Friday, May 4, 2012

Yellow-thoated Warblers...and the BIGGEST WEEK in American Birding!

I can't wait, I can't wait! I'm just a few days away from packing up the Jeep and heading north to Warblermania, Lake Erie, Magee Marsh, and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory for the BIGGEST WEEK in American Birding! This will be my first time to spend spring migration on the famous boardwalk at Magee Marsh. From what I hear the trees drip with exhausted warblers as they rest up before crossing Lake Erie on the final leg of their journey northward to their summer breeding grounds. I've had so many birding friends tell me the boardwalk at Magee Marsh is the place to be when the warblers start moving through. I'm hoping to be eye level with a few of my favorite warblers while I'm there...so my sketches and photos won't always be of their little warbler bellies...

Painting 222. Yellow-throated Warbler Above Me
(...a quick watercolor and pencil sketch from a walk along the Little Miami River this spring.)
Painting 223. My Neck Hurts Looking up at You!
...could you come down out of the treetops for just five minutes so I could see you head-on?
(...another quick watercolor and pencil sketch from a walk along the Little Miami River)

Our Little Miami River Yellow-throated Warblers...
Every year a Yellow-throated Warbler couple takes up residence along the same stretch of river-front property along the Little Miami River. The male starts singing early, and often, and I look forward to his effusive and amorous strains that fill the treetops. The only problem is, Mr. and Mrs. Yellow-throat like their high-rise digs and never come down to visit us earth-bound bipeds, so my photos of them are always fuzzy and grainy and over-cropped...

Yellow-throated Warbler along the Little Miami River
...he's mocking me. I know it.
Yellow-throated Warbler along the Little Miami River
He's sitting pretty, but way beyond 400mm shooting... 
Yellow-throated Warbler along the Little Miami River
...sing out little fella! Everyone loves to hear your song.


Join me at the Biggest Week!
...if you're heading to Cleveland for spring migration, let me know. I'll be at Magee Marsh Monday - Thursday. If you're not going to be there, stay tuned. I'm going to report in every night with photos of all the sweet birds that came my way. I can't wait!!

See you on the boardwalk!!! :-)

20 comments:

Arija said...

I wish, I wish, I wish I could.
Have a wonderful time and soak up all the great new experiences.

Most of the birds I see are little and in the too far category to get good shots of so I fully sympathise but love your sketches none the less.

Sue said...

Sounds like a great birding time ahead! I'll be looking forward to the many wonderful photos I'm sure you're going to post.

Elaine said...

Love your watercolor sketches, and the photos are lovely! Why won't these little guys just be a little bit helpful and come down on our level? Have a great time at Magee Marsh. I look forward to your photos.

The Hairy Birder said...

I wish I was going with you Kelly. I love birding around Lake Erie, but I have always been on teh Canadian side. I hear that Magee Marsh is amzing. Have a great trip and I look forward to some cracking photos and paintings! Cheers, Seumus

Janice K said...

I will anxiously await seeing what you have captured...Things have been so slow here.

Unknown said...

Have fun Kelly!!! I was there 2 years ago and the warblers really do drip from the trees along the boardwalk.

Roy said...

What fun! I have off Sunday and I'll probably wander through the wetlands park on my way to errands, and naturally I'll keep my ears open for migratory warblers. But now is when I miss being back in Newport; Miantonomi Park there is THE warbler-sighting spot in that area in May.

Kerri Farley said...

Gorgeous!! That is my "spark" bird :)

TexWisGirl said...

mocking you. too cute!

'trees dripping w/ exhausted warblers' - love that description. hope it is true!

grammie g said...

HI Kelly...Nice sketch and photos!
These fella seem to like to be either up to high or hiding the the brush...bugger's!!
This one I not sure if we see here, but i did see and shoot the Yellow Rump Warbler about 2 weeks ago!!
They are all lovely though!!
Have a great time Warblerling ; }
Grace

Chris said...

Wow sounds like a greadt adventure and excitement. Hope you the ebst with that trip and come back with plenty of magnificent pictures ;-)

Montanagirl said...

That sounds like a blast! Can't wait to see what you capture with your camera. We had Yellow-rumped Warblers in our yard a few days ago.

Tammie Lee said...

I can feel your excitement and am so happy for you~ wishing you a wonderful time on the boardwalk.

loved seeing your paintings and photographs.

Gillian Olson said...

Beautiful birds and brilliant sketches too.

Kathy A. Johnson said...

Cute as those little bellies are, I understand why you'd like to see them a little more close-up! Hope you have an awesome time and share your experiences with us.

Laure Ferlita said...

That sounds like soooo much fun! I look forward to reading about your boardwalk days!

Unknown said...

I wish I were going! I look forward to seeing it on your blog. Thanks for sharing!

Banjo52 said...

I've been to Magee a couple of times for the big weekend, and it's quite a scene. However, the park is large enough to absorb the people without making them/us feel we're in Manhattan or some such, and it's fun to hear the experts calling out exotic species' names. We went with a couple who know a lot more than we do, and it was great, though I had trouble finding the little buggers in the foliage--a lesson in camouflage.

(I completely understand about fuzziness and cropping! Yet I don't see how the photographers with huge lenses ever manage to catch those jerky, nervous little birds. Good luck!)

Kelly said...

...thanks, everyone for the kind words. I did so much birding today (and I didn't even get to the boardwalk until 3:45!). I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Spring migration at Magee really is amazing...

Guy said...

Hi Kelly

Wow I enjoyed all your posts on the Wablers. You have great photos even without a lens the size of a telephone pole and you sketch and paint so beautifully I bet they are jealous.

Regards
Guy