Dateline: 27 November 2021
There’d be a “Winter is coming…,” Game of Thrones joke in here somewhere, but it’s apparently too late for Erie. (Rain/cold on Thanksgiving, light snow/heavy wind/cold Friday, overcast/cold Saturday, and steady snow Sunday.) Most of the staff’s relocated to our sister site’s field station outside Oaxaca, Mexico (must be nice), leaving just a skeleton crew in Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, Birding, PI.com stands ready to marshal resources to keep you informed of birding ‘comings and goings’ at Presque Isle State Park, regardless of the season (!)
The area to the northwest of Marina Lake (Canoe Portage Trail, Duck Pond Trail, and Gas Well Trail) hadn’t been covered recently, so a team was dispatched Saturday for a comprehensive survey. Trail conditions:
Gas Well Trail: very muddy in spots, generally passable
Canoe Portage Trail: good condition
Duck Pond Trail (by Duck Pond): flooded and impassable
Duck Pond Trail (east of Canoe Portage Trail): very muddy
Duck Pond Trail (west of Canoe Portage Trail): muddy in spots but ok
Generally the area was quiet, except for an exciting sighting – and we’re going out on a limb here – of what appeared to be a Red-shouldered Hawk. It swooped across the Duck Pond Trail, perched for several minutes, then flew off to neighboring trees. Pursuit continued through the underbrush, hampered by eventually running out of land.
Factors in favor of this as a Red-shouldered Hawk:
- Banded, long tail (vs. Red-tailed Hawks having a more obviously red and shorter tail)
- Dark color with white ‘scallops’ on back
- ‘Tear drop-shaped’ (?) markings on breast (Red-tailed Hawks generally have a different pattern)
- White eyebrow
- Broad-shouldered Hawks (which may look similar) migrate south, whereas Red-shouldered Hawks are known for staying put in the Northeast; they also inhabit forests, as was the case here. In comparison, Red-tailed Hawks, for example, tend to perch above open areas, in our experience.
- Looks like pictures of Red-shouldered Hawk juveniles on the Internet, which is never wrong.
