Birds and Birders at The Biggest Week

In my post for Birding Is Fun! last month I may possibly have mentioned how much I am looking forward to attending The Biggest Week in American Birding this year. I can't wait to see the birds! I posted photos of some of the beautiful warblers that decorate the trees of Magee Marsh here.

One reason that I am anxious to go back is that I will be returning to the cottage that I rent on the shore of Lake Erie.

Patio of the Lake Erie cottage. (Photo courtesy of Janet Kissick Hug)

I love seeing my birding friends at The Biggest Week. Debbie Miller's husband took this photo of birding girlfriends last year.

Dawn Fine, Kelly Riccetti, Linda Rockwell, Sharon Stiteler and Debbie Miller on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh.

Sharon Stiteler, The Birdchick, hosts a Birds and Beers event during the festival. Everyone had a wonderful time!

Kimberly Kaufman and Sharon Stiteler at Birds and Beers

Sharon Stiteler helped me take this digiscoped photo of an Eastern Screech Owl with my iPhone.

Eastern Screech Owl

A highlight of the week was watching this pair of Great Horned Owlets in a hollow tree. The tree was visible from the boardwalk, but it was almost beyond the range of my lens.

Great Horned Owlets

Here is another view of the adorable owlets.  Both birds fledged during the week that I was there.

Great Horned Owlets, another view

I enjoyed watching the barn swallows that nest at the Visitor's Center at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

Nesting Barn Swallow

There were so many barn swallows that territorial disputes were common.

Barn Swallow dispute

There is ample opportunity to watch courtship behavior. This male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was doing his best to attract the females in the nearby trees.

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

This is one of the lovely ladies whom he was hoping to attract.

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I followed a flash of red, and I was finally able to get a good look at a beautiful Scarlet Tanager.

Scarlet Tanager

 One of the more interesting things that I saw was a large and lovely Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia).

Cecropia Moth

I am very much looking forward to seeing Lake Erie sunrises.

Lake Erie sunrise from the patio of the cottage

I hope that I will see another Lake Erie rainbow.

Lake Erie rainbow

Most of all I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful Ohio birds and wonderful Ohio birders at The Biggest Week in American Birding. You should go too.