Dateline: 13 May 2022

Spring migration season’s getting crazier and crazier. Multitudes of Bay-breasted Warbler – seemingly everywhere and too many to count. Heavy activity in all the other, common warblers. Plus completely unexpected sightings like this Black-billed Cuckoo (what?!?) off the Pine Tree Trail in the early AM today. (South side tree line fairly close to the “No free lunch” sign.) Cuckoo was not top of mind, so thought it might be a flycatcher of some sort. Note, however, the beak shape/color, the red around the eye, white throat, and faint white tail tips = Black-billed Cuckoo.

Also of note, two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also spotted on the Pine Tree Trail. This is an ‘at least one sighting a year’ bird at Presque Isle State Park, but seems a bit early in the season.

Here’s a fairly bad picture, but at least it’s in focus at least for seeing the green back/tail/head color, white tail tips, and white eye arc = Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Although it’s the only hummingbird found in these parts (absent some freak occurrence) = easy ID.

Dateline: 12 May 2022

Very early start today to avoid the ‘crowds’ at Presque Isle State Park. Rather startled, on the Sidewalk Trail, to see three of the above flying overhead, generally heading west-to-east. A birder passerby suggested American Bittern, but this is clearly a Green Heron. Of course, very hard to tell transitorily at a distance = nice to have a camera for post-sighting forensics.

Anyway, lovely to see in full flight!

Dateline: May 2022

Per a pervious post, here’s the “lovely but elusive Scarlet Tanager.” Number one on the BirdingPI.com wish list of “nature things we’d like to see at Presque Isle State Park” was “1. More than just a momentary glimpse of a Scarlet Tanager as it flies off through the trees.” (Actually, number one is ‘eagle vs. bear,’ but chances of that seem low.) With that, much excitement on a recent morning along the Long Pond Trail with not only one, but two lovely, male Scarlet Tanagers hanging around, as it turned out, for multiple days. (Male Scarlet Tanager also seen along the Ridge Trail.)

Here are some shots from day 1. Always tough to get good shots of birds high in the canopy, but still so nice to see this lovely, and extremely red, bird.

Definitely giving the Vermillion Flycatcher a run for its money!

In bird news, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak spotted recently off the Sidewalk Trail east end, for the first time this season. Stay tuned for pics! And more warbler!

Dateline: Mother’s Day weekend 2022

Time to get started on a rather wide-ranging post. First up, the weather. Without crappy weather to complain about, you feel kind of lost as an Erie-area resident. On the plus side, nice weather. Sunny/hazy sunshine, cool temps (highs 50-70 deg F), windy in the open areas. Nice hiking/birding weather.

Secondly, the forest is in bloom and slowly starting to green in – extremely lovely right now. Things are still rather open and sunny, so it’s an optimal time for both enjoying the forest and seeing high canopy birds.

Thirdly, besides the “usual suspects,” seems to be more migration activity that usual this year, at least relative to last year. Never seen so many warblers in such close proximity (temporal and geographically). Last year, confirmed sightings of one Black-and-white Warbler and one Bay-breasted Warbler. This year, multiple sightings of both in different locations. Not to mention “first evers” like Chestnut-sided Warbler.

But before reporting on ‘exotic warbler madness,’ time to cover ‘everything else’ from the weekend. First up, Gray Catbird! As the old SnL skit goes, “Hear me now and understand me later:” the Catbird population has skyrocketed over the last couple weeks. Catbirds are everywhere. Which is great because they’re one of BirdingPI.com’s favorites – lovely and very vocal!

Next up, more warbler! From the Yellow/Yellow-rumped/Palm trifecta:

This epitomizes the Dead Pond Trail this time of year – trees in bloom and Yellow-rumped Warbler:

Also tons of Palm Warbler, pretty much everywhere:

Such a nice shot of Yellow-rumped Warbler:

More trees in bloom along the Dead Pond Trail:

The Yellow Warbler population has also skyrocketed. Time to sing in joy, apparently:

Regular sightings of both White-breasted Nuthatch and Red-breasted Nuthatch. Here’s a couple nice shots of the latter from the junction of the A-Trail and the Dead Pond Trail:

Still plenty of kinglet activity everywhere. Probably Ruby-crowned Kinglet:

More beautiful Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, off the Dead Pond Trail and Thompson Circle, respectively:

First Eastern Kingbird of the season spotted both at Presque Isle and in Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). Here’s one in flight off Thompson Bay:

Wild Turkeys spotted almost every day at Presque Isle, especially foraging along the road. These were off the Dead Pond Trail:

Here’s a confirmed sighting of Wood Thrush. Note the spectacle, barred black/gray/white cheek, bold spots, and russet crown and nape:

Do we need more juvenile Bald Eagle in-flight pics? Answer: yes.

Finally found some Tree Swallows sitting still, here, off the Long Pond Trail west end:

Next up, a female Eastern Towhee. This was in the shrubbery by the Pine Tree Beach picnic area. Not the best shot, but fun to see. (Note brown head coloration vs. black on the male.)

Seen hints of wren regularly, but they’ve been elusive in terms of ID and bird photography. Finally got a shot (probably House Wren) here, by Pine Tree Beach:

So much going on in this post, can’t help but break into song!

Stay tuned for Scarlet Tanager!

[Editor’s note: based on our funding agreement with the Gray Catbird! Foundation of Eastern Ohio, we are contractually obligated to refer to the full name of said species as “Gray Catbird!” In case you were wondering.]

[Editor’s note: sparrow above is Song Sparrow.]

Epilog – Trail Update: Most trails locally muddy but generally in good shape. West end of Long Pond Trail still very muddy. Marsh Trail still very muddy and partially flooded; not recommended w/o waterproof footwear. East end of Sidewalk Trail still quite muddy, but passable.

It was pointed out that things like Scarlet Tanager should warrant a BirdingPI.com(TM) PI Bird Alert(TM), but frankly, there’s too much going on for bird alerts right now. In addition to the previous post, please consider this a general ‘heads up:’

• Palm Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler: everywhere
• Ovenbird: Long Pond Trail; Ridge Trail east end
• American Redstart: Sidewalk/Ridge east end
• Black-and-white Warbler: Sidewalk/Ridge east end; Dead Pond Trail
• Bay-breasted Warbler: Long Pond Trail; Sidewalk/Ridge east end
• Northern Parula: Long Pond Trail
• Blackburnian Warbler: Long Pond Trail; Sidewalk/Ridge east end
• Black-throated Blue Warbler: Sidewalk/Ridge east end
• Chestnut-sided Warbler: Sidewalk/Ridge east end
• Magnolia Warbler: Sidewalk/Ridge east end; Long Pond Trail
• Nashville Warbler: Sidewalk/Ridge east end; Misery Bay
• Common Yellowthroat: Sidewalk/Ridge east end; Long Pond Trail
• Scarlet Tanager: Sidewalk/Ridge east end; Long Pond Trail

“Sidewalk/Ridge east end” is the short loop that starts at the east-end trailhead of the Sidewalk Trail (by Misery Bay), extends along the Sidewalk Trail a bit past the bench, and returns on the Ridge Trail.

Second-hand accounts mention Northern Parula, Mourning Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler spotted by Misery Bay and on the Sidewalk Trail. Second-hand reports of Northern Waterthrush seen in the swamp/pond area at the east trailhead of the Sidewalk trail.

[Update: after all teams checked in for the day, confirmed sightings of Black-throated Green Warbler on the Ridge Trail, plus multiple sightings of Black-and-white Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Bay-breasted Warbler. Blackburnian Warbler still being seen along the Sidewalk Trail east end.]

Dateline: 7-8 May 2022

If anyone’s wondering if this is a good time for birding at Presque Isle State Park, the answer is emphatically and definitively in the affirmative. In fact, based on both second-hand reports and BirdingPI.com’s own sightings, it’s getting pretty crazy out there. Bonus points for a run of lovely weather in the greater Erie area.

So much going on, in fact, concentrating here on the “weekend top four” for the sake of blogging expediency.

First up, the BirdingPI.com “bird of the weekend,” a surprise sighting of a Northern Waterthrush, in the swampy area on the east side of Thompson Circle. This is a BirdingPI.com “first ever,” so there was lots of celebrating Saturday evening.

Looks a little like a Hermit Thrush, but note the distinctive white supercilium (i.e., white ‘eyebrow’). Note also, in the picture above the chest is clearly yellow-ish (washed yellow) = yellow adult Waterthrush. (This distinguishes from Louisiana Waterthrush, with a white chest.)

Not the best pictures, but it was shady and at this point, who cares? It’s a yellow adult Northern Waterthrush at Presque Isle!

The first runner up, an amazing Ovenbird! Sighted along the Long Pond Trail. Not a common sighting, so lots of excitement here, too. Plus its crown stripe being slightly ruffled/raised = unusual.

It’s a busy weekend when Common Yellowthroat is second runner up. This lovely male was in the pond area at the east end trailhead of the Sidewalk Trail.

Note the black mask, white upper boarder, and the eponymous bright yellow throat.

Common Yellowthroat also seen on the Ridge Trail and on the Long Pond Trail.

Finally, in fourth place, but no less lovely, is the White-crowned Sparrow, seen on multiple days along the Long Pond Trail:

Weekend Update to follow when possible. Plus, a special “best morning ever?” report that includes more great sightings like Scarlet Tanager, Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, and Veery! Plus some warblers and vireo that were so unexpected it’ll need photo forensics to figure out.

The BirdingPI.com contributing staff member(s) responsible for “fuzzy goose babies” and sabotaging editorial content (e.g., by posting unauthorized pictures of Ryan Gosling) have been re-assigned to ‘swamp duty.’ Bad for them, but good for us, with these nice-enough, recent shots of a gorgeous Green Heron:

These photos taken off the Dead Pond Trail east end, at the border of the swampy area that’s presumably part of the Dead Pond wetlands complex.

All shots, for whatever reason, using a Nikon D7500 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. Not the best kit for responsive autofocusing in tough conditions like these.

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Moving on, mentioned a couple weeks ago seeing American Bittern. There were two, at the junction of the Dead Pond Trail and the A Trail, which is technically the east side of Ridge Pond, i.e., swampy and overgrown. They flew off immediately, affording just enough time for the following crappy shot. However, you can see the overall brown color, unusually-shaped head, slight hunchback appearance, and the dark flight feathers contrasting with other, lighter-brown feathers (distinctive of American Bittern). So, calling it as such! Very cool to see even of a hint of this reclusive bird.

[Editor’s note: “swamp duty” – tramping around and through the interior swamps and ponds of Presque Isle State Park for seeing unusual herons, etc. Frequently unrewarding due to low likelihood of interesting sightings.]

Dateline: 1 May 2022

In recent news, Red-headed Woodpecker and Baltimore Oriole spotted this past week in Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). Here’s some ‘bad bird audio’ of both:

Nice day Saturday at Presque Isle State Park – see https://birdingpi.com/just-another-day/. Sunday AM, moderately warm with overcast/dramatic clouds and localized thunderstorms. Break in the rain for a couple hours until 9:30AM or so, then heavy rain with intermittent thunderstorms the rest of the day. Enough of a dry window to dispatch the team out to the Ridge Trail/Sidewalk Trail and Budny Beach area.

First, in the ‘not something you see every day category’ [#nature], a racoon snoozing high up in a tree:

Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers along the Ridge Trail – see https://birdingpi.com/more-warbler/. In the non-warbler category, here’s a Brown Thrasher:

Next, White-throated Sparrow with spring vegetation:

The first Gray Catbird of the season!

Lots more fuzzy goose babies along the Sidewalk Trail! Yay!

Could see a wall of dark sky moving in, and it started to rain steadily, but not heavily, by this point. Using shutter priority mode at 1/2000 sec with the auto ISO limited, the following three shots came out underexposed. Post-production, these have the brightness and exposure levels cranked way up = interesting effect:

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Spotted Eastern Towhee in the last week along the Pine Tree Trail, but only glimpses in the underbrush. More out-and-active in the rain, this one was by the west Budny Beach parking area:

Besides a couple ok pictures, finally addressed the age-old question of whether bird photography is possible using an umbrella. The answer is, “Yes, but with difficulty, and not well.” There you have it! BirdingPI.com – going where others fear to tread!

[Editor’s note 1: “spotted Eastern Towhee” means an Eastern Towhee was seen, not to be confused with Spotted Towhee, which is a different species.]

[Editor’s note 2: to be clear, the umbrella is being used as a rain shield concurrently with also using a camera. The umbrella is not a camera-umbrella, although that’s not a bad idea.]

[Editor’s note 3: “fuzzy goose babies” again?]

Most of the time it’s cloudy and the birds are hiding in the underbrush, high in the trees, and/or moving away as fast as possible. So it was extra nice to spend fifteen minutes in the sunshine recently with a pair or three of BirdingPI.com’s unofficial mascot, the Yellow Warbler. Incredibly cute, incredibly yellow.

All photos at the crossover of the Thompson Circle swamp/ponds.

Nikon D7500 with Nikon 500mm f5.6 PF lens. Mostly shutter priority at 1/2000 second.

[Photo editor’s comments: Nice shots! Seems like the D7500 can hold its own.]

Dateline: end-April 2022

Looks like it’s warbler time out at Presque Isle State Park, first Yellow-rumped Warblers, then Palm Warblers, and now Yellow Warblers. Here are some shots from the last week or so of the former two. First, lovely Palm Warblers:

See Palm Warblers along the Ridge Trail, especially its east end, and at the Sidewalk Trail east end trailhead by Misery Bay.

Lovely Yellow-rumped Warblers:

See Yellow-rumped Warblers along the Ridge Trail (especially the east end), and along the Gull Point outer old trail.

Separate post on really amazing Yellow Warblers forthcoming!

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Epilog: following picture may be a female Yellow-rumped Warbler. (Misery Bay area near Sidewalk Trail east end trailhead.) Note the overall drab brown color with white wingbars and some black spotting on the chest.