Always a slow but steady stream of Erie County ‘birding rarities’ reported on eBird, mostly at Gull Point, exotic gulls and shorebirds and whatnot. But that sort of thing requires effort, like lugging a spotting scope over lengthy, sandy trails. So much easier and relaxing on a Saturday afternoon to enjoy beautiful, not-quite-so-rare birds like these lovely Canada Geese on Walnut Creek, half a dozen non-sandy steps from the boat trailer parking lot at Walnut Creek Marina:
Just a quick post today ahead of Saturday field operations, featuring nature content at Beach 11 @ Presque Isle State Park from end-August. (Weather today in Erie County, Pennsylvania: cloudy/cool, but the rain’s mostly stopped.)
Another reminder Presque Isle is closed to vehicular traffic tomorrow/Sunday until 11:30AM for the marathon.
Today’s post on BirdingPI.com features digital photographs of recent, late summer insects at various locations in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Happy Friday!
Best reason for birding at Presque Isle State Park is the numerous nearby/”on the way” fast food restaurants: McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, Five Guys, KFC, Chick-fil-A, Sheetz, the list goes on and on.
At Fairview Business Park (conveniently in Fairview, Pennsylvania), the main option is foraging in the mud or on the grass for bugs/etc., as with this beautiful Solitary Sandpiper from the other monring/sunrise:
Also a great spot for Killdeer, who apparently love the grass + water/mud:
Following are all Solitary Sandpiper unless otherwise noted. ID tips: drab yellow-green legs, bold white eye ring, brown back with extensive spotting.
Fun fact: Fairview Business Park is the old location of Commodore Downs horseracing track. Road around the lake = 3/4 mile. (Inside the road perimeter is Flag Park w/ available public parking + Lake Melvin.)
PSA: Presque Isle State Park is closed this Sunday, 7 September 2025, for vehicular traffic until 11:30AM for the Erie Marathon.
It’s more forest warblers from this past weekend at Presque Isle State Park, featuring a pair of lovely, immature/female Magnolia Warbler:
ID tips: gray head top w/ white-ish eye ring, yellow underside with black streaks along flank, & fairly white-ish wing bars.
Other shady warblers:
No one delivers “hard hitting,” “life-and-death stakes” nature photojournalism like BirdingPI.com. For example, take these shots from Sunday at Presque Isle State Park on Beach 11 of a Double-crested Cormorant exiting the water for the sandbar, then flying away. Wow.
…of the shady warblers (and friends). Happy to report a significant (anecdotal) uptick in fall migration activity at Presque Isle State Park, with multiple species of warbler and vireo sighted both Saturday and Sunday.
In the woods adjacent the Dead Pond Trail yesterday afternoon:
Same day/location, ‘bonus sighting’ of a pair of amazing Common Nighthawk, flying far overhead @ flycatching behaviour:
In today’s post, it’s back a couple weeks to the outer beaches @ Presque Isle State Park (“outer” = adjacent outer Lake Erie, vs. bayside/protected beaches like Beach 11) featuring “not so often seen at Presque Isle” Baird’s Sandpiper:
ID tips: small, w/ black legs and slightly droopy, black, short bill; buff/brown tones; wing tips extend past tail (see above), giving a slightly elongated appearance relative to, e.g., Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Next up, beautiful Sanderling @ this is probably an adult w/ transitioning plumage (e.g., still retains russet around the head neck, which is characteristic of Sanderling breeding plumage):
Following shots are more Baird’s Sandpiper x Sanderling:
Recent shots of American Goldfinch around lunchtime, exhibiting feeding/foraging behaviour, i.e., eating lunch @ thistle seed pod, outside McKean Twp, Pennsylvania:
Way overdue for squirrel content, so today it’s shots from this morning of a cute Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) digging up roots in the grass in Millcreek Twp, Pennsylvania (“Since 1800”). Cheers!
