Hi friends!  well, since we got back from Texas in March, we've been busy unpacking, David had to take care of the snow that was still on the ground, and I've been going to Mom's every week to continue helping her get her house cleaned (her wish!).  April brought about some warm temperatures and I was able to get into my garden the earliest I ever did to get a head-start, like removing the Pin Oak leaves that pile up in January!  David helped me one Sunday and I just finished 2 days ago!

I got my annual "birdy" nail art, this time a FLAMINGO (per the Vietnamese girl who I love!)...don't think I'll see one of those in OH, but who knows! here it is!

birdy nails 4-2014

So what's going on with birding in my world?  I've been able to take my golf cart out back in April after the ground warmed up a little and have THREE new yard birds!! 

1 - Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush posing @ Navarre Marsh, OH 4-21-14 SEP_4860

2 - Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

New yard bird Blue Gray Gnatcatcher @ Erie, MI 4-18-14 SEP_4795

3 - Swamp Sparrow (didn't get a good picture)

Not a new yard bird, but a Cooper's Hawk paid an April visit...

Cooper's Hawk @ Erie, MI 4-17-14 IMG_0039

and the Tree Swallows that built in my garden Bluebird box (and chased Festus every DAY), are back to the same box (go figure!).  They did raise babies last year there!

Tree Swallows @ Erie, MI 2014 SEP_4799

I saw 2 butterflies this week in my garden!  A Mourning Cloak and an Eastern Comma!  I'm looking for early butterflies that I haven't seen before (like Elfins!)

Mourning Cloak butterfly @ Erie, MI 4-17-14 SEP_4727 Eastern Comma butterfly @ Erie, MI 4-18-14 SEP_4796

My first banding volunteer day was Monday (my set day in Spring), April 21st! We had an awesome day and I was able to walk to the back nets twice and be a bag holder!  I also weighed birds and did recaptures and got to hold some too! I think we got more birds this first day than we have in the past 5 years!  I got a picture of a melanistic garter snake by net 9:

Lake Erie Water Snake @ Navarre Marsh, OH 2014

and my friend showed me "Dutchmen's Breech's" wildflowers that I can add to my website!  They only bloom early in April for a few days:

Dutchman's Breeches @ Navarre Marsh, OH 4-21-14 SEP_4880

After banding, I got to bird alone and I went to Magee Marsh on the Estuary trail (never been) and walked half of the west end looking for the Yellow-throated Warbler that someone saw that day, but I did not see it.  My nemesis!  I then went to Ottawa NWR and drove the east route...a beaver was swimming and I took a few photographs and as I moved on, he moved with me, looking at me the whole time.  So I kept shooting and got the cutest picture of him! check it out!

Beaver @ Ottawa NWR, OH 4-21-14 IMG_0046

I also saw my FIRST Dragonfly of the year and got a moving-quick/crappy photo to tell he was a Common Green Darner (also at Ottawa NWR).

First dragonfly Common Green Darner @ Ottawa NWR, OH 4-21-14 SEP_4915

At Benton-Carroll Road, I got a photo of a muskrat OUT OF WATER! never seen that before! awesome:

Muskrat not in water! @ Benton-Caroll Rd, OH 4-21-14 SEP_4834

Then I went to Metzger Marsh and photographed a Blue Wing Teal male sleeping below (you could see the Blue in his wings, which is sometimes hard to see), and a Snowy Egret and a Caspian Tern!

Blue-winged Teal duck (male) @ Metzger Marsh, OH 4-21-14 IMG_0055 then I was home in time for dinner :) I can sleep in tomorrow. David has been cleaning the trailer for me and my friend's 9-day stay at Biggest Week in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!! I'm already packing LOL!

My next banding day is Monday, April 28th! more then!