This is “Bruce.” [Real name redacted for privacy.] Bruce is a domesticated dog (Canis lupus familiaris), specifically a black Labrador Retriever. Bruce’s human is associated with the Coast Guard station at North Pier at Presque Isle State Park. Bruce likes to spend his time ‘patrolling’ the compound. He also likes to walk the pier to scare off gulls and find gull poop to eat. Yum.
‘Bruce’ on North PierScaring gulls off North PierA Double-crested Cormorant flies byMmmm… Gull detritusGulls take flight IIHooded Merganser @ enclosed pond at South PierMale Hooded MerganserMIF IBruce!MIF IICormorant in flight w/ nice lightingGulls take flight IIILooking for yummiesMIF IIIBruce VMIF IVAnother view of Hooded MerganserMIF VMallards in flight over Presque Isle Bay
Rather cloudy/cool/windy this past weekend in Erie County, PA, but birding conditions ok nevertheless; no significant precipitation. Lots of nice duck photos forthcoming. Big news last week – multiple local sightings of a Brown Pelican, perhaps on its way east from Ohio. No BirdingPI.com sightings, unfortunately.
This is Herbert. Herbert is a Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), North America’s only native marsupial species. He lives in the woods at North Pier, by the Coast Guard station, at Presque Isle State Park. Normally nocturnal, Herbert couldn’t help but venture out in the daytime Saturday looking for yummy gull detritus.
Herbert the possum on North Pier
Coming up soon, Herbert returns for more gull yummies! #yay_nature!
One idea for Erie County, Pennsylvania birding this time of year is peering “out to sea,” out to see Lake Erie, rather, with an eye towards passing waterfowl. Generally, this requires some sort of optics, such as a spotting scope or giant camera. Here, @ 1200mm from Chatauqua Park, on the east side of the City of Erie, generally southeast across outer Thompson Bay from Gull Point.
Distant specksGull Point tree line and new observation platform; outer Lake Erie @ horizonDuck in center = Bufflehead, rest are Common GoldeneyeBuffleheads take flightBIF IIBIF IIIBIF IVFemale or immature male Bufflehead on rightMore Buffleheads join inRepositioning on Lake Eriew/ Common Goldeneye @ upper leftGull Point, old observation platformLanding ILanding IILanding IIIDistant ducks on Lake Erie
Weather in Erie Co. on this Saturday morning – partially cloudy, cold, clammy; rather unpleasant. Still, could be worse weather for birding – happy nature! #more_bird
Late post today featuring the second weekend in a row of seeing a Peregrine Falcon at Long Pond at Presque Isle State Park. This occurrence a bit closer, under overcast/warm conditions Saturday afternoon.
Peregrine FalconPFIFGBHPeregrine Falcon startling misc ducksFalcon w/ ducks IIRather gloomy female Hooded MerganserFalcon w/ ducks IIIFalcon flies low over the marshMallardsFalcon w/ ducks IVPFIF IICanada Geese taking flightFalcon w/ ducks VPFIF IIICanada Geese (right) + Mallards (left – male @ bottom, female @ top)Peregrine Falcon – landing approachLandingMallards taking flightLanding IIPeregrine Falcon perched in tree IIUncropped @ 600mmMallards taking flight IIPeregrine Falcon perched in tree IVFinal Falcon
After a spell of highly unsettled weather in Erie County, Pennsylvania, looks like it might be a nice day (Wednesday) today, w/ some sunshine. Weather Saturday was unusually warm (above 17 deg C / 63 deg F) with localized thunderstorms, Sunday it turned colder with mixed wintery precipitation, sometimes locally heavy, then cloudy/cold/windy since then. These photographs taken on the beach at Sunset Point on Sunday at Presque Isle State Park, under amazingly unpleasant (very windy and bitterly cold) conditions.
Road to Presque Isle State Park, view from Waldameer entrance
In breaking Presque Isle State Park news, it appeared as of this past Friday that traffic striping had been completed along the section of re-paved road between the entrance the Waldameer Park and Sara’s Plaza and the entrance to Presque Isle State Park. This concluded a monthslong under-road drainage construction project, which snarled traffic into and out of the park the entire summer. Also of note, several manhole covers were re-leveled, eliminating a series of annoying depressions in the right exit lane. When asked about the newly completed road, an anonymous passerby at Vista 1 remarked, “What? Please leave me alone.”
Approaching Sara’s Plaza and entrance to Presque Isle State Park
In other news, with the start of duck hunting season, the National Weather Service issued an alert advising migrating waterfowl against landing on both Presque Isle Bay and Thompson Bay. A representative from the Greater Erie Chamber of Commerce commented that at least one flock of Mallards had decided to avoid Erie County altogether this year due to gun violence.
Duck blind @ Leo’s Landing
Despite the warning, several ducks (etc.) were spotted at Presque Isle State Park over the weekend, including those in the following gloomy photographs Sunday taken under very cloudy/dark conditions.
Male Bufflehead in flight @ outer Lake ErieTundra Swans on Presque Isle BayCanvasback (m) @ lower left, Common Goldeneye (m) right middle (w/ white spot), rest are Greater/Lesser ScaupFemale/immature Scaup landingScaup landing IIScaup Landing IIIScaup landing IVTundra Swans IIMale Redhead (far left center) + male Canvasback (left center)Redhead (left center) + ScaupTundra Swans IIIHorned Grebe (center)Bufflehead, etc.Scaup on outer Lake Erie
More Bufflehead in flight along the beach @ outer Lake Erie:
More common fall birds this week in Millcreek Twp, Pennsylvania (“Since 1800”), featuring Blue Jay and American Robin. Coming up tomorrow, Presque Isle news!
Blue JayAmerican RobinHouse Finch (f), left + American Robin, rightCommon Starling a.k.a. European StarlingAmerican Crow
A few recent shots of another “fall bird you’ll see at Presque Isle State Park,” American Pixie Gull a.k.a. Bonaparte’s Gull, in non-breeding plumage. This is at Leo’s Landing.
Mixed gullsMixed gulls II
[Editor’s note: pictures of ‘mixed gulls’ above are mostly Ring-billed Gull and some American Herring Gull.]
