birds was a surprise to me. I think a lot of us take it for granted that feeders and seed are readily available and common, but not in the beginning. Early on it was kitchen crumbs or ears of corn if available just tossed out the door or window. Now we're spoiled with the choices of specialized seed and feeders...all of this is covered in detail with many stories and historical anecdotes.

The illustrations and old ads for bird gear and feeders are really eye opening to the past. I still haven't finished reading the book, I keep getting stuck looking at the pictures, I am but a simple Dave as you well know! If you love feeding your feathered friends, invest in a copy of this book, I know you'll enjoy it...

  Paul likes to cuddle with chipmunks too!

At least I think he was cuddling Bobb...

 

 This Red-bellied Woodpecker chows down on my peanut feeder.

Over 50 million of us are out there feeding birdies!

 And now for some silliness and a few deep thoughts thrown in... Al Batt has a new book titled "A Life Gone to the Birds." If you read Bird Watcher's Digest then you're probably familiar with Al's humor(and some of my photos!) I love the short stories he tells, some serious, some not even close to serious, but all worth reading. As you go through the book, you'll find yourself saying "Oh, yeah, I've done that...or been there." I found myself reading the book with Al's voice narrating it, he has a very distinctive style, light and easy. This is a great book to help you escape reality and get a few giggles in!

This is Al explaining what a water bottle is used for at the Midwest Birding Symposium.

Very insightful...I think...

Both of these books are available through the Nature Shop at Bird Watcher's Digest.

You can even get autographed copies! (I did!)

Next time...fall birding in Monroe Falls!

Books and Books and MORE Books!

 Oboy! It's just like Christmas when I get new bird and bug books to peruse! They come in handy for trying to figure out what the heck I took a photo of last weekend...or a few years ago. Here's four of my latest additions to the library...

 I discovered hoverflies (or flowerflies as they're known in the U.S.) a few years ago when I started using a macro lens to shoot flowers and bee bumbles in our garden. These little beauties mimic bees and wasps and gather nectar from flowers. Their mimicry makes them appear as an insect that can sting and should be avoided as food by predators, but they're harmless tiny pollinators.

An image from the guide on their life cycle.

"Britain's Hoverflies, A Field Guide" by Stuart Ball and Roger Morris is a wonderful guide to these tiny gems of the gardens. Illustrated with photos of 167 of the most common and easily identified species of Britain, it also has a complete list of the 283 species recorded in Great Britain.

It has at least one member of each genera with ID info, similar species and observation tips, whether it's a large or small species or a fuzzy bee bumble copy cat, colours and other noticeable features.. A range map with expected dates is shown for each as well. If you have the slightest interest in what may be lurking in your gardens, this would be a great addition to your buggy library. I would love to find a version of this guide for North American flower flies!

This Eristalis transversa sp. was taken here in Ohio, but, like me, they have relatives in Britain too!

(Page 200 if you're curious!)

Me and The Doodles made a visit to Britain a number of years ago to visit a friend and chase birds. This book would have made a great addition to our luggage! We didn't see a lot of butterflies as we spent most of the time looking up into the trees and worrying about driving on the "wrong" side of the road!

"Britain's Butterflies, A field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Ireland" by David Newland, Robert Still, Andy Swash and David Tomlinson is another great book in the "Wild Guides" series.

Like the hoverfly guide, this is a photographic guide with outstanding photos throughout. It covers all 59 species species commonly found, plus a dozen rarities that could also be spotted on a fine sunny day. Each species has a detailed description, habitat and behaviour information, population and conservation facts and info on the life cycle from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis. Also listed are look alike species and where to look to find your favorite.

If you're new to butterflies, what took you so long?! If you're out birding, you should be looking at butterflies also, they're closer to the ground normally and it will give your neck a rest! For the beginner, this guide describes the life cycle, biology and habitats that you will need to know. It also has a nice "key features" illustration to teach you the parts of a flutterby.

All in all, a tremendous and compact guide to carry in your pack or place on your desk.

This is a Silver-studded Blue, one of the many great photos in this guide.

 

 This is a Peacock butterfly, the only butterfly I photographed while in England.

 The "Wild Guide" series from Princeton also have plastic covers to keep them clean and dry when you're in the field, handy when you drop the book running and screaming with something a little larger buzzing after you!
 

Now we're going a little south of the equator...

 "Birds of South America, passerines" by Ber van Perlo would have been wonderful to have on our trips to Ecuador and Panama! Very compact and excellently illustrated, it amazingly covers all 1,952 passerine species that may be found south of Panama to the Antarctic mainland.

This guide would be easy to use for anyone familiar with the Sibley's or Peterson's style of guide. As you can see by the sample page below, each species has range maps, descriptions of coloring and calls and plumage variations between males, females and juveniles where needed. I liked the family descriptions in the beginning of the book, broken down by Tyrannidae, Cotingidae and more, it gives you a quick reference of which family of birds o further research.

While the guide we carried on our trip was VERY thorough  and was split and rebound between illustrations and descriptions, it was heavy and left at our lodge the entire time. This book, on the other hand, is compact enough to be easily used and carried daily. If you should have the chance to visit South America, DO IT! The amount of birds you will see is dizzying. The views, the rain forests, cloud forests, rivers, mountains, jungles and the friends that you'll make, are things that will stay with you for the rest of your life...just like this guide.

A beautifully illustrated page from "Birds of South America."

 This Glossy Flowerpiercer was near Mindo and Reserva Las Gralarias in Ecuador.

Its description can be found on page 152!

  
"Birds and Animals of Australia's Top End" by Nick Leseberg & Iain Campbell is another one of the fine books in the Wild Guides series from Princeton University Press.

This guide covers most anything you could possibly see while visiting the Northern Territory of Australia(on my list of things to do when I win the lottery!) Nick and Iain are excellent guides from Tropical Birding that I've met several times at Magee Marsh here in Ohio. I don't think I'll be able to find any of these birds up here though...

Filled with vivid photographs of everything from Egrets to Echidnas, this would be an ideal small guide to keep on hand during your visit to the land down under. This has all the most common creatures you're likely to spy while wandering the varied habitats up north.

It gives you great information on equipment to bring, when to watch and the best parks and reserves to visit to find Cockatoos and Crocs. The species descriptions are great with wonderful photography, detailed descriptions and where to find them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my "imaginary visit" by reading through this book. If you're planning a trip south for the winter, this would be a perfect addition to your binoculars and camera...and me.

And there ya are! Waaaayyyyy up north!

 

 The ever so cheerful Iain Campbell. I have that effect on people...that's why I take photos of birds...

Okay kids, while you're at the book store browsing for your new guides, I'll get a few birdie photos for next time!

New Books!!...(but not appropriate for the Lake Erie coast...)

 Uh...it's kinda cold there, eh?

My good friend Jessica at the Princeton University Press always had a sense of humor...she's moved on and Andrew is carrying on the tradition of sending me great books to review...and a few odd ones thrown in for fun. As you know, I'm a little behind(Ha! that's a BFB pun!)...anyway here's the beginning of the books I've received this summer...oh yeah...there's more to come!

So...living on the "north coast" as we call the shores of the lake so scary we call it Erie, we have plenty of swimming, boating, birding and even diving available to us. If you are REALLY brave and adventurous( and like bathing in ice water) oh, do we have a series of books for you.

First is "The Antarctic Dive Guide" by Lisa Eareckson Kelley. When I first received this, I just laughed and thought "Really? Dive in ice cubes?" I don't even like birding on the lakefront in January looking for silly gray and white birds, but after browsing through this guide, I became hypnotized. I didn't realize how much wildlife is above and below the water and ice.

The guide starts with the history of diving beginning in 1902...who'd a thought! It continues with planning a dive trip and what to expect on your visit waaaaay down under, info on Leopard Seals(my what sharp teeth they have!), photography, the life you'll see and a wonderful guide to the dive sites.

This book turned out to be much more than I had expected. If you're into scuba diving and dream of the ultimate dive, you really need to get this one!

(By the way, I'm still afraid of water and can't swim, so you won't see me in the drink.)

 

 Gotta love those Pengweenies!

Staying in the chilly south, "Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide" by James Lowen would be a great companion to the above title! This is a big switch from his last guide to the Pantanal in Brazil!

If you ever plan to take a cruise to the Antarctic, this would be an invaluable resource to have in your pack. Well illustrated and easy to read, it covers the environments you'll be visiting, info on the tourism and a great breakdown of the wildlife in each area to make you better prepared. There's also a month by month breakdown to give you an even better idea of what can be seen. From mammals, to whales and dolphins to seabirds(lots of gray and white things) to those wonders of nature, the penguins, Mr. Lowe has down a fantastic job in writing this guide to make your trip a more memorable one.

I want to see a penguin now!...and not at the zoo...and best of all, there's no stoopid chipmunks there!

Ahhhh...warm water!

"Offshore Sea Life ID Guide" by Steve N.G. Howell and Brian Sullivan is a wonderful pocket guide for folks going on their first pelagic trip to see some amazing wildlife of the west coast shores...wher it's MUCH warmer than Antarctica! 

If you're a Cornell Lab member, you'll be familiar with these two and their work. This compact guide is a must if you're planning a trip to catch sight of orcas, whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and of course those birds you can't see from shore!

It simply lists the marine mammals, seabirds and even the jellyfish you are likely to see on your visit to those warm waters off the coast of California, Washington and Oregon. This will give you a great head start before you get on the water and become over excited and overwhelmed with everything you see! I love a nice simple book to use on a first visit!

(I should also mention the availability of an east coast version of this guide...)

 

I might even look at some of those crazy gully things...

ooooo...JAWS!!!

I gave a copy of "A Pocket Guide to Sharks of the World" by David A. Ebert, Sarah Fowler and Marc Dando to The Doodles nephew Jett...a connoisseur of all thing with sharp teeth. He absolutely loved this book! As he was going through it, he was searching Google for more photos and information on some of these sharks and was sharing this info with the whole family.

When you can captivate someone in elementary school so quickly and thoroughly, you know you've done a good job. This guide starts with the very basics on these misunderstood animals with the biology and ecology, then follows with the topography of a shark and one of Jett's favorites, a guide to their teeth...as good as dinosaurs! 

Though not really designed for children, this is a great book to show that there is much more than the myths of great white sharks attacking swimmers. I never knew that there are 501 species of shark, from the camouflaged Wobbegongs to Whale Sharks, everything you need to know about these sea creatures is in this guide.

Now I'm all set to get in the water anywhere in the world!

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN...WHAT'S THAT IN THE BATH TUB BEHIND YOU?!

a-MAY-zing!

 Sing it out to all who will listen!

This Yellow Warbly is asking you to help save his habitat.

 It's MAY! MAYhem has arrived...the annual MAY-gration has started...I MAY stop this silliness now...or not... These are from our first foray to Magee Marsh(or is it MAY-gee Marsh?) on MAY 2nd. It was a gorgeous warm and sunny spring day and a great way to kick off another fun spring.

In addition to all of the birds, we spotted a number of old friends that we haven't seen in a year. There's always a good time to be had on the boardwalk, even when it's jam packed crowded. We also stopped by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory to see our buddies there. Kimmay and Kenn Kaufman(along with Jeff Sayre) came out with a great new book covering a little of everything in the Midwest. I love this new book(and so does The Doodles!) It's handy to keep along, light weight, and it covers everything from birds and bugs to trees and flowers...and Kimmay signed it for us!

Anyway...back to birding!

 The Doodles is always excited to find an American Woodcock trying to hide from us!

 Not everyone is excited to see Black Racers napping in the shrubbery though...

 There are an aMAYzing number of Bald Eagles to be found in the area.

 

 AND in MAY there's always good warblies to be found!

This Black-throated Green Warbly was looking for his buddies.

 Thanks to the restoration of wetlands in the area, we're seeing more Blandings Turtles.

 This Chipping Sparrow is looking over a four leaf clover that he overlooked before...

 That Bonaparte's Gull(you know, that bland gray bird on the left) is chuckling at the Common Tern trying to impress his love with a fish. She obviously doesn't care.

Snubbed again...

 I wonder if fishermen notice all the birds that fly past them like this Great Egret?

 When I took this, I was soooo excited to get a shot of BOTH Yellowlegs in one frame.

Then I realized the smaller bird was a Solitary Sandpiper and not the Lesser Yellowlegs.

Oh well, next time...

 "Hellooooo down there!"

 "There's no one home."

Hairy Woodpeckers always check before visiting.

 Just another cranky Red-winged Blackbird...

 Hmmm...who's watching who?

This Ruby-crowned Kinglet has a new one for his human list.

 Hard to believe, but that fuzzy blob towards the back is a Whip-poor-will.

There was a large group staring at something behind a tree. 

I asked and was told the Whip-poor-will was back there.

They said watch for it rocking back and forth...oh...now I see.

Still couldn't get a shot through the brush...and the people...

 No worries, right above it was this White-crowned Sparrow wondering what the hub-bub was.

"Hey Bub! What's the Hub-bub Bub?"

 They think they're funny, not so much...

(Yes, I'm blaming my poor humor on a defenseless bird.)

 When we were driving away, something caught my eye out in the marsh.

When I stopped(along with a number of cars that couldn't pass!) I saw this Wilson's Snipe preening.

It pays not to look at the road when you're driving...sometimes...

 I have yet to see even one crest on a Double-crested Cormorant.

 A proud and MAYjestic Yellow-rumped Warbly!

 Ya ever wonder why they call them "butter-butts?"

We have a few more days of Magee birding and a few other stops too!

Stay tuned...

I just had to add this Tennessee Warbly!

This guy is actually in our garden! Sometimes it pays to stay home and watch your feeders and pond!