While not nearly as momentous as last year’s total solar eclipse, still great to see the total lunar eclipse here in Erie County, Pennsylvania early Friday morning.
Almost full moon Thursday evening
Following shots taken from 1AM EDT to about 3AM EDT. Thankfully the weather was clear, and for being outside, not as chilly as expected for late winter here in the northeast.
Start of noticeable visual effects @ 600mm uncropped600mm cropped
A bit later, w/ a more pronounced eclipse effect:
600mm uncropped600mm croppedOverexposure to show eclipse progression
The eclipse progresses to totality:
Following shots at or close to totality. Closest views @ 600mm cropped, then 600mm uncropped, + wide angle @ 100mm, all handheld generally w/ 1/20 sec – 1/60 sec exposures.
Sorry, no pictures after totality – after all that + two hours in the cold, time to get back to bed!
Next full lunar eclipse viewable in the US: 3 March 2026. See you next year!
More from Oceanside, California, w/ nice shots of lovely Rock Pigeon. (As the saying goes, “Go to California for pigeons.”) This is at cute, ocean-adjacent (ocean side?) Buccaneer Park.
At this same location, the mouth of Loma Alta Creek, with a great sighting of a beautiful Snowy Egret (note the distinctive yellow feet):
Pied-billed GrebePied-billed Grebe II
Pigeons in Erie County, Pennsylvania are mostly seen perched on buildings or power lines, rarely up close. Nice to see these ‘not so far away’ photographs. Same for Snowy Egret – quite uncommon in Erie.
A special report from BirdingPI.com staff stationed last week near the Interstate 10 Chevron station on the west side of Wilcox, Arizona. “Only BirdingPI.com brings you coverage of the Wilcox, Arizona Chevron station!”
Ravens @ Chevron
Wilcox, AZ: located in southeastern Arizona in a high desert plain, w/ the Dragoon Mountains to the southwest and the Chiricahua Mountains to the southeast, approx. 80 km (50 miles) from the border w/ New Mexico. Convenient to famous seasonal migration (e.g., Sandhill Crane) ‘hotspots’ Wilcox Playa and Whitewater Draw (for example). Also great for regional species like the amazing Chihuahuan Raven:
Also great for beautiful Brewer’s Blackbirds:
Males, as above, are glossy black w/ green and blue metallic highlights in the sun; bright eye. Females, as below, drab brown/gray w/ dark eye. Best identified, perhaps, as being in proximity to males (+ call).
Great to see a beautiful male Pyrrhuloxia at this location:
Relative to similar looking female Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia have a yellow bill + the upper and lower beak mandibles meet at an angle (“jagged line”), vs. straight in Cardinal.
More male Brewer’s Blackbird:
Lots of shots of lots of Chihuahuan Ravens. Relative to Common Raven, similar looking but smaller, best identified based on location and call. (These were positively identified by call using Merlin.)
On an unrelated nature topic, just a reminder that the total lunar eclipse is tonight. Noticeable visual effects start around 1AM EDT Friday. Forecast for Erie, Pennsylvania calls for clear skies!
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. A trip to Buddy Todd Park last week in Oceanside, California. Top reason to visit California for birding (& fun fact!): more species include ‘California’ in the name than any other US state, @ seven including California Quail, California Condor, California Gull, etc. (Fun fact: #2 is Hawaii at five.)
Buddy Todd Park
Anyway, kicking off content from BirdingPI.com’s recent “late winter get out of Erie County week” the best way possible, with a beautiful male Allen’s Hummingbird:
Buddy Todd Park – a hilltop oasis in suburban northern San Diego County. Lots of trees, lots of grass, & a perimeter that includes natural coastal chaparral hillside. Plenty of Dark-eyed Junco, goldfinch, & Western Bluebird activity, not to mention Yellow-rumped Warbler:
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Species note: this is the “Audubon’s” sub-species of Yellow-rumped Warbler, w/ distinctive yellow throat. Yellow-rumped Warblers at Presque Isle State Park, on the other hand, are typically “Myrtle” sub-species w/ white throat.
Western Bluebird (female or immature)Warbler IILesser GoldfinchWestern Bluebird (male)Warbler IIIBlack PhoebeMountain ChickadeeLesser Goldfinch IIMountain Chickadee IIWarbler IVMore Allen’s HummingbirdDark-eyed Junco
Species note: this is the “Oregon” sub-species of Dark-eyed Junco (note the contrasting dark hood), found mostly in western US.
Western Bluebird IIIWarbler VWestern Bluebird IVDark-eyed Junco IIWestern Bluebird VWestern Bluebird VIWarbler VIWestern Bluebird VIIIWhite-crowned SparrowWestern Bluebird VII
View north-ish from the park, w/ nearby neighborhood, San Luis Rey River, and USMC Camp Pendleton in the distance:
[Editor’s note: thought we were getting rid of honorific bird names. (Regardless of who “Allen” is/was, “Allen’s Hummingbird” is an awful name.) Please use “Western Sunflame” going forward.]
More Tundra Swan from this past Sunday at Presque Isle State Park, including noisy video clips. (Wind noise curtesy crappy Nikon Corp. on-board microphones.) Assuming the BirdingPI.com video function works for a change.
With the staff back from BirdingPI.com’s “late winter go someplace other than Erie County” week, it was time to hit Presque Isle State Park again Sunday, where the “big bird event” seemed to be cavorting Tundra Swans, and lots of them. These shots on Presque Isle Bay by the ‘playfield’ near the ranger station.
Conditions at Presque Isle: Although outer Lake Erie remains frozen, overall more “early spring” than “late winter,” with sunny skies, temps above freezing, and little remaining ground snow. Large portions of the back bay unfrozen. Trail conditions generally damp and locally muddy.
Finally finished photo editing of shots from last summer at Scott’s Reservoir outside Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona. (See also Bluebird vs. Bluebird for more great Mountain Bluebird content from this same/date location.)
White-breasted NuthatchFemale Western Tanager
Lots of great Mountain Bluebird activity, these mostly females and juveniles:
More misc. bird from last summer in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest @ Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona:
Stellar’s JayGrace’s WarblerWestern BluebirdGrace’s Warbler IIStellar’s Jay IIGrace’s Warbler IIIStellar’s Jay IIIGrace’s Warbler IVMaybe Pine WarblerStellar’s Jay IVGrace’s Warbler VProfile of (probably) Western Wood-PeweeGrace’s Warbler VIStellar’s Jay VPine SiskinAllen’s HummingbirdFemale Western TanagerPewee profile IIPygmy NuthatchSparrow or Pine Siskin?Western Wood-Pewee
