Big No. 2

Ah, Erie County, Pennsylvania, land of beauty! Just step outside, there’s Bald Eagles soaring majestically overhead!

Bald Eagle over Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”)

What’s that Bald Eagle doing?

?

Ah. Stuff happens, apparently.

Redacted
Uh, watch out below. For that giant black box.
Soaring majestically, slightly lighter

Anyway. At a big No. 2 on the Top 10 list (of birding things to do on a slow autumn day at Presque Isle State Park), it’s “hike to Gull Point.” Weather permitting. Number One rule of Presque Isle: Gull Point is always a good idea, unless the weather is bad, in which case it’s a bad idea.

Common Mergansers over Gull Point
Backlit American Goldfinch I
Nice to see Horned Lark in flight
Mergansers II

Heard Snow Bunting multiple times + seen distantly in flight; following was the only individual spotted on the ground:

Snow Bunting I
Goldfinch II
Snow Bunting, rear view
Another view of HLIF (Horned Lark in flight)
Goldfinch III
Snow Bunting III
Goldfinch IV
Snow Bunting IV

Following landscape shots taken from the very furthest ‘pointy part’ of Gull Point (accessible in the off season):

View towards downtown Erie

Great to see a Greater Yellowlegs still, on one of the bayside-facing lagoons:

Yellowlegs I
View towards Thompson Bay
Yellowlegs II
Thompson Bay (left) & inner Gull Point (right)
Yellowlegs, stepping, rear view
Transition between inner Gull Point (left) + outer Gull Point (right)
Gull Point gull denizen
View north-ish w/ observation platforms

For an even bigger post, time for ‘bonus’ content. First, here’s the old observation platform taken from the very furthest end of Gull Point (where it wraps around), by where the main lagoon complex exits into the lake:

With reference to BirdingPI.com’s fine map of Gull Point, this location is pointed to by the red arrow in this excerpt:

Main lagoon complex with the two observation platforms against the horizon on left (old) and middle (new):

Following shot is from the furthest end of outer Gull Point, showing (i) outer Gull Point tree line and (ii) the main lagoon complex exit channel (lake is on the left). Usually impassible (w/o getting very wet), seems like this is the lowest/dryest it’s been any time recently:

Finally, Greater Yellowlegs video. Maybe.

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