Maui Video

 

A Day Off

In the mood for a short work week, I put in for personal leave on Friday and made my way down to Hecla, arriving at the ponds to drive into the blinding, rising sun. I scooted down the gravel road, watching the water and skies, pausing to stick my camera out the window.

There were plenty of waterfowl and shorebirds, including a couple firsts of the year (continuing to highlight how lax I was in the shorebird part of spring migration). But my best/favorite shots of the day were of the Western Grebes.

I didn't stick around the ponds too long and didn't explore them fully. There were a lot of ducks, but they were quite skittish, so I turned around before I neared the open areas of water with the most ducks.

Summer's End

 In recent years, I've felt burnt out on birding after a long trip. I think the main contributor to the burn out is not time 'in the field' but the time afterwards, sitting on my computer scouring, editing and deleting photos, plus the stress I give myself when struggling to ID tricky or unfamiliar birds.

And while I did give myself a few weeks going no further than the kitchen window to watch birds, I've been indulging in a bit of early fall birding.

I made my way to the park on the first of September a nice little spread of species, including my first two Wilson's Warblers for the spot and four Red-necked Phalaropes, my first for the park and for the year (I really slacked on waterfowl and shorebird migration this year).

Red-necked Phalarope

Back home, I nabbed some bug shots.

The next morning, I went to the Bois de Sioux Adventure Area and came away with more pictures of bugs than birds.

A week later, I returned to the park to throw some cracked corn to the mass of migrating Canada Geese and resident Mallards and Wood Ducks.

And this last weekend, I spent some time in the backyard, getting photos of the pollinators and migrating birds in the sunflowers and hedges.

Surprise lifers! There were a few Bay-breasted Warblers hopping around the branches.

Here ya go, Mom!