Magee Marsh - May 23, 2014

Decided to give myself a long weekend, so I took my last floating holiday (not to worry still have 20 vacations days to take) and go down to Magee Marsh this morning.  I wasn't sure what I was going to see there since I don't know how long the birds hang around after the biggest week of birding ends.

The first photo taken was a family of geese (photographed 5 babies - there were 6 the other one was closer to mom).  I saw Canada Warblers, Wilson's Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers, American Red-starts (female), Warbling Vireo's, Common Yellow-throats, Prothonotary Warbler, Gray Catbird, House Wrens, Thrush (not sure which one) and three Night Hawks (all in different locations).

Here's what I photographed:

 

Baltimore Oriole

 

Canada Warbler

 

Gray Catbird

 

House Wren

 

Night Hawk

 

Prothonotary Warbler

 

Wilson's Warbler

 

Yellow Warbler

 

Tomorrow Greenfield Village...

Detroit Zoo - part 2 - May 18, 2014

This is part 2 of the photos taken at the Detroit Zoo.  This isn't all of the photos taken, but these are the ones worth showing.

 

Ricky, Clare and Charlie - Thank you for a Great Day

 

African Spoonbill

 

African Zebra

 

Binturang (Body of a Bear - Face of a Cat - I don't get the tail)

 

Binturang

 

Bush Dog

 

Chilean Flamingo's

 

Red-faced Chimpanzee

 

Cinereous Vultures

 

Crested Screamers

 

Crey Crowned Cranes

 

Kudu (female)

 

Razor-back Gorilla

 

Red Panda

 

White Rhino's

 

Large Anteater

 

If you haven't been to the Detroit Zoo yet - you really need to go.  There were a lot more animals there, unfortunately a lot of them were sleeping and photographing a sleeper didn't make sense to me. It was a fun time and I enjoyed myself.  I will definitely go back this year.  

Detroit Zoo - May 18, 2014

With Mother's Day behind us the kids and I decided to either go to Greenfield Village or the Detroit Zoo.  Since I hadn't been to the zoo in a long time the choice was made.  Greenfield Village would have to wait until next weekend. 

I was very impressed by how clean the zoo was and how well the animals looked, it certainly didn't look like the zoo I knew.

With camera in tow I took pictures of probably every animal there - well maybe I missed a few.  Really should leave some for next visit, especially the Butterfly and Bird House.

Here is a sample of what you will find in the Butterfly and Bird House:

 

African Monarch

 

Jambu Fruit Dove (male)

 

 

Long-wing, Tiger

 

 

Postman

 

Long-wing, Hewitsoni

 

Long-wing, Tiger

 

Morpho, Blue

 

Red-billed Leiothrix (would like to go back just to get a cleaner photo)

 

Tiger-wing, Cream Spotted

 

Bare-faced Curassow

 

 

Because this post would probably go on forever, I've decided to do this in two. Now let's move on to my second post for the Zoo - the Animals...

Magee Marsh - Friday May 9, 2014

This was my first time at Magee Marsh for the Biggest Week of Birding.  I have seen pictures of the crowded boardwalk and the crowded parking lot but just never imagined how intense it gets out there. This was definitely worth taking a couple of days off from work for. 

Here is what I managed to get photos of:

 

American Red-start

 

Baltimore Oriole

 

Black and White Warbler

 

Blackburnian Warbler

 

Black-throated Blue Warbler (female)

 

Black-throated Blue Warbler (male)

 

Black-throated Green Warbler

 

Blue-headed Vireo

 

Cape May Warbler

 

Chestnut-sided Warbler

 

Gray-cheeked Thrush

 

Least Flycatcher

 

Magnolia Warbler

 

Mourning Warbler

 

Northern Parula

 

Nashville Warbler

 

Ovenbird

 

Red-eye Vireo

 

Warbling Vireo

 

Wilson Warbler (not very good photo but good for ID)

 

Yellow Warbler

 

Yellow-rump Warbler

 

Canada Warbler (not a good photo but good for ID)

 

A few others photographed but shown: Woodcock (nesting), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male & female), Gray Catbird and the Bald Eagle.

 

Next stop Detroit Zoo.