Deep In The Woods

Today on BirdingPI.com, on a gloomy/cold Saturday, a bit on “mostly lesser seen warblers” + bird photography field methodology, starting with great, if brief, sightings of male Hooded Warbler:

Hooded Warbler (m) @ Presque Isle State Park

Shot above was happenstance near the main park road. A bit more involved is ‘tracking’ a vocalizing bird by sound, even if off trail in the woods, as here in nearby Crawford County (next county south of Erie):

Off trail in random public woods

This instance, following a different male Hooded Warbler until a brief sighting high up in the trees:


Yellow Warbler interlude

Similar methods work even in more well-traveled areas, such as here off the Pine Tree Trail at Presque Isle. On this occasion, Wilson’s Warblers (soon to be re-named ‘Black-capped Warbler’) were heard off the main trail, vocalizing deep in the underbrush. Following the sound, and with a bit of luck, a nice sighting:

Wilson’s Warbler deep in a shrub
Off the Pine Tree Trail

Yellow Warbler interlude II

On the same day as the Wilson’s Warbler, also heard Canada Warbler. Just kept pushing through the underbrush until another nice sighting:

Canada Warbler (m)
Canada Warbler habitat

Downsides to off trail birding are (i) mud, (ii) getting lost, (iii) hunting accidents, and (iv) ticks. Mud is manageable with good footwear, and getting lost is unlikely considering modern phone technology. (Also easy to manage w/o technology by sensibly keeping track of landmarks.) Accidental gun death can be avoided by wearing properly-coloured clothing and avoiding hunting season. Ticks, though, are inevitable and no joke. (Not recommended, but see yesterday’s post for the hard truth.) Protect.Check.Remove.


Protect.Check.Remove (nsfw, really)

Billboard @ exit to Presque Isle State Park

“In Pennsylvania, many ticks are carrying a disease.” With that important message out of the way, BirdingPI.com is foregoing its yearly “macro tick photography” PSA in favour of a cute, furry bunny recently seen along the Gull Point Trail:

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)

What a cute, furry bunny!

Look, a cute, furry bunny!

A cute, furry bunny covered in engorged ticks!

Mammalian tick host
Detail of engorged ticks (species unknown) on mammalian host

Yuck. (Warned you not to open this post.)


Wishing everyone a pleasant, parasite-free weekend. #more_bird

“May” Warbler vs. Raccoon/etc.

Happy to recently see a beautiful male Cape May Warbler at ‘eye level’ along the Pine Tree Trail. (This is one is easy: soon to be re-named “May Warbler.” 🙂

Cape May Warbler (m)

But first, several ok/shady shots of Tennessee Warbler:


Marsh adjacent Pine Tree Trail

Also fun to see an Eastern Raccoon (Procyon lotor lotor) in the nearby marshy area (see above):

Eastern Raccoon

Following are all Cape May Warbler x Raccoon exiting human presence:


Coming up soon, more along the Pine Tree Trail!

Enter The Cowbird

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:


Orange Flame

Orange Flame Warbler (a.k.a. Blackburnian Warbler)

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.)

“HELLO MY NAME IS -undecipherable into English-“

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):


Parula Portraits

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:

N. Parula (m)
N. Parula (probably female)

Following shots are more Northern Parula + “misc. birds” same date/location:

Canada Geese family @ Leo’s Landing
Wood Duck getting ready to startle
Wood Duck take off
WDIF I
WDIF II
WDIF III

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!

Warbler Activities, etc.

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:

Blackpoll Warbler (m)
Windy day on Presque Isle Bay
GBH out on a limb
Lawn weeds w/ bird
Out on a limb – facing other direction

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.)

Blackpoll Warbler (m) II
More lawn weeds
American Redstart (f)
Blackpoll Warbler (m) III

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:’

Good vs. evil
Yellow Warbler (f)
Blackpoll Warbler (m) IV
Spotted Sandpiper out on a log

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:


Mallards (m) practicing log rolling for the log rolling contest
YWIF
Closer-up view of Spotted Sandpiper
Interesting vegetation shapes
Barn Swallow out on a limb
Spring flowers w/ yellow bird
At the beach
Yellow Warbler not quite out on a limb
High tide @ Leo’s Landing sandbar
Ready for take off
Taking off
Blurry Erie Bayfront w/ bird
Blackpoll Warbler (m) V
Unfortunate branch placement
Blackpoll Warbler (m) VI
More out on a limb
Blackpoll Warbler (m) VII
Still out on a limb
Blackpoll the 8th
Spring singing, rear view

Coming up soon, in which a Blackpoll Warbler-focused post also includes female Blackpoll Warblers!

B(ig) Weekend

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.

B Trail
Chipping Sparrows

Really nice, first-of-year sighting of Veery, one of the woodland thrushes:


Another new spring warbler, briefly seen (and poorly photographed) Ovenbird:


Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) along Dead Pond Trail
Field Sparrows
Purple Martin
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis)(foreground) + Cypress Spurge (background)
Osprey
Woods along Dead Pond Trail

Sometimes it pays to go off trail. Following warblers/vireos all seen in the woods off Dead Pond Trail (see above + below).

Warbling Vireo
Black-throated Green Warbler
Looking for birds in the woods
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler II
Chestnut-sided Warbler (rear view)
Chestnut-sided Warbler III
Dead Pond Trail

Several shots of beautiful Eastern Kingbird:


Chipping Sparrow foraging in grass
Chipping Sparrow III

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!

Sorry, the bathing warbler just left