BirdingPI.com will be featuring teed-up July/August Arizona content the rest of this week while the photo editing staff is out to Las Vegas, Nevada for Nikon’s “Advanced Strategies for Utilizing Artificial Intelligence-based Tools in Post-production Processing of Astronomical & Other Low-light Images” roundtable/seminar. Starting here with the second/final part of an excellent visit to Tohono Chul Park, w/ all hummingbirds!

All birds (as above) w/ purple gorget (throat feathers) = male Purple Shooting Star a.k.a. Costa’s Hummingbird. The following (& similar shots below) is hard to ID, probably female Costa’s or Anna’s Hummingbird:

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Following and similar shots are beautiful male Broad-billed Hummingbird:

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Special second post today (happy Monday!) featuring another ‘cute shorebird’ – Turkey Vultures along the Gull Point beach trail, Saturday at Presque Isle State Park!

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Overall, lots of Turkey Vulture activity @ Gull Point Saturday – at least 8-9 seen flying overheard at various points, plus numerous individuals on the outer Gull Point beaches + perched on the observation platforms.

Other than late afternoon thunderstorms on Sunday, beautiful weather in Erie County, PA over the weekend. Bird activity at Presque Isle State Park was (anecdotally speaking) mild, other than an uptick in Dark-eyed Junco & the 2 kinglet species, plus copious gulls and Double-crested Cormorant. In trail news, the rope fence @ outer Gull Point has come down for the season, ahead of the Nov. 1 post-nesting season re-opening:

Looking back, been a very slow year for shorebird activity on the beaches facing outer Lake Erie, like from Budny Beach to Gull Point (the ‘outer beaches’). So, very nice Saturday to see, even if only briefly, two Semipalmated Plover along the Gull Point beach trail:

Dateline: 5 October 2024

In this US election cycle, it’s important to give equal “airtime” to those who would be kinglet. (The punny copy practically writes itself!) All Golden-crowned Kinglet, all Gull Point Trail.

Here’s more ‘fishing fun’ (successful & unsuccessful) w/ the Great Egret that’s been hanging out at Leo’s Landing the last month+:

Scraping the bottom of the barrel for punny ‘king’ titles, but that’s ok when there’s some nice (if shady/overcast) digital photographs of Ruby-crowned Kinglet exhibiting foraging behavior at Presque Isle State Park:

The following include characteristic “fly hovering” (flapping in place) to collect aphids (or the like) on what’s probably a Common Reed (Phragmites australis) plant:

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Erie County, PA weekend weather forecast: nice through Sunday afternoon turning to rain. Happy birding/nature! #more_bird

Modest but significant temperature drop in Erie County, PA over the last couple days – definitely feeling “more fall” and “less summer.” In migration news, the kinglets are back in town (Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned) – lots more on this in upcoming posts.

Meanwhile, it’s interleaved shots of GBH (Great Blue Heron) & R-bG (Ring-billed Gull) fishing follies. (Fishing fun? Fishing failures? In any event, no fish.) Same day/location at Presque Isle State Park.

Not quite the exotic hummingbirds outside the BIRDS field station in Tucson, but there’s always plenty of beautiful avian activity in Millcreek Twp, PA (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). Here, the “bird of the day,” Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, currently in town for 1-2 weeks fall migration:

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This just about sums up Erie in early fall, Blue Jay w/ acorn:

North American medley of shady Northern Cardinal (m), Northern Flicker, & American Robin:

More late summer/early fall birds at Leo’s Landing at Presque Isle State Park. Why so much Leo’s Landing? Very close to park entrance (< 2- to 3-minute drive) + great mix of habitat (swamp, sand bar, back bay/lake, brush, & mature trees) = best spot at PI for “quick birding outing.”

ID note: all Palm Warblers @ immature or non-breeding (i.e., fall) plumage.

Bit of a weekend washout in Erie, PA (weather-wise and otherwise), so it’s a return to Arizona with part 1 of an August visit to Tucson’s premier botanical garden/park, Tohono Chul. Always worth a visit for lots of wildlife and not-so-wild life.

Unless otherwise noted, hummingbirds are mature Purple Shooting Star (a.k.a. Costa’s hummingbird) (as above) or immature Purple Shooting Star, as here:

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BirdingPI.com doesn’t regularly feature captive (i.e., zoo) animals, but it was great to see one of Tohono Chul’s Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) out-and-about (as opposed to hiding in its cave) = so darned cute!

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Coming up soon, more Arizona hummingbirds, and more Erie fall bird! #more_bird