It was interesting weather at Presque Isle State Park for Global Big Day yesterday. ‘Interesting’ = mostly crappy, i.e., less than ideally conducive for productive and pleasant birding all day. … Mostly sunny (although windy/cool) until about 11AM, then light on/off rain, then moderate rain, then partial clearing by mid-afternoon, then moderate/heavy rain (+ sometimes very windy) late afternoon/evening as another front rolled through. Bird activity rather erratic, but lots to see!
Bird photography into thick brush or high into the tree canopy is hard enough. Just try it with an umbrella under rainy conditions on the Ridge Trail. Nevertheless, the suffering extra effort paid off, with this amazing Ovenbird, taken under rainy/overcast conditions close to where the Ridge Trail intersects the Sidewalk Trail at their east ends:
“Bird Watching Rule 14(a): the bird of the day is always Ovenbird, unless there’s an owl.” Johnson, Daniel & Matheson, Herbert. The Great Book of Bird Watching. 1st ed., HarperCollins, 1963.
Coming up soon, more Global Big Day!
That’s a hot bird! (get it? Oven bird? Hot?)
While the Team Leader was suffering in the rain, this team member was drinking coffee in the car! The TL has to head for cover now and then!