More cute staff pet photographs of domesticated Dog (Canis familiaris). Easier than hiking out to Gull Point.

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It’s the rest from Sunday at Presque Isle State Park, mostly at Beach 11 & off Budny Beach:

Following shot, foreground is outer Thompson Bay (frozen), then outer Gull Point, then outer PI Bay entrance channel (unfrozen), then ‘mainland’ (e.g., east Lawrence Park, PA):

Fairly iconic, Bald Eagle @ North Pier Light:

Outer PI Bay entrance channel (i.e., east of North Pier/South Pier) w/ Great Black-backed Gull (@ center):

Here’s an enlargement of that same gull; note the pink legs = Great Black-backed Gull (not Lesser):

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Unknown objects on the horizon (although they were moving west-to-east); perhaps a ship:

This Herring Gull (@ center) was splashing in and out of the water for fishing; the Lesser Scaups on either side seemed quite offended:

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Lots more folks out Saturday to Gull Point than usual for this time of year, especially considering the rather miserable conditions (bitter wind chill @ outer Gull Point). Appeared to be a bit of “Snowy Owl mania.” Unfortunately, no reports of any sightings this weekend. (1 Snowy Owl spotted last Saturday, & 2 (!) last Sunday by the EBO folks.)

Weekend weather: mixed sun and clouds, mostly the latter. Temps low but not as low as mid-week; windy. Trail conditions: snowy/icy, but easily manageable. Lake conditions: lots of float ice. Presque Isle Bay: frozen.

Bird activity highly localized. Of note, nice Snow Bunting activity at outer Gull Point, and happy to report finally sighting overwintering Yellow-rumped Warbler along the Gull Point Trail. More on all this later. Here, it’s Budny Beach yesterday afternoon, featuring a very red male Northern Cardinal & Herring Gulls:

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As the post title suggests, it’s ducks in flight heading west along the entrance channel to Presque Isle Bay, between South Pier and North Pier @ Erie, Pennsylvania:

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Clear overnight in Erie County, Pennsylvania, e.g., at 2:15AM, but turned partially cloudy (lake effect high fog) since then. Temps low but not “super low;” conditions ok for deploying to Presque Isle State Park for birds/nature. More on that in due course. In the meantime, even more Purple Sandpiper and Snow Bunting from the other weekend at Gull Point:

Final shot for today, following is outer Gull Point w/ a shorebird in flight (middle of photograph), probably another Purple Sandpiper:

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Sharing some nice shots of Pied-billed Grebe off South Pier, + other floating waterfowl:

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Finally for today, a nice sequence of Pied-billed Grebe exhibiting ‘escape by diving’ (i.e., flight) behavior:

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With this week’s extreme cold, it’s time for a bit of colour, with “pre-extreme cold,” winter birds in Millcreek Twp, Pennsylvania (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). First up, on the last rainy/warmer day, the first Eastern Bluebirds of the year!

Nice view of a male House Finch’s typical red rump:

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Coldest morning yet this season in Erie County, Pennsylvania today, w/ temps at sunrise approximately -20 deg C (-3 deg F). Sunny though, at least for now (clouds/probably lake-effect snow later), like yesterday, shown here at a very quick, frigid stop at South Pier:

Ice conditions rapidly changing with the cold. Here’s a view of the west end of the Presque Isle Bay entrance channel, showing Presque Isle Bay on left and Misery Bay on right, w/ west end of North Pier (on right, foreground) + Perry Monument (horizon on right):

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Waterfowl congregating on the unfrozen portion of the channel between North Pier and South Pier, in approximate order of population: Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, American Coot, Red-breasted Merganser, Canada Goose, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Canvasback, & Long-tailed Duck. This is South Pier, looking east, with North Pier on the left:

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Another view of the unfrozen portion of entrance channel; North Pier and Coast Guard Station on left, enclosed pond @ South Pier on right, North Pier light @ horizon right:

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Stay warm!

Back to Gull Point at Presque Isle State Park from the Sunday before last:

Still lots of nice shots of Purple Sandpiper in the hopper, foraging along a bay-side beach w/ unfrozen water line:

Additionally, also moving along with beautiful Snow Bunting @ outer Gull Point:

Quite a large flock (relatively speaking) of the Snow Bunting, maybe 48+. Alternating between foraging among the sandy/snowy dunes & in-flight (see below):

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[Editor’s note: After “considerable debate,” BirdingPI.com management decided to allow ‘bonus posts’ of photographs of staff pets, despite it being mostly a ‘nature/bird website.’ Because, # wild animals?]

Following shots of domesticated Dog (Canis familiaris) in the cold/snow today @ Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”):

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