2014 Spring Migrants II

I’m migrating my daily schedule from cool-weather’s afternoon walks to warm-weather’s morning bicycle rides.  This week is my first of many to spend with my bicycle.  These last several months I’d let my bicycle become a forgotten friend. But as with most long-term friendships, we readily found our familiar relationship and routine.   

It’s quite embarrassing that this week’s two-hour bike rides have left me mostly useless in the afternoons, with little writing or photo development.  Cross-training, they call it.  New-old sore muscles, is what I call it.

 

I rewarded my sore muscles with a yesterday’s renting of the 2013 movie “Labor Day.”  Call me a hopeful-romantic, but I really liked it.  And hey, it was a modern day exception:  the kid was really good to his mom, even in high school, and even after growing up!  (But yes, the movie still fit into the repeating, popular genre of a story that includes a low-functioning mother.  At least this story gave good reason.)

My yearly migration of daily schedule, to live in peace with coastal heat and humidity, is not an easy transition for me.  I don’t like rolling out of bed and immediately going out for exercise.  Unless, of course, the exercise is my favorite arm work:  raising binoculars and camera to the feathered ones.

But I’ve got to tell you, getting up for outdoor exercise surely beats 30 years of career clocking.  I’ve let my 5:30 a.m. alarm clock become a forgotten never-friend.  Say yea!

So I thought today would be a good one to share a second set of spring migrant photos.  As mentioned with my April 29^th post, 2014 Spring Migrants I, the photos are not great—but the birding was stellar.

All photos were taken on multiple April trips to Lafitte’s Cove in Galveston.  As always, click-on photos to enlarge.

A Northern Parula:

I was rewarded with long looks at an Ovenbird when I moved away from the people-crowds:

And when facing the crowds and elbowing a turn’s view of the water feature, I was rewarded with a lovely Philadelphia Vireo:

Magnolia Warblers would not sit still for my camera:

But I happened onto the quiet stillness of this Red-eyed Vireo, in heavy cover:

And two Warbling Vireos made their way across my view, with this one's better photo:

But the American Redstarts seemed not at all tired from their long flight migration. They would NOT sit still for a photo, giving me this best-in-class rear shot:

May all your days be birdy days!