Green Heron summer continues — with what else? — more lovely Green Heron! From the swampy pond at the east end of the Sidewalk Trail. (This individual – or related – spotted two weekends in a row at this spot – and not overly skittish.)
Localized, heavy rain’s put a damper on the Presque Isle outdoors activities today (Sunday, 24 July 2022), but fear not! Enough of a mostly- dry window for another trek out to Gull Point in the AM! Stay tuned for some very cool photography and video, featuring birds! Once the camera equipment dries out, that is.
[Editor’s note: The camera equipment is fine. #waterproof bags.]
Recent detail turtle views from the BirdingPI.com turtle detail. Along the Gull Point Trail, Presque Isle State Park. Likely either Northern Map Turtle or Painted Turtle.
Hi, I’m SandyDig-dugSide elevation view, turtleFront clawsRear clawsSkin detailTurtle portraitSandy againBringing up the rear
Erie weather forecast indicates humid, warm conditions both Saturday and Sunday, with a 60% chance of significant t-storms Sunday PM. Sounds like nice conditions for getting out early for birding! Have a nice weekend.
“BIF” = birds in flight. (Used if either too busy or too cool to spell it out, like the staff of BirdingPI.com.) Also a Hardy Boys’ character.
Anyway, some recent BIF!
First, RTH over Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). (RTH = Red-tailed Hawk. Twp = Township.)
Next, what appears to be GC over PI! (GC = Gray Catbird! PI = Presque Isle.) Taken at a very long distance over TCS/P (Thompson Circle swamp/pond) = not super sharp, still cool.
Where are those Catbirds
going? Only the Catbirds
know with certainty.
Lots of EKB (Eastern Kingbird) at PI this year. Shots of feeding behavior over Thompson Bay – fly, then flap to ‘hover’ over a spot until catching an insect:
BirdingPI.com team spent the usable part of the weekend scouring Presque Isle State Park for any and all nature activity. As usual.
Saturday: sunny, warm, humid, dry; light wind. Beautiful weather for Gull Point. Sunday: morning – warm/moderate, light overcast, quite humid, very sub-tropical. (Seemed ok weather for the Presque Isle 1/2 marathon, although perhaps overly humid.) Decent thunderstorms by 1:30pm; much needed rain on-and-off through the evening and night.
Before the rain at least, all trails dry and in good condition except where previously reported; lots of biting flies along some of the interior trails (Pine Tree, Dead Pond…)
Plenty of bird activity; see previous posts for other content. First up, Black-capped Chickadee along the Marsh Trail. (Marsh Trail in very good shape.)
Gray Catbird! “double vision:”
Also along the Marsh Trail. (One Catbird! in front of the other in shrubbery.)
On the trek out to Gull Point, GBH with White Pond Lilies:
In the woods bordering the Gull Point mud flats, Common Yellowthroat (male):
Spotted Sandpiper @ Gull Point:
Sparrow (Song Sparrow?) @ Gull Point:
Flock of (definitely) Mallards, perhaps some American Black Ducks, in for a landing @ Gull Point:
More bee/flower:
Next up, the BirdingPI.com Insect Moment(TM), finally an ok shot of a Question Mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). Note the white markings (curve and separate dot) in the second shot, i.e., forming the eponymous question mark.
Comparing to the Comma butterfly, the Question Mark has a row of four dots on its wings, one at an angle, as shown in this annotated excerpt:
Comma butterfly: three in-line dots but not the fourth, angled dot (arrow).
Finally, BirdingPI.com is happy to announce the rollout of its new refreshment station located off the Dead Pond Trail. All hot and tired birders, be on the lookout!
BirdingPI.com refreshment station, Presque Isle State Park, Dead Pond Trail
Stay tuned this week for more turtles, BIF, and some rather nice photographs of birds sitting on plants.
Beautiful day Saturday at Presque Isle State Park. Light wind, warm (highs in the upper 70s deg F), humid. Lots of boaters and beach-goers. Gull Point empty mid-day except birds and BirdingPI.com staff; maybe an errant hiker.
Birds: swallow, kingbird, blackbird, Yellow Warbler, gulls, Canada Geese, Killdeer, GBH, Common Yellowthroat (in the treeline), a single Dunlin, sparrows, Spotted Sandpiper, etc. The star here, happy (as always) to see a Dowitcher, probably Short-billed Dowitcher.
First up, some long-distance video. Not totally awful. Guest starring a Killdeer.
Next, some stills. All at long distance (mediocre lighting), but fun to see.
Repeated BirdingPI.com surveys of the Pine Tree Trail (Presque Isle State Park) paid off recently with an exciting, first-of-the-season sighting of lovely Carolina Wren.
Profile
ID-wise, the distinct white eyebrow indicates ‘not House Wren.’ Not as buffy a breast/underside as some examples, but the coloration’s at least present. Considering the habitat (i.e., not marsh) and the overall size/shape of the eyebrow (e.g., very long and blending finally into the shoulder), eliminating Marsh Wren in favor of Carolina Wren.
Detail/shade
Finally, vocalizations indicated Carolina Wren.
Rear view mirrorShade IShade II
Later, elsewhere on the Pine Tree Trail, looks like a House Wren:
Wren/tree IWren/tree II
[Editor’s Note: Possible to have too many wren puns? Apparently not.]
Amazing Yellow Warbler behavioral activity this past weekend at Presque Isle State Park.
A male and two juveniles along the Gull Point Trail, in a tree right on the beach (just east of Budny Beach proper).
After landing near the male, the juveniles engaged in what looked like “chicks in nest” feeding behavior: flapping/hopping about, beaks wide open for food.
The prompted the male to catch an insect for feeding one of the juveniles.
Process repeated multiple times; also viewed similar activity with other Yellow Warblers off the Pine Tree Trail on this same day.
The juveniles/fledglings seemed fully grown (?) and capable of flying about.
Unsure if this was hunting training, or just transitional behavior until the juveniles are older and fully independent. Either way, amazing to witness.
Wishing everyone a nice weekend!
[Photo Editor’s note: Tough lighting conditions early morning backlit against a white sky. Exposure was less than ideal; shots above have the brightness turned up for seeing detail.]
