Fattening up

Tweet The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are fattening up for their southward migration. I had 4 yesterday and only have seen 2 this morning so far. I usually see Ruby-throats until early to mid October at my feeders.

This is one reason that I keep my hummingbird feeders up. It is not true that the hummingbirds will not migrate if you leave your feeders up until after Labor Day. In fact, I would say that it helps them on their southward migration, but this is only my opinion. As one can see from the photos below, the Ruby-throated is fattening up for the coming migration. Hummers also eat insects and spiders etc., so the feeders aren't their only source of food.

Another reason that I leave my hummingbird feeders up all fall (I leave mine up till Christmas here!), is that I hope for a western vagrant hummingbird species. Every fall, some Selasphorus (Like Rufous and Allen's) hummingbird species move east of the Mississippi River and show up at feeders in the Midwest and East. Other western species have shown up as well.

Here are some sites with more info:

HBRC Tri-state Hummingbird Study

Add your fall feeders to this map (Ohio only I think)!: Fall Vagrant Hummingbirds Project

Fattened up Ruby-throated Hummingbird in a peach tree

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A little surprise...

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While up-righting my potted plants on the patio from the storms this afternoon, this little Eastern Garter Snake came out from underneath one of the plants and jumped at my hand. It was not a happy camper!

I think it may be close to or had just shed its skin.



It wasn't much bigger than the night crawlers that I use for fishing! Tweet

Dreary day birding

Tweet The morning started out dreary with light rain/mist and low clouds. Being that it was my day off, I decided to look for birds ( a big surprise there ;-)

The first bird that I saw out the back door was this bright Northern Parula - this photo is from the back door in poor lighting. Definitely brightened up the day!

Northern Parula

I then decided to head for East Fork State Park. Got a later start then I wanted to, but the birding was good for warblers in the backyard early on.

Saw more Ospreys, 5 in total. One was dive-bombing an adult Bald Eagle high above the lake!

Osprey

Also saw 40 Blue-winged Teal way out over the lake. A Sharp-shinned Hawk also attempted a sneak attack on some European Starlings and Killdeer right in front of me. Not a bad way to spend my day off!

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An evening spent with the birds

Tweet Was going to spend my off day birding the morning, but didn't feel up to it. I finally felt better by afternoon and had to get outside to clear my mind. I am glad I did, as I needed it.

Due to the time of day, I figured not many warblers would be moving. So I headed to the beach at East Fork State Park to look for any shorebirds or terns or whatever else could be around.

The first bird I saw was this far off Osprey flying out over the lake, stirring up the gulls.

Osprey

Scanning the gull flock, I only seen Ring-billeds at first. I then noticed a large tern flying around, a Caspian Tern. It decided to hesitantly land in front of me on the beach.

Caspian Tern

(Looks like it has a carrot for a bill when one looks at it head on!)

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Painted Lady

Red-spotted Purple






Great Spangled Fritillary

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Tern of the Season

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With everyone talking about the possibility of good birds showing up with the unusual weather pattern currently over Ohio, I decided to spend some time at East Fork looking for birds.

The air was much cooler than it has been and the winds were blowing pretty good out of the west. The water was very choppy. I didn't get there until around 4pm, so there were people swimming and walking dogs on the beach. However, I was able to spot a non breeding Forster's Tern coming in from out over the lake. It landed very near me on the beach with the Ring-billed Gulls.

The way to tell this bird from the non breeding Common Tern would be the lack of dark black across the crown of the head. Forster's has a kind of black eye mask. Also, the Common has a black carpal bar (shoulder) which the Forster's lacks.

I did spot 4 Black Terns in winter plumage as well way out skimming the surface of the lake. Later, I also spotted a flock of 3 Pectoral Sandpipers flying out over the lake.

I will definitely take the change of season, even if it is only temporary! (Supposed to be back to near 90° next week.)

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A Nice Looking Wood Duck

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Found this handsome male Wood Duck yesterday on the bank of the Ohio River in New Richmond, Ohio. I often see woodies hanging out with the Mallards at this location.

A Nice looking male Wood Duck

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Red Admiral

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Tiger Swallowtail on sunflower.

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Book Review: Nightjars of the World

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When I first heard that there was a new book coming out about nightjars, I immediately became excited. Ever since I seen my first Common Nighthawk at age 11, I have been fascinated by the nightjars. So when I got an email from the publisher's publicity department that I could receive a review copy of Nightjars, Potoos, Frogmouths, Oilbird, and Owlet-nightjars of the World by Nigel Cleere, I quickly jumped on it. And I am glad I did, as I love this book!

Princeton University Press's Nightjars of the World is a hard cover book that covers all 135 species of nightjar. It is set up on the order of a field guide, complete with range maps and biology for every species. However, due to its size and the fact that it covers every species of nightjar in the world, it would be better used as a home reference rather than a field guide in my opinion.

The wonderful color photos (over 580!) no doubt make this book. Every species is photographically represented, including some for which there is no known photos of the birds in the wild. In this case, high quality photos of museum skins are used.

This book will give many the opportunity to learn about species that they would not have known even existed previously. For example, I was blown away when I saw the photo of the awesomely cool wings of the Pennant-winged Nightjar. They look like they have streamers at the end of their wings when in flight. Another cool nightjar, the Swallow-tailed Nightjar of South America has a 16-21 inch swallow tail. There are many more cool looking birds in this book that you will want to learn about!

I also like the fact that this book covers the biology and natural history of the Caprimulgiformes (nightjars) in a way that birders will be able to understand and ornithologists will be able to appreciate. The book points out that there is still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the biology of many of the Caprimulgiformes. This book will inspire many, professionals and birders alike, to want to learn more about this mysteriously cool group of birds.

This is the kind of book that can turn someone with any interest in birds into a full fledged birder. Every birder with a passion for nightjars will want to add this book to their library. A definite must have for the amateur ornithologist.

Nigel Cleere did a fantastic job with his book Nightjars of the World, and I highly recommend it - 5 out of 5 stars!

Disclosure: I had received this book free of charge from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

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Polyphemus Moth

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My search for a Black-bellied Whistling Duck (NOT)

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With the recent reports of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks being seen around the Eastern U.S. and the one up on Lake Erie, I decided to go out and check some local ponds that no one would think to check. I struck out on a BBWD of course, but did find my first of the year Pied-billed Grebe I think. Yes, my first for the year, as I cannot remember seeing ANY so far this year. They just haven't been around. Where are they all???

Pied-billed Grebe and Canada Goose

Also, I found a Green Heron. Not a place one would expect such birds, but I have found some good birds in this pond over the years. (It is that little pond that is under the word "Eastg" and above "Clepper" on the right side of the map)

View Larger Map

I am planning on going back out and checking some more spots that I think might be hiding something good tomorrow.

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The bird that started it all

Tweet I have often been asked (by birders) "What bird was your spark bird?" or (by family and friends) "How did you ever get started watching birds?" I probably answered with "I don't know for sure, maybe the Ruby-throated Hummingbird" or "Watching a hummingbird". I was fascinated by many birds when I was young, so I never really put much thought into the one bird that started the ball rolling.

But as I look back, I remember one bird that I could not ID for anything. I was only 11 years old at the time and wasn't what one would call a "birder". I did not own a field guide, but I often would look at my dad's old Golden Guide to Birds. It only contained the most common or most likely to be seen birds, plus some of the pages were missing. The bird that I was seeing was not in it. I remember asking my dad and grandfather what the bird was with the response "I don't know". Back then, there was no Google, I didn't have the internet. I searched and searched to no avail. I then started on a mission to find out what bird it was that I was seeing.

I remember seeing many of them flying over the fields around my house in the evenings. I thought to myself that they must be some kind of seabird. Given their shape and flight style, I thought maybe a gull or a tern at the time. I started to look at more bird books and my grandmother bought me a membership into the Cincinnati Nature Center. Before I knew it, I had become a birdwatcher. Oh yeah, that bird?

Common Nighthawk / Bob Hines, USFWS

That's right, the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor). I don't remember how or when exactly I came to the conclusion as to what those odd, crepuscular birds were that I was seeing. I only remember there were many of them and that they were quick fliers.

Common Nighthawk / Dave Herr, USFS

Today, I don't see nearly as many as I did when I was younger. I remember watching them for long periods of time as they migrated south around the end of August. They seemed as if they would never stop coming, a constant stream of birds.

I also later participated in a project designed to learn more about the Common Nighthawk's migration called Project Nighthawk (from 1999-2005). This also heightened my interest in the Common Nighthawk. Participation in this project put me outside for the last two hours of daylight of every day from mid-August till I stopped seeing nighthawks. As it is almost that time again, I still look forward every year to seeing the large, migrating flocks of Common Nighthawks on their southward journey!

Common Nighthawk chicks / Patrice Lynch, USFS

P.S. - (I have never seen CONI chicks before, by the way)

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Female Eastern Pondhawk

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Adult Antlion

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More cool, colorful bugs

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Last Saturday, my travels brought me to Miami Meadows Park. I originally went there to see a rock concert, but the music just wasn't my taste and I quickly became board. Instead, I went to the natural areas of the park to see what insects I could run across.

I started out at a little pond that I often see cool dragonflies and damsels at. There was a man and his son fishing on the other side of the pond, but they quickly left when they seen me. They must have thought that I was nuts taking pictures of the weeds.

There are always plenty of Eastern Forktails flying around. I love this small damselfly, as I think they are rad looking. Their cool neon green thoraxes and neon blue tail tip are awesome. I am always amused at when I try to point them out to someone, as they are so tiny that many people can't even detect them.

Eastern Forktail wheel on heal all or self heal

Walking around the pond I came across more odes, like this female Widow Skimmer

Female Widow Skimmer

and this awesome Halloween Pennant. I love the pennants, their wings are the coolest. This is the first time I was able to get a good look at a Halloween close up.

Halloween Pennant on a sedge

I looked down to see a duskywing on the clover at my feet. I decided to take a pic, as I can't usually ID them in the field as they are always gone before I can get a diagnostic look at them. Sometimes it is difficult for me even with pics.

Horace's Duskywing

I had narrowed this duskywing down to either Juvenal's or Horace's, but wasn't sure. Thank you Crystal - a.k.a. Rangerous for the ID help!

I then moved from the pond to the nearby field which was full of teasel and and Orange Sulphurs.

Orange Sulphur on teasel

While trying to take a picture of a dragonfly, I heard a small child ask their mother "mom, what is that guy taking pictures of?" she answered "I don't know honey, just keep moving". There were probably over a thousand people in that park that day. Most of which will never take the time out of their busy lives to experience and appreciate the beauty and awesomeness of the nature that is all around them. :-(

After not seeing much more in the fields, I moved on to the wet woods. I could hear a Pileated Woodpecker and Acadian Flycatcher calling. Got to see the pileated before it was spooked by kids on bikes. I also noticed a hummingbird sitting on a stick above my head. As I went farther down the trail, I came to a forest clearing that was glistening in the setting sun. The clearing was sparkling with the wings of many Eastern Comma butterflies chasing each other. It was almost magical looking. One landed at my feet on the broken boardwalk, casting a cool shadow!

Eastern Comma casting a big cool shadow

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

-Albert Einstein

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Red Admiral

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Just trying to stay cool...

Tweet Haven't been outside as much as I would like to recently due to the heat.

However, I did run across this Mallard family just trying to stay cool along the bank of the Ohio River in New Richmond today while out and about. Mommy Mallard was trying to keep the little ones cool :-)

Mallard family

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Question Mark and Morning Cloak nectaring

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Great Blue Heron

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