Cuckoo, Cuckoo!

(May 12th) Another warbler day in Magee Marsh, but full of some big surprises. Today the highlight was definitely a fine-looking Yellow-billed Cuckoo who perched on a tree right near the trail. I was amazed at the several birders and photographers who I saw pass it when I discovered it. I guess they were too busy looking for warblers to see it. Cuckoos are great birds, longer than a crow but more slender. They are uncommon, but definitely not rare. However, seeing one is rare since they tend to be shy and spend their time in foliage. This one hung out for quite to the delight of people passing through. Yes, these are the birds the clock is named after, but a slightly different species. (For some reason the eye in this small version doesn't look right, so see the larger version if you care)

Another non-warbler sighting was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This one of the most commonly seen birds during the migration, but most come earlier in the migration. They are tiny birds, smaller than a mouse. They are balls of energy though and quite friendly and curious. They are one of the few birds that typically doesn't mind coming close. This one was curious and flew in to watch me.

Of course there were some warblers today as well. The best photographs were of this Chestnut-sided Warbler who also had no fear and after time came in close. Great colors on this one, and one of the more common warblers at Magee. After looking over some of today's shots (like this and the kinglet), I'm realizing that I need to add just a touch of flash to these shaded shots.