A fall migration surprise!

Tweet After striking out on the two Swallow-tailed Kites in Belleview, Ky yesterday, I decided that I was going to bird local today.  I headed out to East Fork State Park south beach first thing in the morning to try and beat the people.  I have seen many good birds on the beach during fall migration.

I must not have arrived there early enough, because ODNR and fishermen were on the beach.  However, I noticed that some shorebirds were running from a couple of the fishermen.  I saw some Least Sandpipers and a Semipalmated Sandpiper.  I also noticed a bigger shorebird that I passed off for a Pectoral Sandpiper.  One of the fisherman asked me if I was watching the Killdeer, and I tried to explain that not all shorebirds are Killdeer.  He remarked "They are different, aren't they".

I went to the other side of the beach to see if anything else was lurking around.  Found a Forster's Tern on a buoy.  I then went back to the shorebird flock and tried to get some pictures since the fishermen had moved on.  I spotted some of the Least Sandpipers.  I stood still, and they walked up to my shoe.

 

One just kept looking at me.  

I then spotted the bigger shorebird that I originally passed off as a Pectoral, as I was a ways away from it.  I noticed right away the bright orange legs.  Then I noticed the dark sides to the breast and large, spade like bill.  The only shorebird that I have seen with such bright legs was a Ruddy Turnstone.  I have never seen a juvenile Ruddy Turnstone, so I would have to consult a field guide.  

After going back to the car, I came back and got some pics of the bird.  It was a Juvenile Ruddy Turnstone!

I have only seen one two times before, both adults.

 

 

 

 

 

The bird then started to walk up to me, starring.

Here is a stretched wing shot, to help with ID.  Notice the extensive white in wing and the upper tail.

 

Nice little surprise!  Bring on fall migration!

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The Loveland Mississippi Kites, A lifer at last!

Tweet With the recent above normal temperatures and my work schedule, I haven't been able to get out birding much as of late.  So with word that someone has been seeing three Mississippi Kites at a park in Loveland, OH, I had to try my luck in finding them.  I have missed this bird quite a few times, once only by minutes not too far from my home.

Mississippi Kites are rare in Ohio, still a write up bird with the Ohio Bird Records Committee.  There is only one confirmed nesting of them in Ohio, the nest being in the Hocking Hills region.  However, they are expanding their range in Southern Ohio.  There are reports of probable breeding birds from the Milford area, which is very near the Loveland location.

After work last Monday, I decided to try to find them since I had to go up that way anyway.  My girlfriend Ashley checked the Cincinnati Bird Sightings log on her cell phone to make sure that the birds were still in the area.  At the time that I arrived in the area, the last place that the birds were seen was another park nearby called Symmes Park.  We got out there and searched around with no luck.  Ashely checked the sightings log again, only to find that the birds had moved across the street to another park called Home of the Brave.  So, we went over there and checked around.  Still no kites.  Found a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a cell tower, but no other raptors in sight.  So, Ashley checked the bird sightings log again to find that the birds were currently being seen at the original park location.  I started getting the feeling that I was going to have to chase these birds for a while.  Upon arriving at the original location were the kites have been spotted, Lever Park, I spotted a small crowd of birders looking at something in their scopes.  I heard someone say the kites are right there in that tree.  Sure enough, there they were, perched in a dead tree across the road from the park in someone's front yard.  Wow!

Looked to be one adult bird and two juvenile birds.  I wasn't expecting them to be so close.  Ashley and I watched the birds for about an hour.  Other local birders were coming and going while we were there.  I couldn't believe that I was finally looking at Mississippi Kites!  They were as cool as I imagined.

The adult bird was the most active and cooperative photo wise.  Nice lighting was helping.  Couldn't ask for much better views of such a cool bird.

 

They continued to preen for while I was there, as soon as the adult looked up, it went back to preening.

Cool red eyes!

As we watched the birds, they started getting antsy as they homeowner fired up a lawnmower.  The birds started stretching their wings.  I was hoping to get to see what they looked like in flight for future reference in ID.  I was able to get this cool shot of the adult minutes before they were spooked off by the lawnmower backfiring.  

The kites made my day.  They even looked cool in flight, like a giant nighthawk!

I would like to thank all the birders who kept updating the status of the birds to the sightings log.  And especially to the birder who originally spotted these birds and got the word out!  

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A field (bird) day

Tweet Hearing reports of Dickcissels and Blue Grosbeaks at Armleder Park, I decided to spend my off day trying to photograph them.  I don't get out to this park much, even though I find good birds here just about every time I go.  I think it has to do with my need to "escape".  The park is in the city of Cincinnati proper.  It just feels odd to me to go to the city to see good birds.  One can hear sirens and traffic constantly.  I can see "big" business from many spots in the park.

The second bird that I saw when I arrived at the park was a male Blue Grosbeak foraging in one of the parking lots near the front of the park.  I tried to use the car as a blind, but the bird flew to the brush immediately.  I was only able to get two quick shots out the window.

 

The grosbeak flew off.  I was hoping for better pics, but I was just glad to see one.  I decided to go to the fields to try my luck at photographing the many Dickcissels I was hearing.

I can't recall ever hearing so many Dickcissels here.  I remember when I got my life Dickcissels at Voice of America Park (VOA) in West Chester, OH.  This is the same park that I got my lifer Bobolinks at.  VOA looks a lot different then it did back then and I fear for the future of Armleder, as I see the same "things" happening here.  The birds are still hanging on at VOA, but they definitely aren't a priority.

We as birders must make sure that the birds continue to have a voice.

The Dickcissels were more cooperative photo wise than the Blue Grosbeak.  I spent a couple of hours just watching and photographing them.

 

Such a nice looking bird!

The males were chasing each other and singing for this female.  She didn't seem too interested, as she just continued preening.

 

Dick-dick-cissel-cissel!

While watching the Dickcissels, I spotted a far off Green Heron perched on a dead tree.

At first, I didn't see the other bird.  I looked at the pic on my camera and noticed a Blue Grosbeak in the same shot!  I went back to see if I could get a better pic of the grosbeak.

As I went back to near the spot were I first saw the Blue Grosbeak, I found this odd letter on a mowed path.

It brought back memories of when I was in college.  I often heard "you should quit watching birds and dreaming and get a real job"

I tend to find the oddest things when I am birding...

As I stood there, I looked up to see many people going about their day.  Most were riding bikes and walking dogs.  As I was looking at the Dickcissels, I was startled by a bike rider that yelled out that I was walking on the "wrong side" of the bike path.  I wasn't on the paved part, as I was in the mowed grass off to the side.   It always strikes me that so many people go by and don't notice the nature around them.  The mindset that is portrayed in the odd letter above is the same kind of thinking that could evict the birds from their home. 

I decided to head towards the other end of the park to see what I could find.  I did run across another Blue Grosbeak.  This one was also being very skittish and sneaky, but allowed for a couple brief shots.

 

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A dragonfly, butterfly, and of course birds

Tweet I haven't been able to get out much due to work and other commitments.  I usually get off work at around the noon hour, so I don't have mornings much.  That being said, I still must get out in the out of doors!  It is the only true way that I can relax.

Now that the trees are in full leaf out and migration is winding down, birds are starting to get harder to see (especially warblers!).  I was however lucky to spot a Louisiana Waterthrush along a stream on a walk in the deep woods of East Fork.  I often hear them, but don't get to see them.

Another bird that I hardly EVER see and only hear is the Yellow-breasted Chat.  I was surprised to be able to briefly catch a glimpse of one while driving around in Indian Creek Wildlife Area in Brown, Co. Ohio.

 

Such a nice looking bird.  This one was singing a full song.  The chat makes some cool mechanical sounds.  One minute it would sound like a cat and the other an android bird.  In my opinion, this bird is no warbler!

With the warmer than usual weather and local events at the East Fork Beach, I haven't been able to look for much in the shorebird department.  There has been some "good" shorebirds seen at places that are private and on the side of a road, but that is not my kind of birding.  

Cool and gloomy days are my best days for finding shorebirds at the beach at East Fork.  Hasn't been much in the way of diversity this spring.  I was able to find some of the more common shorebirds.

The Least Sandpipers are fairly tame.  I have stood still and had one walk between my legs before.  Here is one I found preening in the rain.

When the rain stopped, I was able to get the blur out of the picture.  Nice looking bird in breeding plumage.

 

So tiny they are when seen up close.

Shorebirds always give me the stare down!

There were also some Semipalmated Sandpipers on down the beach.  They are a lot more skittish then the leasts.

Again, another stare down.

I have been out looking for field birds such as Dickcissels and other not so common allies.  Dickcissels have never been reported from these places, but they are closer to me, so only makes since to check them.  Nothing "too" exciting on the field bird level.  Lots of Eastern Meadowlarks however.  Always love to see and hear them.

A Red-tailed Hawk was screaming up above, and then flew right over my head.  I think it must have been nesting close by.  The sound of a red tail always makes me feel free, love it.

This past Saturday was the East Fork Butterfly Count.  This is my second year for participating (only in it's second year).  I had a wonderful time.  It was very slow butterfly wise.  The only shot of a butterfly I was able to get was this beautiful Zebra Swallowtail, my favorite of the swallowtails.

I was also able to see a lifer dragonfly, a Spangled Skimmer (female). 

Fall migration is right around the corner.  I need to get outside more.  Hope everyone is  able to find some time to go out and enjoy the beauty of the nature around them. 

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My two days of The Biggest Week

Tweet Since I have never been able to get up to the Lake Erie region of Ohio in the spring, this year I decided to make that happen.  The Biggest Week in American Birding was already going strong, so there were plenty of other birders there with eyes and ears to alert to any good birds.  I really wished that I could of stayed for the entire event, but work wouldn't allow that to occur.  I caught the last couple of days of the event.

I had arrived on the lake on a Thursday afternoon having had a six hour drive due to traffic from a automobile accident.  I got there just in time to attend Birdchick's Birds and Beers event.  It was nice to meet many of my online birding friends as well as those that I have not seen in a long while.  Some of which included Birdchick, Janet Kissick Hug, Linda Rockwell, Dawn Simmons Fine, Debbie Miller and Gunnar Engblom. 

Since I have seen pictures of the many birders on the boardwalk at Magee, I kind of knew what to expect before hand.  I am not one that likes to bird in big crowds.  I usually bird by myself.  When I finally arrived at the boardwalk however, I found there to be not as many people as I expected.  Most were crowded along the first section to the observation tower.  After that, people were very spread out.

Here is a shot of some of the cars at Magee.  I would have taken a picture of the birders, however I want to assure a certain ODNR watercraft officer that I really do take pictures of birds and not people while on ODNR lands (there is a story to it).

This was standing in the middle of the parking lot on one side (there are two sides for those that have never been there).  This is about half way between the two parking lots.  Cars were on both sides the same length as seen here.

Once on the boardwalk, I noticed that the most common warbler was Yellow Warbler.  They were everywhere.

 

 

I am used to seeing warblers far and up.  It was hard getting used to seeing them too close to focus my big zoom lens point-n-shoot camera!

Here is a very cooperative Chesnut-sided Warbler, almost too cooperative!

 

 

Seemed to "glow" in the low light like he was radio active.  Such a nice looking bird.  The warbler decided to come close and give some funny expressions.  

I really love the expression here!

Here is a Cape May Warbler that just sat on the edge of the parking lot for a while.  The heavy leaf out made lighting a challenge.  

 I was expecting to see many more Magnolia Warblers than I did, only a handful.  As of this morning, I noticed a good deal of them around still.  I was only able to get the rear end of one.

There were many American Redstarts around.  Again, the lighting was a challenge.

Spied this Hermit Thrush walking around at my feet on the boardwalk.

 

One of my most needed group of birds is shorebirds.  I have a lot of holes in that area, as there isn't much in the way of quality shorebird habitat in this part of the state.  Have I known the area better, I think I could of gotten some that I need.  

Here is a shorebird that was right off the boardwalk.  This American Woodcock was with a baby.  I could not get a shot of the baby, as there were too many people to see it from my position.  

 

After Magee, I decided to head to Maumee Bay State Park.  I have only been here a couple of times and always see good stuff here.  Just as it was getting dark, I saw shorebirds flying around on the beach.  I decided to go check them out and found three Ruddy Turnstones.  I have only seen this bird once, and it was a very brief glimpse at Caesar Creek State Park.

Before seeing the turnstones, I took a walk on the boardwalk.  I heard a Wild Turkey gobbling and a couple of people I passed on the boardwalk said that there was a turkey ahead.  Here is what I found.  A young buck and a Wild Turkey in a standoff.

I decided to end my two day trip on the boardwalk at Magee.  I am glad I did.  There was a report of a Kirtland's Warbler on the new Crane Creek Estuary Trial.  While not a life bird, the one glimpse I had of one was very brief.  This particular female was very cooperative and allowed many people to view her.  This was definitely worth the trip.

Cool looking back pattern

Little bit of streaking on the head.

Had a wonderful time, much needed escape.  Just wish I had more time up there.  Hopefully, I can make it up next year.  Not long after I got back, there was a Least Tern and White-faced Ibis up there.  Happens every time!

I will leave you with this sunset from the beach at Maumee Bay State Park.

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