Birding by ear opportunity in Ohio

Attention all Ohio birders! (And any other birders who might want to travel to Ohio!) I want to tell you about a very special birding by ear workshop that's coming up at the end of May. It's the 5th annual Birding by Ear weekend workshop, being held at the Wilds from May 29-31. If you've been to the Wilds before, you know what an amazing place it is. If you have not been before, this would be a great "excuse" for you to go. Here's a brief synopsis of the weekend, as listed on their site:

• Learn from regional experts on birding research and sound ID
• Find new list birds for the un-birded Wilds
• Birding by canoe
• Bird banding demo
• Enjoy quiet nights around a campfire
• Attract hawks with broadcasts
• Search for owls and whippoorwills after dark
• Explore the lands of the Wilds and AEP
• Four catered meals provided by the Wilds' restaurant (Sat morning to Sun morning)
• Bunk in Mongolian yurts for 2 nights (modern showerhouse is available)

I got my first taste of the Wilds last September when I attended a very cool weekend photography camp (which will be back by popular demand this year, this time on 2 separate weekends). It was someplace I had been wanting to go for years, and what better excuse to go than to get my photography learnin' on? Well, now I'm gonna get my bird learnin' on! I am so psyched!

To help me get prepared for both this trip and spring migration in general, I have two books that I'm using:

The Backyard Birdsong Guide (available for both eastern and western North America) is written by Donald Kroodsma, a "recognized expert on bird songs," according to the Cornell Lab. The book was written in conjunction with the lab, and all of the recordings are from the lab's own Macaulay Library. I haven't compared them, but I bet many of the recordings are the same as the ones on the lab's All About Birds pages. This book is unique in that it has an audio player built right into the book. The book also features range maps for each bird featured, as well as multiple recordings for most of the birds.

The Songs of Wild Birds by Lang Elliott comes with a CD that showcases the songs and sounds of 50 different birds, along with some commentary by the author. The book contains beautiful color photos of each featured bird, many of them actually caught in the act of singing.

A third tool in my birding by ear toolbox is a CD put out by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and it features the songs of the 99 most common birds of Ohio. (Ever notice that Cardinal wildlife icon over in my sidebar? The purchase of these special Cardinal license plates helps to support the Division of Wildlife, and to make projects like this CD possible.)

So, my fellow Ohio birders, are you up for some good birding fun at the end of May? If so, I'll see you at the Wilds!


By the way, I have a funny little "you know you're a bird geek when..." story to share. The other night Dave and I were watching an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and there were some birds on the planet they were exploring. Funnily enough, the song of the Eastern Wood Pewee (one of my favorites!) was used a couple of times. The first time we heard it, we were like, "Wait, was that a Pewee?" The second time we heard it, we knew it without a doubt. Yes friends, they have Pewees in the Delta quadrant - who knew?!

Images from the Hocking Hills

As we round the bend to spring, I find that I have the Hocking Hills on my mind. The Hocking Hills is one of the most beautiful natural areas in southeastern Ohio, and it's home to the Shoot the Hills photo competition which is held in April. This will be the competition's 8th year, and this will be my second year to compete.

Last year, I made several trips up to different regions of the Hocking Hills to "prep" for the competition. Here are some images that I came away with. These were all shot at Cedar Falls.

Hemlock branches shine in the sun

The water was crazy clear, and beautiful

The water shapes the sand and rocks in brilliant patterns

Sand - close up

A narrow pass of just downstream from a waterfall

And here's the waterfall. I'm thinking about entering this photo in the "print" division of this year's competition.

I love to photograph water (moving and still), rocks, and sand, and the Hocking Hills is full of all 3, so it's a little slice of heaven for me and my camera.

The weather this Sunday is supposed to be cloudy, good for photographing waterfalls (although I don't know how strongly they'll be running). Might just have to take a trip up there to start prepping my photo-brain for this year's competition.

Face in the tree

Can you see a face in these pictures?

Pretty cool, huh?

Young's Jersey Dairy

I'm digging back into my photo archives to share some photos taken in April 2006 at Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, OH. It's a working dairy, and they are famous for their fabulous ice cream that they make fresh. They also have lots of family-oriented activities, like 2 miniature golf courses, batting cages, a driving range, and.... a petting zoo!

They also have a very large windmill that I really liked.

If you ever happen to be driving on Route 68 (maybe on your way to Dayton, Springfield or Cincinnati), you should stop in. But if you want ice cream, especially in the summer, be prepared to wait. The lines are always long!

He really didn't know any better...

Squirrels are a regular fixture on our wooded property, and they love to eat from our feeders. Sometimes they startle me while I'm doing dishes by running along the deck railing right past the kitchen window.

The thing is, when Mr. Squirrel stopped to pose here, he was setting himself up.

Ummm... little dude? We could cook you on that black thing behind you if we wanted. Squirrel on the barbie, anyone? (Just kidding!)

Uncommon Beauty

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura

The Mourning Dove is one of the most common birds seen across the United States (coming in second to the Northern Cardinal according to this year's Great Backyard Bird Count).

I think many might agree that the word "common", when applied to the Mourning Dove, fits the bird in multiple ways:

• Widespread; prevalent
• Not distinguished by superior or noteworthy characteristics; average
• Of no special quality; standard
• Unrefined or coarse in manner; vulgar

I would have to challenge all of those assumptions about the commonness of the Mourning Dove, though. Have you ever stopped to really look at one? They are quite lovely. There is nothing common about their beauty.



Mourning Doves, fluffed out during preening


In the midst of preening


Being polite and keeping its feet OUT of the food supply...


Zoomed in on the plumage (this would have been a good Plume Zoom subject!)


Ice/snow accumulation on tail


Such ice/snow accumulation can cause Mourning Dove tail feathers to be pulled out if they get stuck to a branch (thanks to Julie Zickefoose for this information and feather ID).

Unfortunately, I can't do much to defend that last definition of "common" when applied to the Dove ("Unrefined or coarse in manner; vulgar"). I mean, c'mon, a bird that poops that much and leaves his poop right in among the seed and the bird bath? There's no defending that. Good thing they're pretty...!

This is my first submission to Bird Photography Weekly, hosted every Monday over on Birdfreak's site. Go check it out and see who else is showing off their birds.

By the way, what bird do YOU find to be beautiful?