With field operations cancelled this past weekend due to snow and unsafe temperatures, today’s post features Bufflehead ducks from the archive, back in 2024 at Presque Isle State Park. This is springtime mating behavior, with several males (large white patch on sides/back of head) vying for the attention of a female (black head with small white patch behind eye). Lots of flapping and chasing around.
Yup, it’s the 3rd and final part of content from last Sunday at Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, featuring a Peregrine Falcon eating a Mourning Dove carcass.
Falcon eventually took flight to the south, and with that it was time for the hike back to Budny Beach:
Before returning to Gull Point, today it’s “misc. bird” from a recent Saturday at Presque Isle State Park.
This is a very distant Bald Eagle flying over outer Lake Erie, heading west, in fairly stiff wind:
Here’s a family of Tundra Swans on Presque Isle Bay, w/ two adults (white) and two immatures (both gray, one with dark bill one with orange bill):
Swamp Sparrow ID (this one seen in the marshy area by Sunset Point/Pine Tree Trail): russet on wings w/ black streaking, white throat, black eye line, bit of yellow at base of beak.
I am the Great Mesmero! Look into my eyes… You are feeling sleepy. Very sleepy. There is a sense of peace washing over you. Breathe deeply. I will count back from 10. When you awake, you will donate money to non-profit organizations, completely unaffiliated with BirdingPI.com, that promote nature conservation especially as relating to birds, e.g., the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, BNHS India, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, etc.
More from this past Sunday at Gull Point in light snow, with continuing shots of a Peregrine Falcon with a recently caught Mourning Dove carcass:
Previously at Gull Point on Sunday, a Peregrine Falcon was spotted and photographed before apparently departing to the southwest. Following account per a BirdingPI.com staff member on site: “With the bad weather, after losing sight of the falcon, seemed like a good idea to head back to Budny Beach. Approaching the old observation platform, however, we spotted an agile and fast-moving bird in flight to the north – maybe the falcon again?”
“Flying along the north dune line, it dived several times towards the beach:
“Final time, it didn’t come up again. Maybe it caught a bird?!?
“Nothing to do but quickly, or as quickly as possible, head through the grass, dunes, and snow to the north side of Gull Point. Fairly soon after that, saw it with prey in talon, an unfortunate but apparently ‘tastier than gull’ Mourning Dove.
“The falcon settled down on a driftwood stump, calmly plucking away feathers, which were blown away in the wind. Meanwhile, we’re ‘hiding’ in the grassy dunes just to the south, taking pictures.
“It flew further down the beach, but regularly stopped for working on the dove carcass. Fascinating to watch.”
Coming up soon, it gets ‘grislier!’
[Editor’s note: the ‘we’ in the quoted text above is apparently the ‘royal we.’ BirdingPI.com lacks the budget for deploying more than one staff member to Gull Point on the weekends.]
This past Sunday, it was finally time to muster up the energy, despite cold/snowy conditions, to head back to Gull Point at Presque Isle State Park. Advantage to hiking out to Gull Point this time of year? Very quiet in terms of human activity.
What was probably a Peregrine Falcon had been earlier seen chasing another bird through the tree-line woods, but it flew out of sight. Best thing to do – scan the dune lines from one of the observation platforms:
Following all Peregrine Falcon unless noted otherwise, perched on driftwood or flying at Gull Point under dark/gloomy conditions w/ snow:
Coming up soon, “falcon meets foreshadowing in an unpleasant way for one of the two…”
The Brown Pelican recently seen in the Erie, Pennsylvania bayfront area was spotted in distress Friday at South Pier, likely due to snow and record low temps (e.g., -10 deg C / 14 deg F this morning). Happily, however, thanks to an observant passerby and the great folks at Tamarack Wildlife Center, the immature bird was rescued and doing well in rehab. See link to Facebook article – scroll down to “Brown Pelican in treatment…”
Please consider making a donation in support of pelican rehab and other center operations. (BirdingPI.com is not affiliated with Tamarack Wildlife Center.)
These are continuing shots from 28 November 2025 of the Brown Pelican in flight over outer Lake Erie approaching South Pier, + water landing.
While it’s great to see pelicans in Erie, hopefully the next will make an appearance and then head for warmer climes!
Sorry, no post yesterday due to BirdingPI.com field operations at Gull Point. (Exciting nature stuff forthcoming!) Today, it’s part 2 of content from 30 November 2025, at Thompson Bay at Presque Isle State Park.
Mostly the weather was cold/windy/light snow, but then the sun broke through, briefly:
While shooting pictures of “trees in sunlight” (see above), happened to notice a flock of white-ish birds illuminated against the dark sky to the north:
This time of year under these conditions, would only make sense these are Snow Bunting. (The smaller white ‘grainy appearance’ is falling snow.)
Another shot of distant Snow Bunting, but close inspection of the lower left corner of this shot reveals something interesting:
In this view, that ‘something interesting’ is now in the lower right corner, w/ the Snow Buntings in the trees above:
Thankfully, the Snow Buntings flew across Thompson Bay, buffeted by the wind, for some closer photography:
With the Snow Buntings now out of sight, the adult Bald Eagle de-perched for flying across Thompson Bay. Not the best lighting conditions, but still a great sequence of Bald Eagle in flight:
Coming up soon, more nature, more Presque Isle!
Rather dramatic weather conditions last Sunday afternoon at Presque Isle State Park: wind, cold, on/off snow, but occasionally the sun poked through. This about sums it up – Canada Geese landing on Long Pond in light snowfall:
Black spot at the center is an American Black Duck:
Extreme crop of that same shot – same form factor as Mallard but much darker, especially at a distance:
Fox Sparrow is relatively uncommon and fairly reclusive. This individual was heard vocalizing multiple times, but only popped out of the underbrush briefly for a (poor quality) picture:
Remainder are Common Merganser (male @ left or top) departing Thompson Bay:
Note the duck blind in the background is completely surrounded by water, indicating a very high lake level; t the time this was installed, it was on dry-ish land:
Weather today in Erie County, Pennsylvania: cold, light wind, light snow. Winter is here!