Cedar Waxwings

These are such elegant birds….with their black masks and their jauntily tipped headgear, they just exude class. I wondered how it was that they were named….until I had an opportunity to see one close-up. Here’s some pics from the Dayton KOA Kampgrounds. The red tips of their wings acually look like drops of candle wax….they are so aptly named!

Bringing Home the BUgs

I watched this American Robin gather a load ‘o bugs to take back to her brood….
There are at least two (maybe three) damselflies, a slug, an earthworm, and another dragonfly. What a beakful!!

Final Days in the Nest

Magee Kirtland's Warbler

We just returned from a 5 day visit to Magee Marsh, near Oregon, Ohio. This lakeside habitat is a “migrant trap” where birds migrating north to Canadian breeding grounds stop over for feeding before crossing Lake Erie.
A highlight of this visit was our sighting of a female Kirtland’s Warbler. These warblers were thought to breed only in stands of jack pines in Michigan’s lower peninsula. Now breeding populations have been identified in other staes as noted in this article:
A female Kirtland’s Warbler from Magee Marsh….

Nashville Warblers

From the observation tower at Magee, we were at eye-level with some small willows. Several Nashville Warblers displayed their acrobatic skills while foraging in the catkins. Wonderful to watch!