It’s mid-August in Erie County, Pennsylvania, meaning “shorebird season” is fully underway at Presque Isle State Park, e.g., Semipalmated Plover, Gray Plover, Sanderling, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Baird’s Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, etc. – all seen recently plus plenty of others. With no post yesterday due to extended BirdingPI.com field operations, today’s a “double wide” featuring beautiful Lesser Yellowlegs at Beach 11 x Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on milkweed at Leo’s Landing:
[Editor’s note: bird in the foreground in two of the Yellowlegs shots above = Semipalmated Plover.]
Wow!!! Love the Yellowlegs reflections!!! One photo looks like it is looking in a mirror, loving its reflection.
Helps to have good front lighting – one of the nice things about the sandbar at Beach 11 in the morning (i.e., you can photograph w/ the sun at your back).
The Monarch photos are really special. Love to see the milkweed blooming so they can feast.
With the milkweed, it’s great right now for monarchs at Leo’s Landing. Always a highlight of the summer insect season.