No BirdingPI.com field operations yesterday due to weather conditions. (Rain followed by hard cold = slippery trail conditions = recipe for disaster.) Weather in Erie County, Pennsylvania today: snowy, approx. -11 deg C. Before going back to Gull Point the other weekend (or otherwise), here’s a spotlight on American Coot, featuring recent shots in flight, on ice, and on the water:

Like Wild Turkey, American Coot are fine flyers, but it doesn’t seem to be the preferred means of locomotion (e.g., much more likely to see a Coot swimming than flying):

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After seemingly a long drought of Snowy Owl in Erie County, Pennsylvania, the BirdingPI.com staff was rather distraught (moderately bummed at least) to miss the individual reported in eBird as having been seen at Gull Point before Thanksgiving. But like Owen Wilson’s character in The Big Year (great, low-key movie), just keep persevering, and the perseverance eventually pays off around New Year’s. (Here, missed it by 19 days.)

As of this past Friday, there were multiple reports in eBird of another Snowy Owl sighted at Gull Point. As of Saturday, it was cold, overcast, and rainy. Despite the conditions, considering missing the earlier owl, it was time to draw straws for outside winter suffering:

Seemed like a bad idea, but even bad ideas pay off sometimes, with a BirdingPI.com ‘first ever’ of Snowy Owl at Gull Point, initially sighted at the NE point along the outer beach:

Fairly soon, it flew along the beach southwards:

To land further down the point:

After walking to the old observation platform, a slightly closer view:

After that, even with spirits buoyed by owls, it was time to head back to Budny Beach before hypothermia set in. Here’s a ‘fast/wet hike back bonus’ of Tundra Swans and Canada Geese @ outer Lake Erie:

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Coming up soon, switching bird colours from white to blue!

Weekend/recent conditions in Erie County, PA highly variable, with much of Presque Isle Bay unfrozen due to recent slightly warmer temperatures. (Weather this Saturday morning: rain.) Likely to change next week, with temperatures expected to plummet.

Taking a break from Gull Point coverage with ducks, and lots of ’em. There are so many things to enjoy in observing (dare we say, watching?) bird behavior – Bald Eagles dive fishing, woodpeckers pecking wood, gulls fighting over fish, hummingbirds feeding on wildflowers, etc. Surely towards the top of the list, though, is waterfowl aerobraking for landing. Never gets old, either generally observationally or, more specifically, photographically. [Editor’s note: four “-ally” for the win!] These recent shots @ South Pier:

Following is mostly a mix of Redhead & Lesser Scaup ducks w/ some American Coots in the water, maybe a Ring-necked Duck or two:

ID note – in following shot, male Redhead lower left, two ducks to the right of it = female Redheads:

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Nice sequence of Redheads landing in the channel between North Pier (background) & South Pier:

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Male Mallard coming in for a steep landing @ Coast Guard Station:

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Closing it out with an aerial shot of Lesser Scaup (4 ducks lower right) and 1 Common Goldeneye (upper left):

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Reviewing the memory cards from this past Sunday at Presque Isle State Park revealed “way too many” shots of the Purple Sandpiper spotted bay-side Gull Point. But an unusual bird and non-flighty subject = photographically irresistible. Most of the following feature foraging behavior:

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Back to Presque Isle State Park from this past Sunday afternoon, with ‘part 1’ of BirdingPI.com’s first expedition to Gull Point of the year. Facilitated by light ground snow and above-freezing temperatures.

Gull Point in January ‘goal #1:’ scout for overwintering Yellow-rumped Warblers. Gull Point in January ‘goal #2:’ Snow Buntings. More on the latter later. On the former, there might have been a ‘flash of something yellow’ in one of the large bayberry bush thickets along the inland trail (i.e., outer official trail), but no confirmed sightings. Plenty of Downy Woodpecker activity, however:

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By ‘big bend,’ next up was the beach access @ outer Thompson Bay, following the unfrozen water along the beach edge in the hope of maybe seeing a duck or two. (Winter PI ‘birding hint:’ always check out open water.) Instead, a very surprising ‘special guest’ appearance by an amazing/unusual Purple Sandpiper, shown here in an iPhone photo as the ‘dark blob’ center middle by the snow:

Very fortunately, this Sandpiper was busy foraging in the shallow water, and seemed unconcerned w/ human/photographer presence. Please enjoy the followings shots w/ the better camera gear @ 600mm cropped:

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Coming up soon, more Purple Sandpiper, + a nice time at outer Gull Point!

“Big” as in a big post, featuring everyone’s favourite waterfowl, ducks! This is part 2 of Weekend Update, from Sunday afternoon at Presque Isle State Park, moving on from the Bald Eagle, past the poorly parked ice fisherfolk at Horseshoe Bay, to North Pier!

Only problem w/ North Pier photography this time of year is shooting against the sun, but still some nice shots, even if oftentimes backlit, like these landing Lesser Scaups:

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Birds frequently congregate against the bottom of the pilings @ North/South Pier, so one bird photography ‘trick’ is to carefully approach the edge (e.g., avoid falling in) for looking over the side = might get some relatively closeup shots, like this male Red-breasted Merganser:

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These are landing Redheads w/ Lesser Scaup in the water:

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Following are all Redheads in flight landing in mixed ducks:

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Today it’s ‘weekend update‘ part 1. Conditions Saturday in Erie County, Pennsylvania: cold, snowy, gloomy; mostly hung out at the local McDonald’s drinking black coffee. Sunday, partially sunny and just-above-freezing “warm,” great day for hiking out to Gull Point for the first time this year. Much more on that later. But first, in chronological order @ Presque Isle State Park, a GBH ice fishing at the edge of Marina Lake:

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Unfortunately, the GBH here seemed distracted by human presence (even if fairly distant), so it was soon time to leave this fine laddie or lassie in peace.

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Nearby, perched in a tree by Long Pond, a beautiful mature Bald Eagle:

Hiked around past boat landing #4 to get slightly closer, w/ these very nice, if “challengingly lit,” photographs:

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Trail & parking conditions at Presque Isle: generally good, frozen, w/ light ground snow cover; roads icy. Lots of traffic (for winter) w/ folks ice fishing esp. at Misery Bay and Horeshoe Bay.

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Coming up soon, more from Sunday @ Presque Isle State Park, w/ ducks! Here’s a preview of female Red-breasted Merganser at North Pier:

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More digital photographs from last week at Presque Isle State Park, featuring beautiful American Tree Sparrow @ Budny Beach, plus long-distance shots of Gull Point/outer Thompson Bay taken from Beach No. 11:

Species/sighting note: American Tree Sparrow breeds in far northern North America + overwinters, e.g., in places like Pennsylvania. Hence a common winter sighting in Erie Co.

This is the furthest/’pointy part’ of Gull Point, w/ Scaup (in flight), Tundra Swans (x5 – lower right middle and far right), & 1 Canada Goose (lower right, standing):

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Coming up soon, a reasonably-exciting weekend update, w/ a return to Gull Point!

Marking the end of 2024-2025 primary duck hunting season at Presque Isle State Park yesterday with a ‘mega post’ of recent ducks @ outer Lake Erie, off Budny Beach/Sunset Point. Depending on weather conditions, an amazing amount of migratory activity w/ ducks heading both east and west (presumably south, too, at some point):

Nice sequence of beautiful Redhead ducks (male = red head):

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Distant ducks, looking north, @ 600mm, mostly Red-breasted Mergansers, and lots of them!

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Two shots of mixed ducks:

Annotated version of shot above: 1) female or immature Bufflehead; 2) female Common Goldeneye; 3) male Bufflehead; 4) male Common Goldeneye; rest: probably Lesser Scaup ducks.

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Red-breasted Mergansers in flight:

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In contrast, these are Common Mergansers:

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These are typical views, looking north, @ 600mm of ducks (mostly Red-breasted Merganser) heading east along outer Lake Erie. Following shot, the larger bird in the center middle = Great Black-backed Gull:

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Lesser Scaup in flight, fairly close to shore:

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Finally, a distant but nice sequence of Common Goldeneye (male – right; female/immature: left) coming in for landing:

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Looks like a cold but partially sunny day today in Erie County, PA – happy birding!

In today’s post, recent shots of a beautiful female Canvasback on a frozen Budny Beach @ Presque Isle State Park:

Time to depart over outer Lake Erie:

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