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Thursday, January 21, 2021 - paddling the upper half of The Sill; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. ©williamwisephoto.com

~ Journal: http://williamwisephoto.com/photographyblog/okefenokee-warblers

Photo 1:
More Faces Than I Expected
Yesterday morning I stepped outside before sunrise and saw movement. Turned on a porch light & saw this. I'd been wanting to see this for years. She had 2 babies on her back with a 3rd climbing on. The mama froze as I ran back inside and scrambled to get my camera assembled. I was very lucky, she was still standing frozen when I got back. So dark I had to use flash. I was about 10 feet from her.
Photo 2:
There Is Always One
After my first shot, I stood still & mama finally relaxed and turned sideways. That is when I saw there were 4 babies, not 3. Number 4 was struggling to find a handhold on the other side from it's siblings. Every big family has that one kid that marches to a different drummer.
Photo 3:
Mom Checks Me Out Again
When my flash went off for my 2nd shot, it got mom's attention again. With 3 little sets of eyes also looking my way. Number 4 was still trying to hang on and facing the wrong direction.
Photo 4:
Mom Decides I'm No Threat
Mama ignored me and the camera flashes and wandered around the deck sniffing and exploring for a minute or so. Baby # 4 finally seemed secure. Babies stay in mom's pouch until they are about 2 1/2 months old when they emerge and climb on her back. They stay with her until they are about 4 to 5 months old.

We found this right above one of our tents in Mahoora Tent Camp near Wilpattu during the Quest Nature Tour I was leading. Seen by Graham and Sharon Nancekivell and myself. We heard it do a high pitched call first. It was surprisingly fast as it scrabbled through the branches. Probably my favourite sighting of the trip!

This migrating warbler flew over our boat and sat on the water. When we moved closer to it to "rescue" it and bring it onboard it took flight and headed away.

San Diego County, California, US

Red-winged Blackbird
near Stewardson, Illinois
1 June 1989

I'm posting this record just for the general interest of a Red-winged Blackbird with one white wing. Whether a partial albino, or a partial leucistic bird, I'm not sure. A local farmer told my wife and me that this bird had been on his farm for three summers. The bird left in the fall with the other Red-wingeds and came back in the spring. I watched it for about 30 minutes. It vocalized like any other Red-winged BB and interacted with other Red-wingeds normally. It was pretty flashy to see in flight, however. Three shots posted. These images scanned from old color slides.