Today on BirdingPI.com, it’s a reasonably well-lit male Brown-headed Cowbird along the Gull Point Trail @ Presque Isle State Park. Plus bonus video!
The sound quality is ok on this video clip; turn up the volume to enjoy the Cowbird’s ‘electronic squeak’ vocalization:
Next up on the BirdingPI.com “spring warbler hit parade,” whatever they’re calling Blackburnian Warbler these days. Actually, it’s still Blackburnian Warbler because the AOS (American Ornithological Society) is taking a really, really long time on its project to re-name honorific bird names. (Just now working on a pilot since the November 2023 announcement!?! Wow – even slower than BirdingPI.com photo editing.)
Considering names like Yellow Warbler, Red-headed Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, etc., maybe don’t think about it so hard? Anyway, this is distracting from the much, much more important subject at hand, which (of course) is beautiful birds in nature (all Orange Flame Warbler):
Celebrating the (U.S.) holiday weekend w/ a bonus post of bathing + preening Yellow Warbler. This is highly likely to have occurred at Presque Isle State Park. Please enjoy responsibly.
Some years at Presque Isle State Park it’s lucky to see even 1-2 Northern Parula warblers. Anecdotally, 2025 has been pretty good, including these nice “not so high up in the trees” shots from recently at Leo’s Landing. Males = russet/burnt chestnut-coloured band on chest:
Following shots are more Northern Parula + “misc. birds” same date/location:
Tip for attracting Northern Parula: “Here, birdie, birdie, birdie.” 🙂
Rather awful (rainy, windy, cold) weather in Erie County, Pennsylvania yesterday/Saturday; really nice bird activity at Presque Isle nevertheless. Today, looks a bit better! Happy birding/happy nature!
Lots of warbler (& other bird) activity at Presque Isle State Park this month. Here’s recent coverage mostly at Leo’s Landing, featuring another beautiful “black-and-white” warbler, Blackpoll Warbler:
Last week-and-a-half or so, lots of Blackpoll Warbler activity; anecdotally, more than usual at Presque Isle. (Go to Leo’s Landing to see Blackpoll Warblers.)
Here’s a nice shot looking towards the entrance to Presque Isle Bay. Just left of the evil sailboat is North Pier and North Pier Light, just right of the good sailboat is South Pier and the ‘tree at South Pier:’
Many Yellow Warblers all over Presque Isle, with plenty of associated chasing/tussling behavior (breeding related? territory related?), e.g., as captured in these two lucky shots @ 400mm:
Coming up soon, in which a Blackpoll Warbler-focused post also includes female Blackpoll Warblers!
Finally posting some content from Global Big Day weekend, on Sunday 11 May 2025 along the B Trail + Dead Pond Trail @ Presque Isle State Park. (B Trail is a relatively short connector between the main park road and the much longer Dead Pond Trail.) Weather was windy, but sunny and very pleasant/mild in sheltered areas.
Really nice, first-of-year sighting of Veery, one of the woodland thrushes:
Another new spring warbler, briefly seen (and poorly photographed) Ovenbird:
Sometimes it pays to go off trail. Following warblers/vireos all seen in the woods off Dead Pond Trail (see above + below).
Several shots of beautiful Eastern Kingbird:
Rather awful/rainy weather in Erie County the last few days, + unseasonably chilly. Looks like the unsettled/cold weather might continue into the holiday weekend, but ‘fingers crossed’ for great bird activity regardless!
Coming up soon, a Yellow Warbler bath!
Today on BirdingPI.com, focusing on another ‘spring warbler,’ the beautiful Bay-breasted Warbler. These shots taken recently mostly along the Duck Pond Trail @ Presque Isle State Park.
Frequently, Bay-breasted Warblers are seen foraging high up in the trees, as above. (This time of year – mid-spring – it means foliage/shade.) As in the following shot, though, lucky to see this male fly catching in trailside shrubbery:
Following all Bay-breasted Warbler unless otherwise noted:
Finally, it’s bonus Gray Catbird! Including video w/ non-noisy audio! More exclamation points!!!
More birds, etc. from last Saturday at Conneaut Marsh, south/southwest of Conneaut Lake in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Here’s another view of McMichael Rd bisecting the marsh; Prothonotary Warbler nests (see previous post) are on the right and left along the waterways:
This post, however, features an amazing sighting of one or two Yellow-throated Vireo, also seen by the road just as the rain moved in:
Here’s male and female Mallards in flight:
Nice sighting of Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the forest, first a female then three shots of male:
Coming up soon (maybe), rain birding in Pittsburgh! Wow.
Finally, a useful function for hunting litter, @ Ring-billed Gulls exhibiting drop-catch behavior w/ a used shotgun shell:
With unsettled/cloudy weather, it was to head out of town Saturday to the next county south, for a great visit to the amazing Conneaut Marsh (McMichael Rd location), known for Sora, Virginia Rail, and “beautiful-but-not-often-seen-at-Presque Isle State Park” Prothonotary Warblers.
No rail or Sora sightings on this trip, unfortunately. (The Soras were vocalizing off in the grass/marsh, so definitely around, but were keeping low/inconspicuous.) Could also hear the Prothonotary Warblers off in the surrounding woods, but it wasn’t until the rain almost hit that this beautiful ‘probably/maybe male‘ finally landed by the road:
The marsh is a huge, long expanse on either side of the outlet to Conneaut Lake, which eventually drains into French Creek. Surrounded/interspersed with forest, with much of it being public property in the form of State Game Lands Number 213. In this particular location, the marsh is laterally bisected by McMichael Road, which is handy otherwise this area would be functionally inaccessible (absent a boat):
Besides birds, a great location for both Beaver and Muskrat:
This individual seemed to lack the more greenish hue (on nape/head) of a female, but was unusual, perhaps, having a brown streak on the forehead:
Handily, there are artificial warbler nests in the flooded areas along the road, of the type which Prothonotary Warblers prefer (replicating a birch tree stump):
About the time the warbler landed at its nest, the rain switched to downpour mode = time to head out. Coming up soon, however, another great bird sighting at this location!