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Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

By: Pat Coate

The backyard feeder and garden has been quite busy over the last couple of weeks. This ruby-throated hummingbird was one of several that visited our bee balm and butterfly bush. This is the only species of hummingbird known to breed in the eastern United States.

When a chickadee had the audacity to land in the bee balm, a hummingbird aggressively chased it away. Hummingbirds, weighing only about one-tenth of an ounce, are extremely quick with a remarkable ability to change direction seemingly instantaneously. Their wings beat about 53 times per second.

I believe the hummingbird shown above is an immature female based on the streaking on the throat and a lack of red on the throat. Female hummingbirds raise the brood on their own as the male moves on after mating.

(Still working on the shore bird photos, hope to have them next week.)

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Posted by  |  13 September 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: | Leave a comment

Magee Marsh and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Ohio

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Magee Marsh in Northwest Ohio

By: Pat Coate

On a recent return trip from Milwaukee, I took a detour along the shores of Lake Erie in Northern Ohio making quick stops at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh. As mentioned last week, Magee Marsh is a top spot for spring migration and a must for those undertaking a ‘big year’.

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Posted by  |  6 September 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: , | 1 Comment

Happy Labor Day


Hope Everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!!

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Posted by  |  2 September 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Leave a comment

The Big Year

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Birder extraordinaire – Greg Miller

By: Pat Coate

Enjoyed meeting and birding with Greg Miller, one of the birders that the book and movie The Big Year was based on, at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute Birding Festival. His character was played by Jack Black in the movie. Found Greg to be a very down-to-earth, genuine, humble guy who was a wonderful keynote speaker who appealed to birders and non-birders (my husband) alike. He discussed how he got into birding (largely his father), why he decided to go for the big year (way to deal with challenges in his personal life) and lots of anecdotes from both the big year and the filming of the movie, for which he was a consultant.

One of the many stories he told was that Jack Black wanted to go birding with him – to watch birds but mostly to watch Greg watching birds. The actor asked Greg what the name of a black bird they saw was – to which Greg said “red-winged blackbird.” Jack started to ask why it is called that – and on cue the bird showed its colors eliciting an ‘OOOOHHHHHH!’

One of the key places for spring migration on the big year circuit is Magee Marsh in northern Ohio. I got the chance to visit there last week and will show some offseason pictures from the area next week.

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Posted by  |  30 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Leave a comment

Green Herons

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Green Herons (2) in willow tree – can you see them?

By: Pat Coate

While visiting my father-in-law in Virginia we saw a family of green herons in the willow tree near his pond. The sequence of three pictures shown here move from distant to close-ups. The close-up photos are of an immature green heron, identified as such by the streaking on its neck.

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Posted by  |  23 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: , | 4 Comments

Chautauqua Institution


Today I have the privilege to speak at the Chautauqua Institution http://www.ciweb.org/ for the Bird, Tree and Garden Club. Should be a good time!!

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Posted by  |  21 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Leave a comment

Eastern Phoebe

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Eastern Phoebe adult with food for recent hatchling

By: Pat Coate

We had another pair of Eastern Phoebes nesting on the porch. It’s always fun (and tiring) to watch the parents in action as they dutifully provide seemingly non-stop feeding. One of the parents, presumably the male, just flies right up to the nest with food; while the other, presumably female, approaches much more cautiously.

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Posted by  |  17 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: , | Leave a comment

WINGS


Grandbaby had to get her wings!!

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Posted by  |  16 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Leave a comment

Community

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By: Pat Coate

My younger brother Tom (Andy, do you believe everything you read on the internet?) took this lovely silhouette picture in downtown Richmond. I appreciate his loyal reading of and contribution to the blog.

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Posted by  |  9 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Leave a comment

Red-spotted Newt

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Red-spotted Newt (red eft stage)

By: Pat Coate

While hiking at Allegany State Park, I came across two Red-spotted Newts. These salamanders go through three stages: 1) aquatic larval stage that is tadpole-like and body color is greenish yellow, 2) sub-adult, land-dwelling ‘red eft’ (there is a Scrabble word for you Kathy!) stage where round red spots with black borders develop and body becomes reddish orange or sometimes brown, and 3) aquatic adult stage where body turns olive-brownish and tail becomes rudder like. All the photos here are of the second, or red eft, stage.

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Posted by  |  2 August 2012 | Categories: iPhone | Tags: , , | 2 Comments