This one is for Mike and Betty.
Being on such an esteemed list as Michigan Birders often overwhelms me with
potential expectations. Y'all post such fantastic photos!
Yet, I am not deterred! I have a few photos to share, but first a story.
On our recent trip to Ohio last week, I picked up over a dozen lifers! I was
using binocs first and camera second (unlike last year), and we went on the
Biggest Week in America Birding (unlike last year) and oddly I loved it - in
spite of crowds we hate. It was even better with the joined forces of
birders from all over the globe, and especially with the well-identified
Tropical Birding guides on the boardwalk. There were guides and experts
everywhere, and it was so wonderful to binocs/key on a named bird and
see/learn the characteristics to note! Yes! The birds do look like the field
guides - especially when I had time to process my memories instead of
photos.
I really think next year we will go at least once during the "Biggest Week"
despite crowds. What energy and synergy! Oh . and so many lifers!
Of course, I took some pics. I will (eventually) blog our experience and
post a "few" more pics, but for now I just want to make a some comments.
After "doing" Magee Marsh for two days, we again stopped by Metzger Marsh
enroute to home. We love Metzger Marsh for the ease of birding and the many
pullouts, as well as the potential for really cool birds!
We met the "wild" (really tame? - I guess it had been around a couple of
weeks according to a local fisherman we met there) turkey at the first
pullout. I was shooting warblers and a passing birder said "Hey, Mister,
look at your car"! Sure enough, there was a turkey by the driver's side
waiting for a handout. WOW. Needless to say, Judy went nuts when she came
back across the road from shooting the heron and egret in the canal and
found a (rare for us) bird seemingly trying to get into the car. As we say
"you never know"!
After that we moved along and at the next pullout, we met a couple of
birders with their scope set up. "What are you looking at"? "Snipe".
Snipe?!!! It was a lifer for me - but, even better, it was a bird Judy
thought only existed in campfire folklore! Sure enough it not only exists,
but I was able to get a pic or two thru the scope. And, fortunately one of
our benefactors with steadier hands also shot a few with my camera. The
pics are not the best, but it was easy to see the difference (striped head
and all) between a long-billed mythical bird and the likewise mythical bird
I had shot (woodcock) about an hour before at Magee Marsh. Yes - real! Not
mythical but a "lifer"! Obviously Judy will never forget this moment - our
friend lowered the scope so my dinky wife could see it well.
As we were recovering from that, one of our benefactors (Michael) shouted at
Betty to bring the scope down the road a bit. Of course, we followed.
Michael had located the Tri-colored Heron mentioned on the Ohio list
recently. Yes! Another group of birders soon gathered: "What are you looking
at"? Great views were had by all!
I just posted a few pics - not great, but definite lifers - on my PBase
site. These are for Mike and Betty - thank you so much!!!
Shortly thereafter, I saw movement near the base of the dike and shot a
Common Moorhen (it was a lifer at Metzger last year). Yes, in my excitement,
I spooked it (oops!), but not before shooting one pic showing a wonderful
bill-matching red and yellow patch at the top of the legs. Kenn Kaufman's
book shows but does not elaborate on this. I doubt other books show this
(Sibley does not). Really cool! Who - besides Kenn - documented this!
I just put my pics on my PBase site. I have so many more to "process" from
our trip, but I wanted to get this note out now - primarily to thank Mike
and Betty for being such great hosts and mentors on our trip to Ohio. I told
them I would send them pics. Oh, by the way, they are Michigan birders from
Midland. Like all birders we met on this trip, they shared so much in a
momentary slice of time! Thanks guys!
Each moment in life when people share something important with others
usually may seem to go unrecognized, yet most often we just have no way of
expressing the joy someone brought to our lives! I have the fortune that I
remembered to ask for their e-mail address. So - thanks!
Pics:
http://www.pbase.com/doctorbass/image/134852313
Do "next" to see the rest. Hey, so what if the focus is not great? Snipe is
a mythical bird anyway! Besides the silly thing wanted to be anonymous!
Besides that, it gives y'all hope - bird pics do not need to be great - it
is really all about the memories that is great!
By the way, I saw on the Ohio list today that the Black-crowned Night Herons
are back at the fish-cleaning station at the Marathon station just west of
Port Clinton. That was a high point of our trip last year! We missed them
this year. The bait store in Port Clinton said it was the worst fishing ever
- cold and muddy water. Guess the fishing is better now.
I think the "second wave" of migrants may be coming into Magee this weekend,
but I also remind y'all that this is the best spring I have ever seen in
Michigan, so go bird! NOW!
Thanks for reading!
"Dr. Bob" Setzer
Streamwood Estates, Rochester Hills (Crooks & Hamlin), Oakland County
"Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day." Teaching a man to "bird"
is much harder!
Blog: <http://drbobsbirdblog.blogspot.com/>
http://drbobsbirdblog.blogspot.com/
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