Reporting from Presque Isle State Park, it’s Part I of complete coverage of a rather excellent July 4th morning at Gull Point, generally in chronological order:
American Robin IEastern KingbirdAmerican Robin IIGBH @ outer Gull PointKilldeer on sandLesser Yellowlegs x2 in flightEastern Kingbird on Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)Spotted Sandpiper on lily padKIF I Spotted Sandpiper IIKIF IISpotted Sandpiper IIIKIF IIISpotted Sandpiper IV
Nice sequence of Killdeer bathing:
Song SparrowBacklit Spotted SandpiperBarn Swallow
Finally for today, three shots of a beautiful Short-billed Dowitcher:
Per the BirdingPI.com organizational charter, any sighting of a “new” owl (i.e., not a recurring sighting) should be followed by an ‘afternoon’ of Presque Isle beach cleanup within 10 business days. Give a screech, clean a beach!TM
Barred Owl, Millcreek Twp, PA (“Gateway to Presque Isle”)
Friday, a surprise daytime sighting of a very gray-coloured Barred Owl (see above – poor quality iPhone photo). Saturday, beach cleanup at Presque Isle State Park:
Real Presque Isle beach garbage
Besides a broken fishing pole and an old stuffed toy or two, the main culprit (not unexpectedly): plastic and lots of it. Mostly single-use plastic bottles, followed by food wrappers, on one of the bay-side beaches near Gull Point.
There’s always room for birding, especially on such a beautiful Saturday, including this great encounter of a gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker near the park entrance:
Saturday morning @ outer Gull Point
At outer Gull Point itself, not as much unusual activity as July 4th, but still plenty of great sightings, e.g., Lesser & Greater Yellowlegs, Common & Caspian Terns, & Short-billed Dowitcher. Photographs forthcoming. The ‘bird of the day,’ a very unusual sighting of Least Tern, perhaps the first sighting here since 2022:
View north-ish from old observation platform @ 600mm uncropped
On site, thought this very small tern might be a juvenile Common Tern. But after reviewing the literature, no tern chicks match this plumage pattern & colouration. Factors to consider: (i) a classic black tern cap; (ii) yellow legs & pointy yellow beak; (iii) light gray on the wings; (iv) very small; & (v) very distinctive and well-delineated black eye stripe = Least Tern.
Bird looking down – view of black capFront view INote eye stripe and yellow bill
Side views showing eye stripe & yellow, pointy bill:
Recent shots of several beautiful American Kestrel in an essentially abandoned industrial/field-y/woody area in Lawrence Park Township, Erie County, PA:
Apparently napping
Interesting concurrent sighting of what appears to be an Amazon drone delivery under their new Prime Same-DayTMfish delivery service:
[Editor’s note: one section of the post above may contain satirical content. Although, that is a really big fish!]
Wishing folks in the United States of America a happy Independence Day!
Flags outside Waldameer Park on 4th of July
No better way to spend the holiday than birding at Presque Isle State Park, especially with “A+” conditions at Gull Point. Quick edits of some preliminary shots from this morning:
American AvocetShort-billed DowitcherDowitcher in flight3 backlit WilletsLesser YellowlegsMore Dowitcher IMore Dowitcher IISpotted SandpiperDowitcher landingBlurry Avocet (l) & Willet (r)Amazing American AvocetAvocet & Willet in flightWhimbrel @ bottom middleBlurry Whimbrel (l) & Willet x3 (r) & gull (far right)Immature Spotted Sandpiper (no spots)Killdeer closeup Least Sandpiper
Sadly, no fly photographs in this post. It was the Sunday-before-last after the rain, on the Pine Tree Trail: loads of insects, & loads of birds eating said insects. Fun times until the clouds of biting flies appeared near the west trailhead. Bad news when the BirdingPI.com van’s at the east trailhead.
Likes (to eat) biting fliesAlso likes (to eat) biting fliesNot so much of a flycatcherI caught a mayfly!On the lookout for flying food Squawk!Ready to fly (<– get it?)Not a biting fly, still tastyMale Eastern Towhee does not appreciate ridicule (‘Squawk’ indeed!)
What to do if attacked by flies at the west Pine Tree Trail trailhead? (i) Retreat to parked vehicle; or (ii) lacking said vehicle, retreat to nearby beach! Here’s a fly-free medley of Ring-billed Gull, Canada Geese on the beach, Spotted Sandpiper, & Herring Gull. Not fly-free generally, rather insect fly-free. Since there are birds flying.
Thankfully, not a biting fly
[Photo Editor’s note: shot above, + three below of flying gulls = all Herring Gull.]
Big gull = Herring Gull
Once at the beach (by Pine Tree Trail west trailhead), easy, pleasant walk back to the east trailhead, mostly sans flies. Plus leisurely time to ‘enjoy’ the entrance to Budny Beach, and bunnies!
Fewer biting flies in this areaCute bunnies >> biting flies
Erie County, PA weather forecast looks good for the 4th of July holiday & following weekend. (Perhaps some rain Friday afternoon/evening.) Wishing everyone happy nature/birding!
More pictures from the same recent, early-morning outing to Gull Point as yesterday’s post:
Sunrise over Presque Isle BayRed-winged Blackbird (m)Bonaparte’s Gulls, a Scaup, & an American CrowBarn Swallow
Very surprised to see a pair of Mute Swans fly across outer Gull Point from the south, apparently heading north over Lake Erie towards Canada:
Heading north to Canada?ScaupCanada Geese at the point ICanada Geese at the point IISanderling
Nice sequence of Common Tern flying and dive fishing:
View of outer Gull Point generally southSong Sparrow IView of outer Gull Point generally SW–ish towards ErieSong Sparrow IIView of outer Gull Point west-ish towards Thompson BayYellow Warbler IView of old observation platform from new observation platformYellow Warbler IIRope trail, etc.Yellow Warbler IIIView of outer Gull Point generally E/NE
On the way back, Mute Swans spotted in Thompson Bay. Since the first pair seemed to be heading north, perhaps a second pair:
Sometimes at Gull Point it’s just a Canada Goose or two and maybe a Ring-billed Gull. Other times, like yesterday afternoon, you get not only an amazing Tricolored Heron…
Tricolored Heron w/ fish
but a Marbled Godwit, too:
Marbled Godwit
More shots of these lovely birds coming up, if the photo editor ever shows up for work.
Meanwhile, another early morning at Presque Isle State Park, from a week or two ago:
Sunrise w/ clouds over Presque Isle BayYellow Warbler duoOne female Yellow WarblerCloudy post-sunrise over Budny Beach
Good time of year for seeing beautiful Cedar Waxwing:
At the outer Gull Point tree line, a Red-winged Blackbird (top) and Common Grackle (bottom):
Canada Geese off Gull PointSong SparrowImmature European Starling on rope trailMore Song SparrowSpotted SandpiperSpotted Sandpiper in flightMore Yellow WarblerMore Song SparrowRed-winged Blackbird (f) IStarling on ropeSong Sparrow on groundRed-winged Blackbird (f) IIMore Yellow Warbler IIGreen Heron in treeMore Yellow Warbler IIIHouse WrenHedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium roseata)Gray Catbird!Willow Flycatcher or similarMore Gray Catbird!
Some “lost-and-found” shots from Presque Isle State Park back in March, featuring ‘bright-light iridescent birds,” namely Bufflehead & Common Grackle. Bufflehead iridescence fairly subtle around the neck:
Common Grackle most noticeable on the head, but even the wing/body feathers ‘pop’ in sunlight:
After a lovely Friday, it’s a heavy, warm rain this Saturday morning in Erie County, PA. With BirdingPI.com field operations on “weather hold,” here’s the ‘flip side’ to yesterday’s spider/etc. post – birds on the Marsh Trail @ Presque Isle State Park:
Marsh Trail, early eveningYellow Warbler takes flightBaltimore Oriole w/ bugGreat Crested Flycatcher, rear viewCommon GrackleYellow Warbler IIOIF IIGreat Crested Flycatcher, profileNorthern Flicker in flightDistant summertime cloudsWarbler IIIMore NFIFOIF IIIPortrait of Great Crested FlycatcherEastern Kingbird
Sequence of Eastern Kingbird nest:
(Identified as Eastern Kingbird nest based on an Eastern Kingbird landing on it at one point.)
Rose bloom detail IPurple Martin IRose bloom detail IIPurple Martin IIRose bloom detail IIIPurple Martin III