Friday, September 17, 2010

East Harbor State Park?

This is the part of the beach where the people weren't. I like this part.

They call it "East Harbor State Park." It's on the western basin of Lake Erie. I guess it is east of the Rockies at least...never mind...we went there.

This was the longest hike of the Bird-A-Palooza...we really need to go back again. There are numerous trails, woodland, marsh, lake front, meadow, something for everyone and every season. I think marsh trails were my favorite. Ya know why? Because that's where the WARBLYS were!

Plus they have a great campground, boat docks(harbor, duh!), a camp store and a great little nature center. We saw a friend of ours working with the children and bugs the day we visited. If I was a smarter human, I would remember her name and say hi. Obviously if you've been reading this blog, you know I'm not a smarterer human kind of guy. Smart-a** maybe...anyway...

Spring and Fall. Love those migration times of year. The colors of spring warblys are amazing, but the fall visitors make it more exciting to figure out what you're looking at. Most really aren't that hard. Blackpolls get me every time though! And you have that great smell of rotting vegetation on the forest floor. Mmmm, dead leaves in the morning.

Yep, there's a little pollen out there today...

American Redstarts get my vertigo going!
They will not sit in one place and they like to fly all around you....spinnnnn!!

I shot quite a few of this guy and his cousins.
All from below or behind...it was one of those days...
I'll tell you at the end who he is.


This is one of the 'butter-butt' trio of warblys.
Can you guess which one?
The spider in his chops isn't a helpful clue by the way...

If you guessed Cape May Warbler, you'd be right.
If you didn't, then you'd be like me(left?).


This skulking little *@#* stayed about a foot or two off the ground in the same evergreen as the Cape May.
Always ducking at the moment I pressed the shutter.
At first I got REALLY excited and thought I had a Kirtland's Warbly as we saw one here last September.
No chance, it's a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Odd tail pattern though...

The Doodles always has a photo of any sign so we can remember where we were.
We're preparing for the future of bad memor...uh...what was I saying?...

That's me way out there.
Probably taking a photo of something too far away...and from behind...


I am really starting to dislike Clouded Sulphur butterflies...

I think this is a Common Buckeye Caterpillar.
Next book purchase...Caterpillars of Ohio...


This is a Common Buckeye.
We have never seen as many as we have this year!

This is an Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly with what may be a Coelioxys sp. bee...or not...
Any apiarists out there?

Terrible name for a butterfly, Hackberry.

Least Skipper. I think he was the most.

Peck's Skipper. Doesn't look like eight quarts to me. Get it?
(It's late and I a tired boy, sorry)

I'm still trying to work out dragonflies and damselflies, but I think this is a pair of Orange Bluets.
I'm sure you'll let me know if they ain't!


Oh looky here!
It's a large milkweed with Large Milkweed Bugs on it!


Bug book not big.
Prepops fraternus sp.?

This is a flower.
I can tell because it has a flower on it.
It might be blue...or it might be purple.
I'm 'color challenged' and the Doodles is in slumberland...


At last, something I can figure out!
It's a Bald Eagle!!
Just kidding, it's not a Bald Eagle.


Cedar Waxwing jr.
Is he looking at me? Or is he checking out that spider web.


I leave you with this tribute to Canada.
IT'S A JOKE!
This is the first time three Canadians mooned me and I wanted to share.


I hope you didn't peek to see the answer of my warbly quiz! You did, didn't you?! Well, now you have to wait. So there...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

An evening at Meadowbrook Marsh...

An American Redstart is always a good way to start things out!

Welcome to the continuing saga of...Our Anniversary Weekend and Bird-a-Palooza...whether you like it or not. So there. Rzzzzzzt!

I'm not posting in order...as usual...this was just an easy file to go through...Meadowbrook Marsh was our last stop of the day because, along with great birds, they have a wonderful deck on which you can view the sunset. And sit down and rest after a looooooooong day of birding.
This is what happens when The Doodles sets the timer and I say
"Lean to the left, no, you're other left!"
Oh, and she forgot to reset the camera function to 'normal'...which wouldn't work on us anyway...

Speaking of Redstarts...here's a little "Orangestart" from behind!

When a Black-capped Chickadee actually comes out to be photographed, they ALWAYS act silly!
"I'll think I'll just hang upside down until he leaves..."

Photo lesson number 10873...don't aim you're camera into the sun to catch a flying Black-crowned Night-Heron.
It's REALLY bright!


So, why do I take so many butt shots you ask(or maybe you didn't.)
If you can ID this, the rest is a piece of cake!
I use the Sibley Guide and Kaufman's Guide the most,
butt I have photo copied the page from Peterson's that shows the under tails of warblys.
It is my most used piece of information in the fall!


It's a Blackpoll Warbly.
They are very numerous right now and VERY different from their breeding plumage!

There were lots of kids out playing at Meadowbrook, including this one of many Cedar Waxing.

There are great meadows being restored as well as the marsh and woodland areas.
Enough to keep The Doodles occupied!

Lots of 'bad feather day' birds out and about.
This Downy Woodpecker was looking a little worn out tonight.


This Eastern Kingbird was just chillin' and catching some rays...

An Eastern Wood-Pewee keeping his eyes peeled for a little 'fast food.'

I spent way to much time trying to pish out this little bird.
I could see movement in the shrubs and flowers, but nothing would show.
Of course when I gave up, this House Wren finally pops up.


This ratty little Indigo Bunting also popped up.
Him and his buddies were playing 'Whack a Mole' with me.
"Here I am! No, over here!"


"No, I'm over here now!"

If I had my "Field Guide to the Bird Butts of North America" out, you would know immediately what this was!

You probably know anyway that this is a goofy acting Magnolia Warbly.

This tree was exploding with warblys!
There were a few Blackpolls, a Magnolia and best of all...
a Nashville Warbly! Woo-hoo!


Yep, there were butterflies in the meadow, though none would sit still long enough.
I did catch this slightly tattered Red-spotted Purple taking a break in the evening sun.

We first thought this was a dragonfly zooming towards us.
When it got a little too close we realized it was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
He tried to hide, not well enough though!

I can deal with snakes, mice, and most bugs, but spiders give me the willies!
But if it's natural, I'll take a photo and hope it doesn't get me!
I think this is a Cross Spider...what do you think?


Hardest ID of the day.
How do you figure out a Thrush from behind...when you're color blind and it's in the shadows?
You look at another photo with it's head showing! Duh!
(It was a Swainson's Thrush by the way...)

Good night my bloggity buddies!
We'll be back with more soon!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

September at Magee...

This female Black-throated Blue Warbly has a mighty fine snack in her choppers!
Yum-yum.


After a bit of a dry spell in bloggity land, I have WAY too much to post and not enough time to post it. Lucky you, eh? Labor Day weekend was a busy one. In addition to the eleventh anniversary of Loopy and the Doodles commitment, it was a birding spectacular!

We spent time at Magee Marsh(as you can see here!), Camp Perry, the Ohio National Guard base close to the BirdMobile, Meadowbrook Marsh and East Harbor State Park. Somehow I will squeeze these posts in this week.

This weekend we went to the bird banding at Black Swamp and, of course, more time on the boardwalk at Magee. You can't get too many warbly things ya know! How am I gonna get caught up? Will someone call my boss and tell him I need an extra (paid!) day off to catch up? Thanks.

See that skinny guy down there? That's me, on the very lonely boardwalk.
It sure doesn't resemble May!


This is the pond at Magee.
Doodles took this one and the photo of the beach that I accidentally deleted from this post.
Wrong button...Stoopid man.

These American Redstarts are way too fidgety!
This is the only shot of this female I managed.


This is a hard one...I think it's an Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly...
I'm sure someone will let me know!


This is just a pretty flower.
I don't have a plant book yet...I need to figure out the dragons and bugs first!

Speaking of dragons! How's this for a beautiful Black Saddlebags?

The Black-and-White Warblys like to play hide and seek!
They always win...

What do you think? A Blackpoll Warbly with a little snack.
I don't think it's cotton candy...


Look closely at this Blue Dashers face.
I think it's "Odie" from "Garfield"!

Confusing fall warblys? Yep. This dark cheek says to me, Cape May Warbly.
Any comments?

This one I know! Chestnut-sided Warblys are my favorites!
...next to Black-and-Whites...and Black-throated Greens...and...


"Look into my eyes...you are getting schleepy!"
Beware of female Eastern Pondhawks!

Speaking of Eastern Pondhawks...here's the manly male...lounging...

Bugs From Behind!
This is a bee mimic flower fly...I need a bigger bug book!


At last, a simple one for me!
It's a Cabbage White butterfly...wait...no...
It's a Viceroy butterfly!...no...
It's a Monarch butterfly, yeah!


The Warbling Vireo, waiting to poop on you!

Ha! Booty shot!
And a Black-and-White booty shot to boot!

I have a request for you all...you need to visit a blog of a young Ohio bird buddy of mine. Her name is Kristina and she has tremendous talent as an artist and photographer.

Her blog is "Wild At Heart." Great stuff there (and even a few butt shots!)

We really need to support the young birders out there, they are the future of our past time and the hope of the future of our planet and it's creatures.
Thanks!