In Focus Daily

I’m back at Magee Marsh, a wildlife preserve adjacent to Lake Erie in Ohio. It’s a stopover for migrating birds, especially warblers, as they head to the Arctic to breed and stop to refuel before crossing the lake. But there are lots more birds than just warblers here. 2023 was my last visit here and on our last day, we found an Eastern Screech Owl nestled in the cavity of a dead tree, almost invisible as its feathers blended perfectly with the weathered bark of the dead tree. We had passed it, unnoticed, dozens of times during our four day visit then. Fast forward two years and on our first day, we discovered an Eastern Screech Owl taking an afternoon siesta before it began its nighttime search for food. What a great way to start our visit here, with the same bird species we ended it with two years ago.

A Short-billed Dowitcher probes the shallow marsh waters near Delaware Bay for something to eat as the high tide begins to recede. At this time of year, the Horseshoe Crabs lay massive amounts of eggs that provide sustenance for many of the shorebirds migrating through the area en route to nesting grounds in tundra to the north.

A Ruddy Turnstone, perched on an outcropping of oysters, checks out what’s beneath him in the water as the morning tide ebbs last week near the mouth of Cedar Creek as it flows into Delaware Bay. Ruddy Turnstones usually forage on the shore, overturning rocks and stones and debris in search of food. On this morning, the Ruddy Turnstones amassed in large numbers crowding the rocks and, in this instance, an exposed oyster bed, waiting patiently as the Horseshoe Crabs laid eggs nearby in the rocks and the shallow tide waters.

Seconds before the sun peeked over the ridge at Custer State Park a few weeks ago, the sky turned orange. Another glorious sunrise in Custer.

There were dozens and dozens of Red Dogs (recently born Bison calves) on the hillsides and meadows at Custer State Park a few weeks ago. They are so adorable, romping and playing with each other then flopping down exhausted from their antics. But mostly, they stuck close to Mom for security and sustenance. This little guy was cute and curious at the same time, staring at us as we stopped on the road to get a better look and take a few photographs through the open car window with Mom close by.

There were lots of Red Dogs in Custer State Park a few weeks ago. Red Dogs are the Bison calves that for the first few weeks of their lives, have a red coat. We saw lots of calves still with their umbilical cords attached. I don’t know how old this one was but probably only a couple of days old. The herd was on a slope when we drove by and this pair walked up to the ridge line and looked back. The storm clouds were headed our way.

On our last morning in Delaware, a Spotted Sandpiper in full breeding plumage appeared and sorted through the rocks and debris on the edge of the tidal marsh for the delicacy of the day, Horseshoe Crab eggs, of which there were thousands of the tiny roe, deposited by spawning prehistoric Horseshoe Crabs.

A love-sick Seaside Sparrow perched on the grasses in the salt marsh near the Dupont Nature Center in Delaware the other day, calling endlessly for a mate. It seems that on this day, the only one who showed up was a bright red ladybird. Not quite the right match and he looks a bit incredulous, but I thought the juxtaposition of the pair was perfect.

“You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!” I’m pretty sure that’s what this Ruddy Turnstone is calling out. On our second day here in Delaware, an adult in full breeding plumage brought all his friends with him to the rocks at the edge of the water as the morning tide ebbed in the nature preserve and salt marsh where we ended our previous day’s shooting. They came in huge numbers and gave us a morning of spectacular photography most likely because we ate ice cream the previous afternoon. As much tradition on a wildlife trip with Moose as it is a proven fact, eating ice cream ensures successful wildlife photography and in particular, bird photography. Despite high winds, even more intense than the day before, the birds congregated near us on the shore, scooping up Horseshoe Crab eggs. When an occasional vehicle passed, many in the flocks flushed and flew over the water in magnificent murmurations before alighting again to feed and take shelter from the wind. This Turnstone has a band, probably attached just the day before by a team of biologists studying shorebirds who have been at this spot both days, banding birds for their studies.

We had a great first day in Delaware. There were plenty of birds, despite winds that made us uber cautious about letting go of our tripods. Near the DuPont Nature Center which is part of the Milford Neck Nature Preserve where the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek meet and flow out into Delaware Bay, we saw flocks of shorebirds. As the afternoon tides began to ebb, a Willet, just inches away from a partially submerged Horseshoe Crab, searched the shallow waters for Horseshoe Crab eggs and other delicacies.

When I first saw this male Ruddy Duck, I did a double take. A vibrant blue bill? It doesn’t look real but it is! Male Ruddy Duck’s in breeding plumage turn that ruddy color and their bill becomes a bright sky blue. When we saw this bird in Sierra Valley a few weeks ago, he was agitated and charging at another male. Both had their tails up and they roiled the water causing bubbles to form under them. It was quite fascinating behavior to witness. Of course there was a female nearby. We didn’t stay to see who won her affections.

The tongue of the Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, as with most hummingbirds, is as long as its beak. This enables them to dip deep into trumpet shaped flowers to extract nectar. This hummingbird is native to Costa Rica.

Seeing the iconic faces of past presidents George, Tom, Teddie, and Abe in person, carved onto the face of Mt.Rushmore, is a very moving experience. And it is moving in many ways. Visible in the second image on George’s head are electronic instruments capable of measuring even the slightest movement in three dimensions on the massive heads. These monitors were placed along some of the major fractures in the sculptures which have been sealed with epoxy. To date, no movement of the granite sculpture has been detected. It seems that these sculptures will be here for a long time to come.

Mountain Bluebirds — just spectacular. The males have gorgeous azure feathers. The females have some blue but are comparatively drab. These two were close to each other on different parts of a fence in Custer State Park last week.

The Prairie Dog pups weren’t in evidence in Custer State Park when we were there last week but there was still lots of activity in the towns. I don’t know what the relationship is between these two but the one is front is smaller than the other but was clearly the aggressor. While this shot makes it appear that they are starting to embrace, the closer one pushed the other one over backwards. After rolling around in a tussle, they got up and started foraging together.

Yesterday, the Bird Group at Lincoln Hills was treated to a birds of prey presentation by master falconer Kate Marden of West Coast Falconry. This Eastern Screech Owl, the third of three birds Kate shared with the group, is absolutely adorable. His eyes are so captivating and surreal that they seem almost to be AI generated. I can assure you they are real. This little guy completed several flights around the auditorium, always finding Kate’s glove and the inevitable treat it held. The other two birds, a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk and an Aplomado Falcon were every bit as entertaining.

Storm clouds over Custer State Park.

The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of seven states. South Dakota is not one of them. After spending several days in Custer State Park, seeing them everywhere, and listening to their unmistakeable melodious warble every morning as the sun rose, I think it should be, but instead, it is the non-native Ring-necked Pheasant. By the way, the seven states are Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

In the spring, on large grassy meadows called leks, male Sharp-tailed Grouse drum their feet, flare their wings, and spin in an incredible display as they vie for the attention of female Sharp-tailed Grouse. Some Native American tribes living on the Plains where this ritual occurs modeled some of their dances on this bird’s spring-time mating ritual. I had witnessed this remarkable sight in Nebraska from blinds we entered well before sunrise to await the early morning spectacle. In Custer State Park, we had been hearing their gobbling and clucking vocalizations as well as their foot drumming sounds each morning in the area where we shot sunrise. We could barely see the birds on the lek in the pre-dawn darkness. But, on our last morning in the park, I was stunned to watch a male Sharp-tailed Grouse as he performed his dance a few feet in front of me at eye level with the just-risen sun backlighting him. Shooting from the front passenger seat, I had the best seat in the house.

After dinner late yesterday afternoon, about 90 minutes before sunset, we made a drive around the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park to say our final farewells. The light was perfect as we paused alongside one Prairie Dog Town. This “town crier” was on the alert, watching and calling out a constant alarm chirp. I had hoped to photograph a Prairie Dog wave, as this one was poised and ready to stretch up his arms and body in an infectious gesture that often reverberates throughout a town with several mimicking the first. That did not happen but his pose was another classic Prairie Dog pose—like a furry Buddha.