Northern Parula

 David and I worked on getting the motorhome ready for our upcoming trip today.  Once we were done with the chores, we took a ride to test it out. We ended up at  John Bryan State Park where we saw and photographed a Northern Parula warbler.
 This small warbler winters in Central America and America  and the southern tip of Florida and  returns to the northern states and Canada each summer to breed.

Screech Owl

Driving through Snyder Park, I passed a sycamore tree then backed up to take a second look. There, in an opening in the tree trunk, a red morph screech owl napped. 

Shawnee Lookout Birds

We spent the day at Shawnee Lookout, a park located east of Cincinnati.
Here are a few of our favorites....

Cerulean Warbler

Blue-Winged Warbler

Summer Tanager

Yellow-Throated Warbler

Spring Birds

What a beautiful day we had yesterday! The sun was shining, and the temperature hit 70. I couldn't resist heading out to see what I could find at CJ Bown and Buck Creek SP.

Yellow-Throated Warblers are harbingers of spring, and hearing them high in the treetops signal that spring and the migration is truly happening. Normally I get a glimpse or them flitting high up in the Sycamore trees, but yesterday I was quite fortunate to encounter one that came down to the creek bed near the trail I was walking. 

Yellow-Throated Warbler

Purple Finch

 White-Throated Sparrow

Greater White Fronted Goose

This goose was in Old Reid Park feeding with some Canada Geese. We had excellent looks, as he was only a few feet from the roadway.

April 1rst

It was a beautiful day first the first of April, and I spent most of the day out and about checking for migrating ducks. My first stop was Old Reid, where I saw 8 Pied-Billed Grebes along with the usual cast of characters who inhabit the park.

6 of the 8 Pied-Billed Grebes seen at Old Reid Park this morning.

From there, I traveled east to visit with Lynda at Prairie's End. We walked and chatted, and saw a few inhabitants of her property.

This Song Sparrow was enjoying the warm, sunny day.

And a Titmouse whose iconic song is a sure sign of spring!

Assorted ducks seen behind First Christian Church on Middle Urbana Rd.



Blue Winged Teal seen on Bosart Rd. 

Before I pulled into the driveway, and stopped to check the field pond down the road, and was fortunate to find some Blue-Winged Teal dabbling. This one did a wing flap to show me the blue on his wings.