Warblers,Woodpeckers,Wildflowers, Harriers, and Cuckoos Of The Vermilon River.

 What's that...Cuckoos, you say!!. You've been in the woods far too long. Well, you'll have to wait and see and even read the post before seeing anything. Opposite the River.
A post to:Id Rather B Birdin,Our World Tuesday, and WBW
I'd also suggest you try my video link where there is more news and a new video on wildflowers. Click here: Wildflower Video

 All the berries shown here are edible, even the white ones which are Dogwood berries, although some are more tasty than others. Eat your heart out Monsanto. These are Nature's bounty unsullied by DNA alteration.
Wood lore would normally say avoid white berries, which we'll do today because the blueberries are bountiful and sweet.

 I wasn't sure about today's hike because I'm squeezing it in between rain, so you'll see lots of water on the plants. I became even more unsure about the day when this Kingfisher blazed up and down the River at supersonic speed giving me such poor photo opportunities. But let's trek on

Blue bells

Bunch Berries

Looks more like a rain forest.

Joe Pye Weed

Meadow sweet, opposite contains the active ingredient of aspirin.

Nashville Warbler

Wild plums which are sweet and stain your mouth purple.

Choke Cherries

Blue Bells

Evening Primrose

Meadow sweet

Nashville Warbler

 As I came past the ski hill which is just a cleared part of the ridge, I saw this Northern Harrier circling and calling. He swept back my way, see below, at full speed.Remember he's a falcon so full speed is full speed. He's a male by the way.

Full speed and calling.

Landing

Posing

Back view

Side View

Facing me.

In flight

 Now the Harrier made up for the non-cooperation of the Kingfisher.But this doubled the pleasure, more Northern Flickers. Northern Flickers are ground woodpeckers, which I'm catching on trees and poles for some strange reason.

Watching me

Side View

He's a male-see the moustache at his beak

Side View

Wild Plums

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Wild Iris

Blue Vervian

Nashville Warbler

Fortunately, the wild flower site I gave you in the last post allows identification by colour. Vervian has to do with enchantment.

 Now this is really going to astound you. These photos were shot in a triangle of heavy bush at the River's edge. I catch Warblers, and Catbirds, usually imitating something else, in here. And a Catbird is what I thought I had. So when I looked at the photo, I was amazed by the eyes, and the beak. Cornell came through, and identified this fellow as a Black-billed Cuckoo bird. Now I thought Cuckoo's were a product of the south,even South America, or the Black Forest in the form of clocks, or perhaps in most nations' capitals where they're called politicians. But they're native to here in the summer of course.

What terrific eyes

Another view.

Larger size

Dogwood Berries

Joe Pye Weed

Evening Primrose

Raven

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Wild Iris

 I always see the Pileated's in the spring when the tree canopy is less dense, so this find is a bonus. She's a female.

No Moustache she's a female.

Side View.