Dateline: 13 May 2022
Spring migration season’s getting crazier and crazier. Multitudes of Bay-breasted Warbler – seemingly everywhere and too many to count. Heavy activity in all the other, common warblers. Plus completely unexpected sightings like this Black-billed Cuckoo (what?!?) off the Pine Tree Trail in the early AM today. (South side tree line fairly close to the “No free lunch” sign.) Cuckoo was not top of mind, so thought it might be a flycatcher of some sort. Note, however, the beak shape/color, the red around the eye, white throat, and faint white tail tips = Black-billed Cuckoo.
Also of note, two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also spotted on the Pine Tree Trail. This is an ‘at least one sighting a year’ bird at Presque Isle State Park, but seems a bit early in the season.
Here’s a fairly bad picture, but at least it’s in focus at least for seeing the green back/tail/head color, white tail tips, and white eye arc = Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Although it’s the only hummingbird found in these parts (absent some freak occurrence) = easy ID.