Weather Permitted - 10/25/2008

In spite that the weekend was calling for rain I decided to take Friday off anyway and do a little birding. My first stop was Pte Mouille - Campau Road watch the sunrise and just watch the skies. After a while I decided to head over to Lake Erie Metro Park but before leaving Campau Road I managed to get a few pictures of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-capped Chickadee, Yellow rumped Warbler and a young Black-crowned Night heron.

When I got to Lake Erie Metro Park I drove towards the Marina where I stopped to look out over the water. Noticing a wave out a ways I looked through my scope to see what it was. The wave was being caused by what appeared to be hundreds of American Coots just diving in and out frantically. After a while I decided to drive over to the Marshland Museum and take a walk through the Nature Trail. As I circled the parking lot I heard a lot of chatter and saw a lot of motion. Parking my vehicle I grab my camera and approached the trees very cautiously. I walked in to the trail from the side that the Eagles house was - this short little trek would allow me to capture photos of a Hermit Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Would have taken more photos but my card read full and I didn't bring another.

Saturday morning - headed out for my Latte and then over to Campau Road. Nothing really happening there. It was a nice surprise to see Jerry Jourdan pull up - he actually rescued me from a very nice person who was passing on the "good word." Jerry and I set up our scopes to do a little viewing and I hoped to get a few pictures with the Nikon P5100 that I recently got for digiscoping. First subject a Blue Heron and then walked in a Black-crowned Night Heron. With nothing else to shoot at and the wind really gusting we went over to Lake Erie Metro Park.

As we headed for the entrance of the Nature Trail we were greeted by the White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers and (as Jerry has already posted) a young Balitmore Oriole. The trees were hoppin with birds, while walking through we heard a Carolina Wren. The list of birds that I photographed in our visit: Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush (sorry Jerry), Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Dark-eyed Junco.

After our little trek Jerry had to leave and I decided to walk the trail that takes you down to the boat launch and then along the lake and out towards the Wave Pool. Nothing to shoot but it was a nice walk. Heading back to my vehicle I decided to try once more for a photo of the White-throated Sparrow but had no luck.

I must confess before I end this - I went back into the Nature Trail from the side where the Eagles house is - that's when I was able to get the photo of the Red-bellied Woodpecker. I also went back over to Campau Road (after all I was in the neighborhood) and there I got a picture of a female Wood duck. She was a very good subject - she just sat there so I snapped away. You don't always get such a willing subject. Til my next post.