Spring Continues With A Warm Day

This marsh wren was searching for insects next to the water.

This white-throated Sparrow spent most of his time hidden on the forest floor.  I was able to capture this image when he jumped up on a fallen branch.

I'm not sure what this bird is called.  It moved like a warbler, but seemed a little too large.   It was searching for hidden bugs.

 If you enlarge this image, you can see exactly what this Spotted Sandpiper likes to eat.

This Red-headed Woodpecker is checking out one of the hundreds of dead trees that were killed in the 2011 flood.

The Warblers Have Arrived!

Fontenelle Forest has been listed as one of the top ten places to view warblers in the United States.

A Yellow-rumped warbler (Myrtle)  is wondering what I'm doing with that big camera.

A single tree is blossoming by the stream.  This Baltimore Oriole uses the blossoms to enhance his beauty.

Not to be undone, an Orchard Oriole poses among the blossoms.

Some White-throated Sparrows have brighter colors than others.  Compare this one with the photo below to see the variation.

Two Canadian Geese were hidden in the weeds.

A Killdeer walks in a shallow part of the stream.

This yellow warbler was in constant motion.

Help From a Birder

I check NEBIRDS occasionally to see if any birders in the Omaha area have seen anything interesting.  Fontenelle Forest is a popular spot so occasionally a birder will report on the same day that I photographed there.  If I returned with photos of a dozen birds, the birder will report seeing at least 50 different kinds.  I have room to improve.  

Canadian Geese are common in Fontenelle Forest wetlands.  This one was resting next to the stream.

I continued  walking down the trail without any special images in my camera, when Phil Swanson walks up.  Phil is one of the best birders in the state.  Apparently the birds flock to him because he always sees more birds in one visit than I do in a dozen. 

I mentioned that I had seen a White-throated Sparrow.  Phil mentioned that he had already seen at least half a dozen different kinds of sparrows.

Phil's magic worked well today.  While we were talking, a Lesser Yellowlegs decided to pose for us on a mound of grass. 

 

I think some of Phil's magic rubbed off on me today.  I have never seen a Northern Bob White in Fontenelle Forest.  I enjoyed meeting this one a few hundred yards from the spot that I talked to Phil.

In Search of Warblers

I photographed in the Fontenelle Forest wetlands again on April 18th.  I had heard that a couple of warblers had been spotted.  I didn't see them.  The forest was filled with the sounds of spring birds.  They were a cautious lot that stayed out of camera range.  I didn't take any outstanding photos today but the warblers are coming!

I saw my first Towhee for the year.

I spotted a group of 20 White-throated sparrows.  They stayed hidden behind branches and twigs

The Canadian Geese are preparing to nest.