Mostly Sunny Floaters

Today on BirdingPI.com, a quick post of seasonal birds recently seen at South Pier (Erie, Pennsylvania), featuring beautiful, sunny Redhead ducks:

Male Red-breasted Merganser
Male Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser (l) & American Coot (r)
Male Redhead in flight
North Pier Light

Frozen Food (NSFW)

Going back to February, after the long cold spell had taken its toll on the waterfowl population. For example, 6-7 duck and goose carcasses were spotted on the ice at South Pier (Erie, Pennsylvania) at one point. This is an American Herring Gull eating a deceased male Red-Breasted Merganser:

Well, Something

With these shots of Mourning Dove from yesterday, we’d normally say “spring is in the air,” but considering this Sunday morning it’s -6 deg C in Erie County, Pennsylvania with fresh snow on the ground, it’s looking like something else is in the air. Like more winter suffering.

On Golden “Pond”

More from South Pier, featuring beautiful late afternoon sunshine, plus a couple “bonus grebes” same location/different day:

Presque Isle Bay w/ ships @ dock on left
Mallards in shimmery sunshine off water
Common Goldeneye (f)
Pied-billed Grebe
Mallards (male on left)
Horned Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe II
Horned Grebe II
Pied-billed Grebe III

Finally, in this shot, the line at what appears to the be horizon is actually where the ice sheet ends on the frozen-over portion of Presque Isle Bay:

(R-t) Hawks

Looks like the Erie County, Pennsylvania weather might be decent today and tomorrow – above freezing temps at least – with slight snow and colder temperatures expected Saturday night into Sunday. Happy birding! Today’s post features a bird species observant folks might expect to see this weekend, 2x beautiful Red-tailed Hawk:

Swan Duo

From Sunday at Presque Isle State Park under lightly snowy conditions, it’s (mostly) more Mute Swans, specifically a lovely duo at the head of Presque Isle Bay:

2x Mute Swan
Head of PI Bay view northeast, with horizon obscured by snowfall
Female and male Hooded Merganser @ upper left
Male (left) and female Mallard ducks
American Wigeon (male = white stripe on forehead) w/ dabbling Tundra Swan

As the famous line goes (sort of), at Presque Isle the Mute Swan count goes to 11!

Mergansers @ Graveyard Pond

After no sightings since last year, so nice to have amazing Hooded Merganser back in Erie County, Pennsylvania. These shots from Saturday at Graveyard Pond by the Lagoons boat launch.

Hooded Merganser (m)
Hooded Mergansers (female on left)
2x male and female Hooded Merganser
American Black Duck
w/ male Mallard
Ring-billed Gull @ fishing behaviour
Gull with fish
Ring-billed Gulls on log
Gulls on log II
American Black Duck II

Finally, a nice sequence of the Hooded Mergansers startling and taking flight to relocate further down the pond:

Reflections/DIF

More winter weather this morning in Erie County, Pennsylvania – cold, windy, and snowy. Continuing “big bird news” over the weekend was 11 Mute Swans at Presque Isle State Park, a record high count. (To see the swans, go to Vista 1 and look for the big, white birds. Some of which may be Tundra Swans.) More swan pics coming up, but in the meantime, here’s more recent DIF from South Pier.

Lesser Scaup
Red-breasted Merganser (female/immature)
Female Lesser Scaup
Male Red-breasted Merganser
Flock of Scaups II
Lesser Scaup II
Flock of Scaups III
Merganser w/ reflection II
Lesser Scaup III
Male Common Goldeneye
Lesser Scaup IV
Flock of Scaups IV
Goldeneye II
Goldeneye III
Flock of Scaups V
Two Lesser Scaups
Flock of Scaups VI

More @ Outer Gull Point

Back to a week ago Saturday at outer Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, fairly quiet except for beautiful 3x American Tree Sparrow and 1x Peregrine Falcon:

Peregrine Falcon at left center w/ outer Lake Erie in background
American Tree Sparrow

Turned cold again yesterday in Erie County, Pennsylvania, with a couple inches of snow overnight last night and this morning. Conditions at Presque Isle seemed very muted in terms of “not gull, not waterfowl” activity, but quite active for both those (gulls, ducks, and swans). More on this later, including our first sighting/pictures this year of beautiful Hooded Merganser!