Sunday, September 22, 2013

...they're back...

 This female Black-throated Blue Warbly is jumping for joy...just like me!

 Well, it's not quite like springtime at Magee Marsh, but it'll do! Fall migration has been in full swing for the past month, shorebirds, thrushes, dragonflies, butterflies and best of all, WARBLIES! I went out to visit our birdie warbly friends with my human birding friend Tom. He was keen on finding shorebirds, so it wasn't easy to convince him that Magee was the place to go. There is quite a bit of wetland habitat, being on the lakefront, so we'd have a good mix of species to see. Yeah!

We did see a few shorebirds...out at a distance. Too far for the LoopyLens to get any recognizable photos...not that any of my photos are usually recognizable...but we had a great time...got some warblies...some buggies...and fresh pie from Blackberry Corners! Does life get any better?

 Yes, Black-throated Blues do occasionally sit still...but not for long.

 Who says fall warblies are hard to identify?

 Let's see...black throat? Yep. Blue back? Yep.
There, easy, Black-throated Blue.
I could do this!

 I see flashing from above!

 Those American Redstarts are great at flashing...is that legal?

A Black-and-White Warbly just before diving to invisibility.

 If you can't get the birds to hold still, there are always insects creeping about!
This is a Black-legged Meadow Katydid on milkweed.
Check out the aerials, I'll bet he gets great reception!!
(I've just been told they are "antennae" and they aren't for TV.)

 The marsh was full of Autumn Meadowhawks.
Some in better shape than others...

A former dragonfly makes a great meal for a present Flycatcher.

 Those "confusing" fall warblies are easy peasy compared to all year confusing 
Empidonax flycatchers...
I give up...

 What could be easier than a Blackpoll Warbly in its fall finest?

 Isn't it obvious?

 This is a Cedar Waxwing trying to identify himself from behind.
It's not as easy as it looks...

 Terns turning.

 A Field Cricket not doing anything.

 A slightly disheveled Gray Catbird eating berries and getting messier.

 Nothing annoys Great Egrets more than a gang of Wilson's Snipe underfoot.
 
 He finally chased away the last one...it was not a fast chase.
Nope, not  f  a  s  t  at all...

It seems to me that Kermit was wrong.
It is easy being Green!

 A VERY close knit family of Large Milkweed Bugs.
I'm glad my family isn't that close...

 Oh Canon!! 
I'm still waiting for that free 500mm lens.
I will give you plenty of plugs on my blog!
Are you listening?
How will I know what these warblies are when they're out of my reach?
Hello?! Anybody?

 Even the Nashville Warblies think I'm crazy.
Oh well...can't hurt to ask...

 This was a hard one...luckily I have "The Warbly Guide!"
(that was a not so subtle plug.)
It's a Pine Warbly!
They're hard to ID in the spring as well...
And it's not a Pine after all!
Thanks to Cole, it's a Northern Parula.
I never would have thought...doh.

 Click on the book for the link...

 Not a warbly thing.

 It's a Red-eyed Vireo!
This is the one time that "red eye" in your photos is a good thing.

 Ooooh...a Swainson's Thrush trying to be all thrushy.

This a Tennessee Warbly, it has kind of a drawl to its chipping and song...really...

I better go now before I get even more annoying...
...thanks for stopping by!