Wishing everyone in the northern hemisphere a happy first day of Winter. (Solstice at 4:50AM this morning or something like that.) In celebration, it’s the final post of beautiful Wilson’s Snipe seen on the day of Presque Isle State Park post-Snowpocalypse 2024 re-opening:
Much earlier on Christmas Bird Count day, there was time for informal, chilly astrophotography in Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”):
Later, at Presque Isle State Park:
Distant but fun sequence of startled gulls, perhaps due to passing Bald Eagle(s) – see above:
One advantage of rising early Saturday morning for the annual Christmas bird count = seeing a red setting almost-full moon:
Another advantage: clear, sunny day. Disadvantage: very cold w/ fresh snow on the ground.
Bird activity overall was modest, but still plenty of birds to see.
Including over a hundred Tundra Swans off Leo’s Landing:
Not the best viewpoint, but still fun to see incoming Hooded Mergansers (w/ Scaups in foreground) on outer Lake Erie:
Time for an Erie County waterfowl/waterbird break with recent content of 3 species of duck + 1 of grebe, starting with lucky (i.e., relatively close) shots of a beautiful/amazing female Hooded Merganser on Presque Isle Bay:
Horned Grebe in non-breeding plumage off South Pier:
Female or immature Red-breasted Merganser in flight between North and South Piers:
Male Mallard on a pier at Presque Isle State Park:
Female or immature Red-breasted Merganser on the breakwater off the east end of South Pier:
Two Red-breasted Merganser in flight:
Male Mallard takeoff, rear view:
Female Mallard takeoff, rear/side view:
Another view of the Merganser @ South Pier breakwater. Note the Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) (invasive) on the vertical rock surface below the duck:
Finally, while many birds take flight when startled, diving ducks have another option, as captured in this fun sequence of female Hooded Merganser off the Waterworks pier area:
Coming up soon, under a blood red moon!
More shots from the other day just after Presque Isle State Park re-opened from Snowpocalypse 2024.
Here’s a lengthy sequence of Canada Geese landing on Presque Isle Bay, w/ Tundra Swans & misc. ducks:
After the Wilson’s Snipe flew off from near the ‘Vista 3 Parking Lot’ boat launch, it was time to trudge through the thick snow to the end of Leo’s Landing for watching the Tundra Swans. (See recent posts.) Quite a surprise when the Snipe flew back in and started calmly foraging along the beach, in close proximity. Here’s a first 20 pictures:
Note: ‘white specks’ in certain shots, as immediately above, are lake-effect snow.
Back to Presque Isle State Park from the other weekend. Following shot a funny view of a Lesser Black-backed Gull + Ring-billed Gull. Not manipulated other than normal light level adjustments + sharpening; just a trick of the light + feather colouration that the two heads blend in so well together:
Late post today due to bird counting. “One bird. Two birds. Three birds. …” More on that soon. Meanwhile, it’s some photographs featuring – and some not – snow crystals:
A reminder that tomorrow (Saturday) is the Christmas Bird Count starting at 7:30AM (or thereabouts) @ picnic shelter 2 at Presque Isle State Park, at the Waterworks location. (Shelter 2 is the one in the middle.) Forecast is sun with a high of 35 deg F! Happy counting!
Here, it’s back to the other weekend with somewhat gloomy shots at Leo’s Landing:
All shots Song Sparrow in snow unless otherwise noted:
Misc. gulls and waterfowl including Lesser Black-backed Gull (in the foreground, to the left of the American Crow on the right):
And Tundra Swans:
After all those fairly monochromatic shots, ending it up with a splash of colour from another, sunnier day, with beautiful male Northern Cardinal taking flight:
Rhyming ‘food’ with ‘interlude.’ Genius. Even better, recent ‘snowy’ hawk shots in Erie County, PA. Starting with Red-tailed Hawk + carcass (some sort of bird) @ Presque Isle State Park, on a snow-covered dune with outer Lake Erie in the background:
And elsewhere, an immature Cooper’s Hawk + carcass (again, some sort of bird), after the recent partial melt off:
Yes, hawks do hunt other birds for food. #nature