“May” Warbler vs. Raccoon/etc.

Happy to recently see a beautiful male Cape May Warbler at ‘eye level’ along the Pine Tree Trail. (This is one is easy: soon to be re-named “May Warbler.” 🙂

Cape May Warbler (m)

But first, several ok/shady shots of Tennessee Warbler:


Marsh adjacent Pine Tree Trail

Also fun to see an Eastern Raccoon (Procyon lotor lotor) in the nearby marshy area (see above):

Eastern Raccoon

Following are all Cape May Warbler x Raccoon exiting human presence:


Coming up soon, more along the Pine Tree Trail!

Orange Flame

Orange Flame Warbler (a.k.a. Blackburnian Warbler)

Next up on the BirdingPI.com “spring warbler hit parade,” whatever they’re calling Blackburnian Warbler these days. Actually, it’s still Blackburnian Warbler because the AOS (American Ornithological Society) is taking a really, really long time on its project to re-name honorific bird names. (Just now working on a pilot since the November 2023 announcement!?! Wow – even slower than BirdingPI.com photo editing.)

“HELLO MY NAME IS -undecipherable into English-“

Considering names like Yellow Warbler, Red-headed Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, etc., maybe don’t think about it so hard? Anyway, this is distracting from the much, much more important subject at hand, which (of course) is beautiful birds in nature (all Orange Flame Warbler):


Parula Portraits

Some years at Presque Isle State Park it’s lucky to see even 1-2 Northern Parula warblers. Anecdotally, 2025 has been pretty good, including these nice “not so high up in the trees” shots from recently at Leo’s Landing. Males = russet/burnt chestnut-coloured band on chest:

N. Parula (m)
N. Parula (probably female)

Following shots are more Northern Parula + “misc. birds” same date/location:

Canada Geese family @ Leo’s Landing
Wood Duck getting ready to startle
Wood Duck take off
WDIF I
WDIF II
WDIF III

Tip for attracting Northern Parula: “Here, birdie, birdie, birdie.” 🙂


Rather awful (rainy, windy, cold) weather in Erie County, Pennsylvania yesterday/Saturday; really nice bird activity at Presque Isle nevertheless. Today, looks a bit better! Happy birding/happy nature!

Warbler Activities, etc.

Lots of warbler (& other bird) activity at Presque Isle State Park this month. Here’s recent coverage mostly at Leo’s Landing, featuring another beautiful “black-and-white” warbler, Blackpoll Warbler:

Blackpoll Warbler (m)
Windy day on Presque Isle Bay
GBH out on a limb
Lawn weeds w/ bird
Out on a limb – facing other direction

Last week-and-a-half or so, lots of Blackpoll Warbler activity; anecdotally, more than usual at Presque Isle. (Go to Leo’s Landing to see Blackpoll Warblers.)

Blackpoll Warbler (m) II
More lawn weeds
American Redstart (f)
Blackpoll Warbler (m) III

Here’s a nice shot looking towards the entrance to Presque Isle Bay. Just left of the evil sailboat is North Pier and North Pier Light, just right of the good sailboat is South Pier and the ‘tree at South Pier:’

Good vs. evil
Yellow Warbler (f)
Blackpoll Warbler (m) IV
Spotted Sandpiper out on a log

Many Yellow Warblers all over Presque Isle, with plenty of associated chasing/tussling behavior (breeding related? territory related?), e.g., as captured in these two lucky shots @ 400mm:


Mallards (m) practicing log rolling for the log rolling contest
YWIF
Closer-up view of Spotted Sandpiper
Interesting vegetation shapes
Barn Swallow out on a limb
Spring flowers w/ yellow bird
At the beach
Yellow Warbler not quite out on a limb
High tide @ Leo’s Landing sandbar
Ready for take off
Taking off
Blurry Erie Bayfront w/ bird
Blackpoll Warbler (m) V
Unfortunate branch placement
Blackpoll Warbler (m) VI
More out on a limb
Blackpoll Warbler (m) VII
Still out on a limb
Blackpoll the 8th
Spring singing, rear view

Coming up soon, in which a Blackpoll Warbler-focused post also includes female Blackpoll Warblers!

B(ig) Weekend

Finally posting some content from Global Big Day weekend, on Sunday 11 May 2025 along the B Trail + Dead Pond Trail @ Presque Isle State Park. (B Trail is a relatively short connector between the main park road and the much longer Dead Pond Trail.) Weather was windy, but sunny and very pleasant/mild in sheltered areas.

B Trail
Chipping Sparrows

Really nice, first-of-year sighting of Veery, one of the woodland thrushes:


Another new spring warbler, briefly seen (and poorly photographed) Ovenbird:


Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) along Dead Pond Trail
Field Sparrows
Purple Martin
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis)(foreground) + Cypress Spurge (background)
Osprey
Woods along Dead Pond Trail

Sometimes it pays to go off trail. Following warblers/vireos all seen in the woods off Dead Pond Trail (see above + below).

Warbling Vireo
Black-throated Green Warbler
Looking for birds in the woods
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler II
Chestnut-sided Warbler (rear view)
Chestnut-sided Warbler III
Dead Pond Trail

Several shots of beautiful Eastern Kingbird:


Chipping Sparrow foraging in grass
Chipping Sparrow III

Rather awful/rainy weather in Erie County the last few days, + unseasonably chilly. Looks like the unsettled/cold weather might continue into the holiday weekend, but ‘fingers crossed’ for great bird activity regardless!

Coming up soon, a Yellow Warbler bath!

Sorry, the bathing warbler just left

Shady-ish Warblers

Today on BirdingPI.com, focusing on another ‘spring warbler,’ the beautiful Bay-breasted Warbler. These shots taken recently mostly along the Duck Pond Trail @ Presque Isle State Park.

Frequently, Bay-breasted Warblers are seen foraging high up in the trees, as above. (This time of year – mid-spring – it means foliage/shade.) As in the following shot, though, lucky to see this male fly catching in trailside shrubbery:


Following all Bay-breasted Warbler unless otherwise noted:

Tennessee Warbler
American Redstart (f)
Blackburnian Warbler (f)
Female Redstart II
Magnolia Warber (m) I
Magnolia Warbler II
Magnolia Warbler III

Finally, it’s bonus Gray Catbird! Including video w/ non-noisy audio! More exclamation points!!!


#More_Marsh

More birds, etc. from last Saturday at Conneaut Marsh, south/southwest of Conneaut Lake in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Here’s another view of McMichael Rd bisecting the marsh; Prothonotary Warbler nests (see previous post) are on the right and left along the waterways:

Conneaut Marsh & McMichael Rd

This post, however, features an amazing sighting of one or two Yellow-throated Vireo, also seen by the road just as the rain moved in:

Yellow-throated Vireo
Common Grackle
Eastern Bluebird
Vireo II

Here’s male and female Mallards in flight:


Yellow-throated Vireo in rain
Green Heron in flight
Yellow-throated Vireo III
Eastern Kingbird in marsh
Vireo IV
Female Red-winged Blackbird
Vireo V
Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
Vireo VI

Nice sighting of Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the forest, first a female then three shots of male:


Yellow-throated Vireo VII
Groundhog (Marmota monax) waiting for the bus
Final Yellow-throated Vireo
Conneaut Marsh as rain moves in

Coming up soon (maybe), rain birding in Pittsburgh! Wow.