Artsy Flower

Just playing with my Sony this afternoon. Flower on the deck looked nice so I had a play and heres the result.

Magee Marsh 3 - a Variety

A few more from Magee Marsh. I wasn't too far from Magee on Thursday. I drove along I:70 from Indianapolis to Dayton to Columbus and saw plenty of signs for Toledo etc. My need to get home was greater than my need to see more warblers.

Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Dunlin

Magnolia Warbler

American Woodcock

Magee Marsh 2 - Not just Warblers

Theres so much more to see at Magee Marsh and the surrounding areas than just warblers. Heres a little selection of critters and varmints that we came across.

Fox Squirrel.

I'd love to have these at home.

As we were just meandering along the Magee boardwalk we came across this critter just sunning itself on the railing.

Fox Snake

These I don't want. Nice to see though.

Fox Snake

He slowly moved off into the tangles.

Green Frog.

Bull Frog

Snapping Turtle

Go swimming in a lake where these critters reside........not a chance.

He was several feet long!!!!

Magee Marsh 1 - Warblers and Vireo's

Magee Marsh lies just East of Toledo Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. It's labeled the Warbler Capital of the World. Not just warblers, Vireo's, Oriole's, Grosbeaks and many others. These are the first few that I've edited. Lots more to come.

Entrance to the boardwalk.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Philadelphia Vireo

Prairie Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Resident Skunk at Dusk

Skunky lives behind the garage and is usually a nighttime visitor to the back yard. Yesterday at dusk Oliver was sitting at the back door intently watching some activity on the back lawn. Skunky was searching for goodies in the grass. I grabbed the camera and went out the front door to quietly creep round to photograph him/her.

Skunk

Skunk

A Walk in the Woods

A misty Monday morning walk in the woods was very pleasant with lots of wildflowers and several newly arrived warblers.

Showy Orchis

Woodland Wildflowers

Yellow Lady's Slipper

Perfoliate Bellwort

Yellow Violet

Wild Strawberry

Wild Geranium

Yellow Lady's Slipper

Yellow Lady's Slipper

Yellow Lady's Slipper

Yellow Lady's Slipper

One out of three

Sunday morning I noticed warblerish movement in the tree tops so grabbing my bins I went out onto the upper deck. Sure enough there were several Yellow-rumped Warblers in the tree tops looking for food. There was a very nondescript little brown job amongst them, a Tennessee perhaps. As I stood there a beautiful Baltimore Oriole landed in the Hickory growing through the deck, only a few feet above my head and started calling. Carefully I went inside to grab my camera, it flew off when I got back outside. I made the mistake of taking the camera back inside. Going back out again a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker landed on the Hickory and started pecking away. It flew off as I went to get my camera. Camera in hand I waited for it to come back and a Great-crested Flycatcher landed in the very popular Hickory and perched for me. One out of three, I'll settle for that.

Great-crested Flycatcher