So the Brown Pelican’s still around the Erie, PA bayfront area – multiple reported sightings yesterday both by Dobbins Landing (downtown Erie marina) and South Pier. These shots continue from the day after Thanksgiving at South Pier, under fairly uneven/challenging lighting conditions. WARNING: some nature-themed content (albeit not involving blood, violence, spiders, or snakes) may not be suitable for all viewers.
Happy Friday, happy nature!
Today on BirdingPI.com, bird pictures. Taken last weekend under cloudy conditions at Fairview Business Park, featuring Blue Jay:
“When least expected, nature will give you the a bird.” Anonymous, attributed to ancient proverb.
When we last left off, your intrepid and “underprepared for the wind chill” BirdingPI.com reporter was at the top of the South Pier ramp (above), waiting it out for a glimpse of the Brown Pelican seen at this location. [Editor’s note: the ramp transitions from the main section of South Pier to the lower, east end of South Pier, frequently used by human fisherfolk when conditions are better.] Just about to call it a day when it arose from the sea of gulls, the immature Pelican, shaking its wings and engaging in preening behaviour:
Even a ray or two of sunshine – almost a nature miracle.
Visual ID plus preening would have been “great enough,” but the gulls soon startled, taking flight, the pelican among them. A lucky occurrence for sure.
Coming up soon, more PIF, plus pelican bathing, and more pelican preening!
With failures (to find the Brown Pelican) at places like East Ave Boat Launch and Fairview Business Park, it was time to head back to the epicenter of the action: South Pier. BirdingPI.com staff had been previously stymied at that location due to bad weather, but with recent reported sightings, it was time for more suffering in the cold.
Air temperature approximately 1.6 degrees C (35 def F) + heavy/gusty winds = wind chill factor well below freezing. With confirmation that the pelican had been seen that day in the huge groups of gulls at the end of the pier, the only options were to wait it out or go back to HQ in defeat.
How could a large brown bird like a Brown Pelican, even if immature, hide so well in this giant flock of mostly white gulls?
Coming up later this season on BirdingPI.com, “Wait, what’s that???”
“The pelican will be where you least expect him.” Anonymous, attributed to ancient proverb.
And so the Erie County pelican hunt moved to places where no pelican has even been seen, like Fairview Business Park. Perhaps ‘hidden in plain sight’ in and among the copious Canada Geese?
On the one end of Lake Melvin, a bird was spotted with a rather long bill relative to its size:
Google images suggested “Ruddy Duck.” Not helpful.
At last, another non-goose bird with a long beak! When prompted, Google AI assistant responded, “This is definitely a Brown Pelican. Be sure to share this picture with all your friends and neighbors to show how amazing you are at spotting and identifying rare birds in Erie County.”
The first sign of a new advanced intelligence: irony.
[Editor’s note: no post yesterday – limited staff all assigned to field operations at Presque Isle State Park. Happy December!]
Day after Thanksgiving is the start of pelican season in northwest Pennsylvania. “Season” meaning, of course, highly unlikely to see any pelicans here since both North American species (American White and Brown) are rare. So, a lot of excitement the last couple weeks with repeated reported sightings (general public + eBird) of a Brown Pelican all over Erie bayfront – East Ave, N/S Piers, Dobbins Landing, and so on. And with that, with the holiday over and little/no precipitation Friday, it was time for a pelican hunt!
From BirdingPI.com staff, proposed methods for pelican hunting: (i) pelican decoys on the back bay; (ii) broadcasting pelican calls over a car stereo or ‘boombox;’ (iii) network of aerial drones; (iv) bloodhounds; & (v) Amber Alert. In the end, it was decided to go with a more advanced investigative technique: go where the bird was last seen.
Starting with, East Ave Boat Launch under cold and extremely (!) windy conditions. Different views towards South Pier and Presque Isle State Park and North Pier:
Play a game of “spot the pelican:”
Finally at East Ave, “Cormorant Island,” where there was a gull or two and, well, cormorants:
No pelicans sighted at East Ave Boat Launch. With that, and in light of the bad weather, it was time to move on to stage 2 of the search.
Digital photographs from the other day at East Ave Boat Launch & South Pier, indicative of the current weather here in Erie County, Pennsylvania: chilly and very windy.
Wishing readers in the United States of America a Happy Thanksgiving! Here at BirdingPI.com, we are thankful for squirrels. Also nature. Celebrating the holiday with an XL post of shots from a beautiful fall day last Saturday at locally famous Wintergreen Gorge in Erie, PA.
Play a game of “spot the chipmunk:”
Weather in Erie today: cold, with periods of snow and/or frozen rain. BirdingPI.com field operations cancelled in favour of wine and roast turkey diet Coke and spicy tofu log.
Recently at South Pier (Erie, Pennsylvania), Ring-billed Gulls harassing Hooded Merganser ducks for fish, on the enclosed pond. These shots at a very long distance, but still a fun interaction:
Also, same date/location, closer shots of beautiful immature Long-tailed Duck:
At some point the gull was successful in getting the fish, but didn’t catch it on film due to distance/shadows:
Meanwhile, the weather in Erie Co. is going from bad to worse. Heavy rain yesterday PM. Warm this morning, overcast with developing rain. Cold front expected to enter the area by afternoon, followed by snow. Forecast for Thanksgiving and into the weekend: snow. Good luck, everyone! Happy birding/nature, hopefully, if conditions permit.
A break in the clouds this past Sunday afternoon made for some nice lighting for duck photography on Presque Isle Bay. First up, a classic portrait of male and female Mallard:
Seems like usually ducks break in the wrong direction and/or against the light. (“Break” = startle and take flight.) Here, lucky that neither was the case, with a rather beautiful shot of Lesser Scaup:
Following all Scaup (Greater or Lesser) and Mallard:
