Wednesday, May 13, 2015

...an lbj kinda day...

 YES! A Clay-colored Sparrow!
We seldom chase after rarities in our area, they're usually gone by the time we get there...
THIS TIME...we thought "What the heck!" On our way to Mother Doodles for party time, we stopped at Wendy Park, now part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. We had heard a Clay-colored Sparrow had been spotted on and off there along with a few warblies. We saw a "little brown job," aka LBJ, skulking about in the scrub...could it be? Nah. Then it disappeared as I took a couple of "insurance" shots. (I need to practice focusing...maybe next year...) As I was editing pics, I saw this shot of what I assumed was just another Chipping Sparrow...but wait, it just doesn't look right for a chipper...plus it's in the scrub...hmmm...lemme send this to our good burd buddy and all around super genius, Jim McCormac. He, too, believes it to be the Clay-colored Sparrow!


Image result for play-doh.
 What color is "clay-colored" anyhow?!

 SOOOO, anyway, it was definitely a little brown job kind of day...

 There's a brown bird in the center of this photo...really!

 That Brown Thrasher was just hiding under the leaves.
What a goof ball...

 Speaking of hiding in leaves, this is a Chipping Sparrow running away from me.
Not to be confused with the other little brown job that is clay colored...not like Play-Doh...

Hey look! A big boat!
Oh, and a Caspian Tern too.

Along with the two Worm-eating Ground Thrushes(Robins...) there's a Hermit Thrush.
A not as little brownish job.

 Back to lbj's...a little Lincoln's Sparrow.
Isn't he precious?

 Yeah I know, these are black and white.
It's my blog, so I can do anything I want! Ha!
Hairy...no wait...Downy...uh...yeah...Downy Woodpeckers.
The one on the right wasn't sure either...

 Now this is a Hairy Woodpecker...or is it?...yeah...or...wait...yeah.
Maybe.

 Eastern Kingbirds enjoy watching speedboats in between eating bugs.
I read that In Kimmay & Kenn Kaufman and Jeff Sayre's new book.
What? Why would I make that up?
Buy the book and find out...

 I think this is a Palm Beach Warbly.

 Sorry!
Sheesh, angry little bird...he's just a PALM WARBLER.
Better?

 For you gullophiles, that's a Bonaparte's Gull in "breeding plumage."
Wow...gray and white AND black...
Notice how I really zoomed in on it...NOT.

 Okay, let's get back to little brown jobs...
Second best bird of the day!

 Savannah Sparrows were everywhere! In the lawns and on the beach!
AND they even let me get a few butt shots!

 For you kids into fun facts...
Savannah Sparrows don't fly, they hover.
Again, look in Kenny & kids new book.
(Shameless plug number two.)
(I don't get paid for this either.)
(Though a new t-shirt would be nice...hint-hint!)

 "Loopy, you really are getting loopy...uh...loopier."

 Not so little, not so brown, a White-crowned Sparrow.

 Like you right about now, he's falling asleep.

 It's another lovely out of focus shot of a not so "lbj" lbj...a White-throated Sparrow.

 And now for something completely different...little yellow jobs!
Ahh, the young love and blank stares of Yellow Warlbies...
"Duh...tweet...what do we do next?"

A little Yellow-rumped to taunt you until...
 OH YEAH! 
NEXT POST...WARBLIES AT MAGEE MARSH!!


Monday, May 11, 2015

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!