PI Bird Alert
With the recent spell of good weather and warm temps, things are heating up at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA. Bird-wise that is. Recent “first of 2023” sightings: Great Crested Flycatcher; Rose-breasted Grosbeak; Ruby-throated Hummingbird; American Redstart; Black-throated Green Warbler; Magnolia Warbler; Black-throated Blue Warbler; at least a vireo or two (Red-eyed Vireo or Warbling Vireo?); etc.
Of special note, a recent, first ever anywhere BirdingPI.com sighting of an amazing Hooded Warbler (m) along the Pine Tree Trail! (Literally amazing – wow.)
Stay tuned for more birds, including gulls eating dead fish in Lake Erie!
Gnaturally Good
More fun shots of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher adjacent Thompson Bay swamp/pond:
Bonus/Chestnut
Another “new for 2023” Presque Isle warbler, the lovely Chestnut-sided Warbler! Recent shots from very high up in the trees on the east end of Long Pond Trail:
Very tough conditions shooting that high up into the trees. Two photos above were the best out of several dozen. Other “ok” shots:
BirdingPI.com 2023 warbler count currently at 7! A slow but steady start. (Yellow-rumped, Palm, Yellow, Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Waterthrush, & Chestnut-sided.)
(More) Weekend Update
Dateline: 6 May 2023
More from the weekend @ Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA.
Another BirdingPI.com “first for 2023,” the always beautiful Eastern Kingbird, in a tree @ “Pine Tree Meadows:”
Very happy to see a BirdingPI.com favourite back for 2023, the lovely Black-and-white Warbler along the Pine Tree Trail:
At Thompson Circle, not sure what bird this is (!):
Perhaps an immature Brown-headed Cowbird?
[Editor’s Note: bird above is a female Brown-headed Cowbird]
(Un)common Loons
Please enjoy a special report of Common Loon.
PI Bird Alert
Dateline: 23 April 2023
This BirdingPI.com PI Bird AlertTM brought to you by the Hoisin Sauce Advisory Board – Everything Tastes Better With Hoisin Sauce! Almost.TM
In the realm of the ‘highly unlikely but nevertheless real,’ an amazing sighting today of a beautiful Tricolored Heron at Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park! Normally a coastal habitant, so wow. Substantially smaller than GBH, with white belly, white throat line, and blue head/neck colouration.
Just a few preliminary shots + video:
[Video resolution lowered due to site file size limitations.]
GBH at that same location for comparison:
More photography of this amazing bird coming up soon!
Another Point (I)
Milford Point, Milford, CT – the “Presque Isle of Connecticut,” if it had more trees and was lacking nearby beach homes. And was on a giant lake instead of the ocean. Anyway, on special assignment, more BirdingPI.com “guest roving correspondent” content of a recent visit to this amazing location.
Home of the Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point, sandwiched between Long Island Sound and the marsh/swamp of Charles E. Wheeler WMA, at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Following shots are on the inland/marsh side:
Coming up soon, on the beach at Milford Pt!
#More_Nature
Beautiful day Friday in Erie County, PA – mostly sunny and warm, turning cloudy with thunderstorms by evening. Forecast for the weekend: cooler, rain on Saturday, cloudy with slight chance of rain on Sunday. Nevertheless, three recent, confirmed sightings of Yellow-rumped Warbler and one of Palm Warbler at Presque Isle State Park – wishing everyone a great weekend outside! #more_nature
Lots of concern over the Trillium, post-snow. Happy to report it survived ok and is doing fine!
By special request from subscriber “Nicky T.,” more butterfly!
An excellent sighting of the tiny (dime-sized) but very beautiful Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), at Presque Isle State Park. Hard to photograph, but two nice rear views here:
Crappy iPhone (on max zoom) shot, but still nice to see the lovely, if upside down, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) on a flowering ornamental tree, in Lawrence Park Twp:
#More_squirrel:
Spring Into Woodpeckers
Ah, lovely woodpeckers! Some rather nice shots of recent sightings in Erie County, PA.
Following are Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (m) in Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”) alternated with Downy Woodpecker (m) at Presque Isle State Park. Note the row of pecked holes for drawing sap:
