BirdingPI.com team’s mostly out on travel this week with various nature/bird/whatever trips, so it’s been quiet in the office. Pretty sure there’s team coverage scheduled for Presque Isle State Park this upcoming weekend, so stay tuned. In the meantime, more Broad-billed Hummingbird from Arizona in August. Amazing x lovely!
Dateline: August 2022, San Pedro House, Sierra Vista, AZ
Not a lot of exposition in today’s post, just beautiful Broad-billed Hummingbird at feeders at San Pedro House. Male: green/blue with red bill; female/juvenile: gray/green with black bill.
Just a quick, mid-week post of some recent shots mostly from Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA.
In Presque Isle State Park trail news, looks like the fine folks at DCNR were busy recently re-opening the Gull Point inner old trail, and widening/mowing the Gull Point outer old trail. Looks a bit ugly for now, but certainly helps with access, especially moving the downed trees. Also good for birding = easier to see.
Moving on to more birds finally, an amazing amount of Double-crested Cormorant (+ gulls) activity on Sunday (9 October 2022). First out at Gull Point, then transitioning to Thompson Bay, then transitioning further into Presque Isle Bay.
Finally, a ‘sneak preview’ from Sunday, four extremely cute Semipalmated Plover east of Budny Beach along the Gull Point beach trail! More photos later in the week.
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Now that’s out of the way, back to the business at hand. Weekend weather at Presque Isle State Park: Saturday (8 October 2022) – mostly cloudy, windy, cool; Sunday – mix of sun and clouds, windy, cool but pleasant; nice day.
Lovely Golden-crowned Kinglet along the Gull Point inner old trail near the beach, from Saturday:
And the equally lovely Ruby-crowned Kinglet, near Thompson Bay:
Note the slightest hint of red on the crown (i.e., hidden red feathers):
More Kinglet from Sunday!
Next time: the big trail news!
Dateline: 1-2 October 2022
Cool, mostly cloudy, and windy yesterday (Saturday, 8 October 2022); nice day for being outside, not so nice for bird photography. Still, plenty of bird/nature action out at Presque Isle State Park. Plus exciting trail news (really!) – report to follow tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy more birds from last weekend!
Following are all Yellow-rumped Warbler (female, Myrtle variant):
Quick post while the BirdingPI.com team gears up for heading out to Presque Isle State Park, despite unsettled weather this second Saturday in October.
More beautiful Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae) on goldenrod, northeast of Beach No. 3.
Tomorrow: back to last weekend with more bird!
After nice weather earlier this week, looks like a rainy Friday in Erie. So, time for more photos of mostly Ring-billed Gull from this past, windy weekend!
All shots North Pier and/or Thompson Bay/Erie Harbor Entrance Channel, Presque Isle State Park.
Proboscis (n.) “… elongated … sucking organ of a butterfly...”
Lovely Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae) on goldenrod, northeast of Beach No. 3, Presque Isle State Park.
Next time: more gulls? More butterflies?
After several weeks in the Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”) woods with nothing but Campbell’s SpaghettiOs(R) pasta and iodine water purification tablets, the BirdingPI.com SWD (special woodpecker detail) finally captured an amazing Pileated Woodpecker! Always great to see, always hard to photograph – good shots at least.
This individual a bit more animated than usual due to other nearby birds – note the American Robin in lower right corner:
Shot of the day:
[Editor’s Note: “captured” as in captured photographically. No birds were physically interfered with.]