Happy second full day of fall 2022! This time, back with appropriate fall content – fuzzy/grainy footage of Wild Turkey fleeing across someone’s driveway.
Meanwhile, heading back towards the realm of legitimate bird photography, very recent shots of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Presque Isle State Park, Bundy Beach parking lot east. A bit shady, but lovely nevertheless.
Happy first full day of fall 2022! Nothing says ‘fall’ like Gull Point photos from late summer (?)
Unsettled weather this week in Erie – clouds, wind, rain, lower temps, etc. Forecast shows partly cloudy skies and seasonal temps for Saturday (no rain), thunderstorms later Sunday. Should be ok (periodically) for getting outside! #nature
These might be female or juvenile Magnolia Warbler (?):
Common Merganser entering the surf:
Common Merganser exiting the surf:
Killdeer on right, perhaps Sanderling on the left:
Erie Condor Turkey Vulture keeping an eye out from a Gull Point “do not enter the closed nesting area” warning sign:
A mashup of Bald Eagle BIF stills and cute Yellowlegs video? Makes total sense! BirdingPI.com: going where others fear to tread! (Editorially speaking.)
[Editor’s Note: “BIF” = bird in flight. Still (n.): a static image, as opposed to video/movie. Bald Eagle and Yellowlegs “mashup” – highly questionable.]
From Sunday, a beautiful Yellowlegs on Thompson Bay. Lesser, Greater? Let’s go with Awesome Yellowlegs! ❤❤❤
Presque Isle birding tip: if looking for shorebirds, be shore to check out Thompson Bay; edges = mud flat.
Many of these shots backlit against the sun = tough lighting conditions.
Tomorrow, compelling Yellowlegs video! And lots of it! Also eagles! Wow. ❤
[Editor’s Note to management: “Yellowlegs Fever?” “Shore?” “Awesome Yellowlegs?” Heart emojis? Obviously, things here are out of control. Need to keep a tighter rein on quality control.]
Dateline: 18 September 2022
BirdingPI.com bird of the week: lovely American Pipit! Flock of 12+ out at the Gull Point mud flats on Sunday, mostly moving fast and keeping low to the shrubbery/grass – an exciting first sighting for BirdingPI.com at this location. Fortunately, one or two individuals were in the open long enough for photography.
Following shot out of focus, but included for showing the white side tail feathers:
Next time: there might be Yellowlegs!
Dateline: 17-18 September 2022
Thunderstorms currently in Erie this Monday AM; greater NW PA weather over the weekend was as predicted – lovely. Mild, humid, partially sunny on Saturday, sunny, warm, and summer-like on Sunday.
BirdingPI.com dispatched multiple teams both back to the hinterlands (see previous post) and out to Presque Isle State Park – specifically, Gull Point. Fairly subdued for bird sightings; still lots of birds to see. … While waiting for the editorial board to review the bird photo logs, time for some rather nice shots of insects, esp. butterflies, along the Gull Point outer old trail.
Two photos of Clouded Sulphur butterfly (aka Common Sulphur)(Colias philodice):
Two shots of Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae):
This might be Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos)(actual size: < 2 cm):
Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly (Cupido comyntas)(actual size < 2 cm):
One of the duskywing butterflies, likely Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)(again, very small):
A Bumblebee (perhaps Bombus rufocinctus) on goldenrod:
Last but not least, a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippusin) in the shade:
Next time, a special BirdingPI.com bird of the week!
Dateline: 17 September 2022
Quick report from Pymatuning Reservoir. Light/minimal bird activity – geese, gulls, one Spotted Sandpiper, Eastern Wood-pewee, GBH, Mallard Ducks, Gray Catbird!, etc.
Northern Cardinal (m) enjoying a berry (wild grape) or two! Yum.
Nuthatches and other recent, random birds! Mostly at Presque Isle State Park. Fiddling around with lens/camera configurations on these shots = not ideally sharp. Still fun to see.
Clear and mild in the greater Erie area today – time to hit the trails!
… I must be dreaming? Ugh.
Not a dream, just lovely American Goldfinch and friends at Headwaters Park, Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”), PA.
Male: bright yellow with black cap; others: female or immature.
A trio of Gull Point views, from wide to narrow:
Lots of interesting happenings out at Gull Point from the bird species grab bag perspective. All these shots from a very long distance = rather awful as photographs, ok for ID.
First off, Yellowlegs. Seemingly not that many at Presque Isle this year, but fairly active recently. With a slightly upturned beak (see second shot below in particular, bird on the right), calling these as Greater Yellowlegs. (Lesser Yellowlegs: no upturned bill.)
Extreme crop from the shot above = Semipalmated Plover:
Back to more Pectoral Sandpiper. Note the delineated streaky breast on the bird on the left. Also more in line with typical body size.
(Ducks are probably Teal of some sort.)
Thought this might be a Wilson’s Snipe at first, due to how the eye seemed placed in certain shots. Lacking buffy strips on the body, however, and considering the long bill and chunky body, calling this as Long-billed Dowitcher:
Time for the Erie weekend weather forecast: “mostly sunny and warmer,” “pleasant with clouds and sun,” “intervals of clouds and sun,” max high temp 27 deg C, max chance of rain 8% on Sunday. (Source: AccuWeather.com.) Looks like an excellent weekend for birding/nature!