Back to the “Top 10 birding nature things to do at Presque Isle State Park on a slow autumn birding day.” At No. 7, it’s “photograph random trees:“
Benefit of foliage photography: trees don’t fly away.
Moving on to No. 6, “hike an interior trail.” Benefit 1 of hiking = exercise. Benefit 2 = might see a bird or two. Following shots from Saturday along the Sidewalk and Ridge Trails, east end:
Best trails for interior hiking at Presque Isle State Park: Ridge Trail, Sidewalk Trail, Dead Pond Trail, Long Pond Trail, & Duck Pond Trail. Best loop hikes: Ridge + Sidewalk + Fox (or Marsh); & Pine Tree + Dead Pond + B Trail (longer option: Pine Tree + Dead Pond + A Trail + Pine Tree Meadows).
Next up at No. 5, “impromptu GBH behavioral study,” e.g., standing still, or (if lucky) displaying active predation behavior (a.k.a. fishing). Here, from Saturday on Long Pond, it was very interesting to see two GBH in proximity (but not directly interacting), both with their heads held up with neck extended, while walking slowly through the pond vegetation, for quite a long time:
Never seen a GBH exhibit this behavior for so long, let alone two. Research suggests it might be for spotting other herons or predatory birds overhead. However, no such birds were seen at the time by BirdingPI.com staff.
Where to see GBH at Presque Isle State Park: potentially, any pond or lagoon; Long Pond probably the most reliable from an “easy to access” standpoint.