Celebrating one of the first BirdingPI.com warblers of the year w/ beautiful Yellow-rumped Warbler at Presque Isle State Park the other day (proximate an American Tree Sparrow @ bathing):

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Super late post today due to all BirdingPI.com staff being out in the field for the start of migration season. Weather in Erie County, PA today: warm/mild-ish, but highly volatile, e.g., alternating sun and overcast with thunderstorms/light rain. Happy to report, however, confirmed sightings of 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers at 2 different locations the past couple days (!). While waiting on photo editing, here’s content along the Pine Tree Trail at Presque Isle State Park from this past weekend:

Really nice sighting of a Hermit Thrush right along the trail. Note the rufous tail contrasting w/ brown back:

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Rest of this post, nice sightings of lovely Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Lots of Sapsucker activity this spring so far (more than usual), but typically they’re only around for a couple weeks before heading north in Canada.

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Another post featuring recent shots of another “new for spring” bird, Caspian Tern. In this instance being chased by an immature (1st or 2nd winter) Herring Gull off Beach 11 at Presque Isle State Park:

Caspian Terns overwinter in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean area, but why stay there when it’s so nice, sometimes, in Erie in the summer?

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Attentive readers might have noticed a recent, brief exchange in comments about how Golden-crowned Kinglets raise their “crowns”/crests when agitated, typically during altercations with other kinglets. With that in mind, here’s a series of nice shots, in chronological order, of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the brush adjacent Beach 11 @ Presque Isle State Park yesterday, exhibiting similar behavior. In the vicinity, at least 3-4 other mixed Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets:

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In the good bird news front, reports of “fresh for spring” warblers are starting to trickle in for Erie County, PA, including Palm, Pine, and Yellow-rumped over the weekend. Here’s looking forward to warbler migration season getting fully underway!

With the mediocre spring weather continuing in Erie County, PA, back to sunnier/warmer times in March @ San Francisco Bay Area, with more from Coyote Point County Park featuring a gorgeous, non-breeding/immature American Avocet exhibiting paddling and dabbling behaviour:

Plus nearby ‘friends’ like this pair of Surf Scoter:

Also, a long distance but still nice sighting (first time ever for BirdingPI.com staff) of a pair of Black Oystercatcher:

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Back to March at the lovely campus of the College of San Mateo in San Mateo, California, featuring beautiful Chestnut-backed Chickadee x American Crow exhibiting “carrying nesting material” behaviour:

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Big bird event this past weekend in Erie County, Pennsylvania was surely the sighting of two American White Pelicans at Presque Isle State Park on Easter Sunday. Due to the holiday, no BirdingPI.com staff were on hand. Come Monday, the pelicans had moved to outer Gull Point, where they were barely visible across the bay from East Ave Boat Launch:

Other than hiring a boat, the only option for a better view* was heading east slightly to the bluffs by Lakeside Cemetery and Cranch Park, both as close as one can get to outer Gull Point from the ‘mainland’ with a view of the south-side Gull Point beach:

Overall, a very unsatisfying way to enjoy such beautiful birds, but at least they were seen and identifiable, e.g., as here in an enlarged version of the shot above:

Not aware of any sightings after Monday, so presumably this pair moved on, perhaps heading south/east towards the ocean (?)

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[* Editor’s note: with unrestricted access to outer Gull Point closed as of April 1st, it would not be possible to legally access the beach above by hiking out to Gull Point, + uncertain view from observation platforms.]

[Editor’s note: after April 6th, no reported sightings on eBird of 2 American White Pelicans in any of Ohio, New York, West Virginia, elsewhere in Pennsylvania, etc., so current location or path unknown.]

Might as well finish up from last Saturday at Fairview Business Park, specifically, the central area of the east campus = Flag Park (open for public access as a Fairview Twp, PA town park) and Lake Melvin. With copious lawn grass surrounded by brushy undeveloped lots, a great spot for Eastern Meadowlark:

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Late post today of recent Red-tailed Hawk activity over Fairview Business Park area, Fairview, PA:

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Weather today in Erie, PA: cold and light snow. While waiting for warmer weather (hopefully tomorrow), and by “popular demand,” it’s time for digital content featuring a beautiful Ring-billed Gull at South Pier:

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