Busy Shorebird - Short-billed Dowitcher

Busy Shorebird - Short-billed Dowitcher, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Being a subscriber to the University of Michigan Bird Listers is a great resource for local rare bird sightings. A birder friend found this Short-billed Dowitcher at our local park and posted it to the e-mail service. I grabbed my gear and off I went to find this shorebird and add it to my life list of birds. With the extreme dry weather we are experiencing, the normally wet pond at Long Park was drying up exposing new mud flats for the migrating shorebirds to probe for food.

Lilly Pads At Dusk

Lilly Pads At Dusk, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Severe weather often brings a colorful glow to the evening sky. The sky was alive with color and pattern as a cold front swept out ninety degree temperatures and produced a double rainbow and a magnificent western sky aglow with spectacular color and pattern.

Catching A Few Zzzzs

Catching A Few Zzzzs, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I encountered this male Sandhill Crane while out walking the trails at Kensington Metropark. I watched him as he preened and occasionally nibbled at insects on the ground. What was very surprising when he closed his eyes and took a brief nap while I sat and watched from a few feet away. Here he is catching a few Zzzzs, as I calmly took his photo.

Kirtland Warbler - Female

Kirtland Warbler - Female, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I had the birding experience of a lifetime when a female Kirtland's Warbler made an appearance at the Biggest Week in American Birding at Magee Marsh in Oak Harbor, Ohio. A group of Mennonite birders found her in the willows along Estuary Trail at Magee Marsh. A friend of mine sent out a message, via Twitter, of their discovery and the bird chase was on. Hundreds of birders at the Magee Marsh exited the boardwalk and made a mile long dash to the location of the warbler.

Myself, and two birder friends walked over a mile to find this bird of a lifetime.

I was fortunate be able to get into a spot where I could capture a few open shots of her as she dashed around in the thick understory of the willows.

I have never been in such awe of the patience and kindness of fellow birders who took the time to show all of the birders where to find her in the deep cover of the marsh.

Thank you to my new and old friends who shared in this exciting birding experience at Magee Marsh.

JKissnHug's photostream

JKissnHug's photostream on Flickr.

Search For Warblers At The Magee Marsh Boardwalk

Search For Warblers At The Magee Marsh Boardwalk, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Spring has arrived at Magee Marsh and I am there to find the warblers. We had a very nice outing on Saturday, where we found the Black & White, Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped & Hooded Warbler. We also found a Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, White-eyed Vireo, White-throated Sparrow and gorgeous female Eastern Towhee.

The wind was howling off Lake Erie and we needed our winter coats to stay warm.

Bald Eagle - In The Neighborhood

Bald Eagle - In The Neighborhood, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
With migration underway, I make it a habit of scanning the lake every morning to see if any new waterfowl have arrived overnight. I had spotted a single Pied-billed Grebe on the distant shore and was preparing to look at it through my spotting scope. I double checked the location of the grebe through my binoculars when suddenly a large black bird flew into view coming straight for my house from the other side of the lake. I quickly set the scope down, grabbed the binoculars and confirmed it was a Bald Eagle flying over the lake. A birder's thrill if there ever was one, at least for this birder.

I don't know why I do this, but I screamed out BALD EAGLE, maybe because I really enjoy seeing these birds and my husband happened to be home at the time. I guess I also wanted him to know what I had found and not to be concerned when I raced out the front door with my camera in hand. We have been married 27 years, so he knows when I go racing for the door with my camera in hand there is no time for an explanation, only for a photo of whatever has sparked my frenzied departure out the door.

I had enough time to get several shots as the Bald Eagle circled the area for several minutes at low altitude no doubt looking for fish to catch. The eagle continued on its flight over to Long Lake and out of my view, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to go birding this morning. I birded from the front lawn and seeing one of my personal favorites, the Bald Eagle.