Thursday, June 16, 2011

Hide and Seek!

Wilson's Warblers don't hide very well...

I was going to title this "May 13th," but I thought you may have had enough of those blog titles for a while. At least until next week if I don't come up with anything clever.

Have I ever mentioned how much I like birds...and birding...and photography? Well, I like the IDEA of photography. The actual process sometimes pi$$es me off(can I say that here?) I'm sure you understand. Let's take a closer look at birding...

You see the bird...you stalk it quietly...you trip over a stick and whack your head on a low branch. The bird flies away.

You see the bird...you aim you bins or camera towards the tree...you can't find the bird. It flew away. You photograph the branch anyway.

You see the bird...he's posing wonderfully...a friend sees you and screams out your name. The bird flies away, again.

You see the bird...you get it in your sites...you take a wonderful photo. You wake up and realize it was a dream.

Yeah...I saw it...from behind and below!
Figured it out yet?

I'll tell you later...

The Yellowy-rumples were all hiding from me on this day!

Blackpoll Warblys think if they hide their eyes, you won't be able to see them.
Some warblys aren't too bright...other than the colors...

No it's not a snake in the grass!
It's an American Goldfinch in the grass!


We had a lot of Canada Warblys that day...all hiding of course.

Oh my. White eye ring.
Connecticut Warbly!
One day I will see one without the crowd around and be able to get a real in focusy kind of pic! Or not.

The other butter butt.
Magnolia Warbly, trying so hard to blend in.


It's a good day when you see a Mourning Warbly as well as the Connecticut!

This Songster is giving me that squinty look.
I think he disapproves of my bloggity blog.


And Now!!!...
Another pointless feature because I'm running out of clever ideas to post at the end of my seemingly endless posts...

Today:
Harassing a messy Chestnutty-sided Warblything.

Hey You! You look like you just woke up! Fix them feathery feathers!
These warblys...no pride anymore...


"Nag, nag nag! I was up all night flying here and the first thing,
you and your stoopid flash are disturbing my bug eating extravaganza!"

Touchy, aren't we?


"There! Is that better? Geez...like You know anything about looking neat..."


Glad that's over, aren't you?

Monday, June 13, 2011

A New Birder!

Jett the Birder...nice hat too!

A new birder has been made. The Doodles nephew, Jett, has been transformed. For his fourth birthday she found him the ultimate birders accessory, a khaki vest. As we all know, one cannot bird properly without the proper amount of pockets to stuff all of the proper gear you need to bird properly. He now has the proper pockets and a proper pair of small binoculars.

BT3's "Young Birder's Guide to Birds of the Eastern United States" may be the ideal gift for his next birthday...or maybe I can get the Doodles to give up her copy...

To test out his new attire we went to North Chagrin Reservation, home to friendly Wood Ducks and Jetts favorite bird, the Great Blue Heron. After packing the whole family up(well, we didn't actually pack them up...) we finally made it to the park. Jett's bins just weren't exciting enough and he decided he wanted to help me shoot ducks. Luckily my monopod goes low enough for a four year old!

I think my camera was as big as Jett. I helped him hold it up right.
Once he heard the sound of the shutter going off, he wouldn't let go.
Twenty two shots later...


I'm so proud of him...Wood Ducks from Behind!
He managed to get three shots with the ducks actually in the frame before the camera started to aim higher and higher...


You always gotta check out your work!

Those ducklings are as cute as Jett.

And now...another fine episode of:

"A Bird Possessed"

"ARGH...WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!"

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!"
"GET OUT OF MY MARSH!"

*use your imagination here.

This is where the pea soup spewed forth from the fiery bill of this fierce-some Red-winged Blackbird from Heck.

(I felt I should spare you from the extreme graphic nature of this true life event.)

Stayed Tuned for more exciting tales from...

BIRDS FROM BEHIND!...
mwahaha!