Dateline: 5-6 July 2024

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

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:

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.

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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:

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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:

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.

Side views showing eye stripe & yellow, pointy bill:

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Coming up soon, more birds!

Recent shots of several beautiful American Kestrel in an essentially abandoned industrial/field-y/woody area in Lawrence Park Township, Erie County, PA:

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Interesting concurrent sighting of what appears to be an Amazon drone delivery under their new Prime Same-Day^TM fish delivery service:

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[Editor’s note: one section of the post above may contain satirical content. Although, that is a really big fish!]

From a few days ago, a great, not-too-common sighting of beautiful Eastern Meadowlark in an abandoned grassy lot in Lawrence Park Township, PA:

Wishing folks in the United States of America a happy Independence Day!

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:

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.

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.

[Photo Editor’s note: shot above, + three below of flying gulls = all 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!

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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:

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:

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Nice sequence of Common Tern flying and dive fishing:

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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…

but a Marbled Godwit, too:

More shots of these lovely birds coming up, if the photo editor ever shows up for work.

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Meanwhile, another early morning at Presque Isle State Park, from a week or two ago:

Good time of year for seeing beautiful Cedar Waxwing:

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At the outer Gull Point tree line, a Red-winged Blackbird (top) and Common Grackle (bottom):

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:

Sequence of Eastern Kingbird nest:

(Identified as Eastern Kingbird nest based on an Eastern Kingbird landing on it at one point.)

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Seems like all the birds have left Presque Isle State Park for the summer. Except, admittedly, American Robin, Blue Jay, Canada Goose, Eastern Kingbird, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, GBH, Mallard, Green Heron, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, a gazillion swallows… Ok, still lots of birds at Presque Isle State Park. The point is, “bug” photography season is here, and there’s lots to see and capture (photographically) all over. Here, it’s the Marsh Trail, starting with an amazing sighting of Eastern Harvestman (Leiobunum vittatum). Fascinating reading on this “arachnid but not a spider.”

Following is probably a Tangle-web Spider in the genus Theridion, exact species unknown:

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Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) in a wild rose blossom:

This very tiny spider (pin head size) is probably an Orb-weaver in the genus Hypsosinga:

Probably the male @ lower left:

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Unknown species of small fly probably in the genus Dolichopus:

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The ubiquitous and beautiful Giant Mayfly (Hexagenia limbata):

Finally, a lovely Lilypad Forktail (Ischnura kellicotti) or similar species of damselfly, eating what appears to be a small grasshopper: