Saturday, February 25, 2012

Twitch Number 8...in black and white...

 Yes, those are rocks in the Rocky River...duh.

I can feel your excitement! Yes kids...it's yet another installment of the "LONGEST TWITCH!"
That would be number 8 of our new visitations of the sites listed in the Lake Erie Birding Trail...only 76 more to go. Don't worry, I'll post other things along the way...various rants(I feel one coming on now!) and bird buttz from around the world...well, from around here anyway.

This post is the start of the Rocky River Metropark which runs from Lake Erie south through the cities of Berea, Brook Park, Cleveland, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Olmsted Township, and Rocky River. Yep...it's a big area to cover! We covered three areas on this trip...stay tuned for more!

I have a show coming up in June and July at Carlisle Reservation in LaGrange, Ohio. The first will be "Feathered Fotography" and the second will be "Black and White in Color" featuring birds with black and/or white plumage. And that's where the theme of this post starts.

"Hey, I have more than just black and white feathers!"
I know, but remember? I'm color blind...and you're the one called Black-capped!

The hikers and walkers in this park always seem to have a little seed in their pockets to share with our friends.

This little Chickadee was a hit and run eater...

Why do they always end up doing that to me?

He's "lichen" this tree!
Get it?
"Lichen"..."Liking?"
Never mind...

White-breasted Nuthatches have such colorful little derrieres.

"Quit looking at my butt!"
Testy, aren't we?

Speaking of black and white birds with bad attitudes...

Female Downy Woodpeckers really are black and white.

Downy's are not built for crawling...

  A little splash of red to jazz up a dull winters day!

At the end of his limb contemplating the future of his forest...

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Number Seven...

 The Doodles loved this park...she gives it a four bench rating!

 Yep...more of The Longest Twitch. This is number seven on our quest. 
Lakeview Park is a nice city type park, it's very close to Lorain Harbor from the last post. Lots of beach area, picnic areas and LOTS of benches to rest your weary bones after looking at all of the gray and white birds...We'll have to come back in the spring. There are actual trees here with actual birds that aren't gray and white!


 Gray and White birds flying in no particular direction after sitting on the beach and pooping.
There's a couple of dark gray and white ones in there too.
Probably pooping as well.
 
This is a Black and White gully thing.
I think it's a Great Black-backed Gully thing.
Why is it "Great?" 
Because the book says so.
 
 Hey wait a second!
Aren't those Great Black-backed Gully things supposed to have white wing tips?
And what's up with the band on the bill?
Oh, those wacky gully things.

There's a Great Black-backed Gully thing covering his head because he knows that Gray and White Gully 
thing flying over him is going to poop on him. 
The dark Gray and White Gully thing is just going to watch.
Rude.
  
 Look!
Canada Gooseses and Mallahrds frolicking in the sand.
Not really, they're hiding from the gray and white things...

 Benches, benches everywhere!
Who's the happy Doodles?

February sky along Lake Erie.
It matches the gray and white gully things.

 Hmmm.
One of those is NOT a gray and white gully thing!

I don't like the way he's looking at me.
I better go now...before he does!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

THE LONGEST TWITCH CONTINUES!(place echo here!)...

Lakeside Landing at Lorain Harbor...number 6 on the countdown!

...More from THE LONGEST TWITCH...
Last weekend, along with Miller Road Park of the past two posts and Lakeview Park of the next post, we visited Lorain Harbor. This harbor has hosted THOUSANDS of those gray and white birds in the past...but not today. I'm sure after we left they came back. They know I don't care for them. Stoopid gray and white birds. "Hey, we're gray and white birds and we fly around in swarms and poop on you!" Stoopid birds.

I heard that two California gray and white stoopid birds were lost and flying around here looking for a Jack-in-the-Box parking lot to poop in. Also a Glaucous white and white bird...or was it Raucous white and white bird was here as well...I wonder if his poop is whiter...hmmm. 

All we saw were sitting and pooping birds like the ones below. Whee.

 Gray and White birds sitting, sleeping and pooping.

 This is the Doodles. She is preparing herself to get pooped on.
She does not like gray and white birds that poop either.
I wonder if her bins are "poo-proof?"
 
 Oh my. This is not a gray and white bird.
It is a black and white bird.
Is that a White-winged Scoter? They've been here before.
Nope.
It has a white belly...probably from sitting in poop.

 I think it's a female Bufflehead.
"Hey lady, where's your white cheek patch?!"
I am confused.
At least it's not a gray and white poopy bird.

 
 Here's another black and...uh...black bird.
It's an American Coot.
You can tell he's American by his accent.
They poop in the water.
 
 Oh look!
It's a Red-breasted Merganser!
He is displaying an excellent example of "scare hair!"
( Mergansers don't like poop jokes.)
 
 This is the Lorain Lighthouse.
That's not white paint.

I like ducks.
Three American Black Ducks and a Northern Pintail...from behind too!
 This is in the impoundment next to the harbor.
The Army Corp of Engineers might fill it in.
They are full of poop.

 
This is me from behind.
Walking through the goose poop encrusted muck.
I saw ducks out there...and bulldozers.
Bull dozers make me cranky.
I better leave now.
Bye.