Lots more bird photos coming up from this past weekend at Presque Isle State Park, starting with these from Saturday:

Sometimes it all comes together, even at a long distance, like this amazing Northern Flicker (yellow shaft) along the Sidewalk Trail:

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It’s the first warbler of spring “that isn’t a Yellow-rumped Warbler along the Gull Point Trail because those were around all winter.” Of course, still Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2x sighted along the Sidewalk Trail:

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Two of Brown Creeper:

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Wrapping it up with lovely Golden-crowned Kinglet:

(Kinglet above seemed to be engaging in some sort of ‘tree creeping’ foraging behavior, flitting from branch to branch then along the tree trunk.)

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Coming up soon, more weekend! Plus special highlights featuring great shots of Horned Grebe, American Coot, and more sunny Mallards! #more_bird

After the eclipse, checking to make sure the sun’s still there. From yesterday @ 600mm w/ solar filter, lots of sunspot activity:

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One of BirdingPI.com’s favourite woodpeckers, great to see Yellow-bellied Sapsucker back in town. (Typically here only in relatively narrow windows in spring and fall.) These shots from Presque Isle State Park:

Back to Presque Isle State Park, where the AT&T mobile base stations are gone, along with decent cell coverage; after The Big Event, things no worse for wear. Bird-wise, spring’s in full swing despite unsettled weather (e.g., rain Friday, nearby thunderstorms Sunday morning): big uptick in ‘interior’ bird activity, e.g., Kinglet, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Common Grackle, Eastern Towhee, and so on. These shots Saturday morning at head of Presque Isle Bay + Leo’s Landing. First up, a Swallow trifecta on the back bay, starting with beautiful and brown Northern Rough-winged Swallow:

Swallow trio over Presque Isle Bay:

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Seeing a lot more female Red-winged Blackbird activity:

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Trail conditions as of Sunday: after the rain last week, heavy localized flooding – B Trail: flooded; “Inner” Gull Point Trail: flooded; Rest of Gull Point Trail: Ok; A Trail: Ok; Long Pond Trail, west end: flooded; Pine Tree Trail: Ok; Fox Trail: localized wet and muddy.

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Coming up soon: woodpeckers and lots of them! Plus an amazing Sunday at Gull Point!

First decent butterfly shots of the season, from this weekend at Presque Isle State Park, the lovely American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis):

As per Wikipedia, “Vanessa virginiensis is most easily distinguishable by its two large eyespots on the ventral side.” See, e.g.:

Heading into the weekend in Erie County, PA with bad weather – rain all day Friday, overcast/windy/chilly Saturday. Last Tuesday was fairly summerish – warm w/ fluffy clouds, thunderstorms in the evening. These shots from Tuesday at South Pier, both Double-crested Cormorant and Turkey Vulture soaring in the clouds.

More Double-crested Cormorant:

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Learn something new every day – never noticed Cormorants in ‘soaring mode’ before. Two individuals gradually spiraling upwards to gain altitude then flying way up in the clouds.

The Double-crested Cormorant activity has really taken off at Presque Isle State Park and surrounding waters. Recent photographs:

Following ‘takeoff’ shots from the channel between North Pier and South Pier. Note the adult breeding plumage: vary dark feathers, with dark yellow-orange around the base of the bill:

Fairly uncommon to see the notoriously elusive American Mink (Neogale vison) at all, let alone in the open in daytime for an extended period. These shots by South Pier in Erie, PA. This individual was first spotted at the edge of the enclosed pond, then it slipped into the water. Soon thereafter seen rooting about in the dead reeds:

Dateline: 8 April 2024

Reporting from the BirdingPI.com “solar observatory,” it was quite the ‘weather rollercoaster’ in Erie County, PA for the 2024 total solar eclipse on Monday: high fog (hint of sunrise sunshine), then rain, then clouds. There was partial clearing before the eclipse started after 2PM, but still on-and-off clouds; more on the ‘on’ side during totality. Thankfully, enough partiality, cloud-wise, for things to work out ok, if less than ideal. Following photographs (in chronological order) all Nikon @ 400mm w/ solar filter (partial eclipse) & @ 600mm unfiltered (totality), handheld.

View of the ‘final crescent’ w/ clouds:

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Totality w/ clouds (pink colour is from solar flares – see below):

A passing cloud break (more or less), w/ clear totality + solar flares:

Just as totality ends, w/ faint solar flares:

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Waning crescent eclipse w/ clouds:

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Final waning eclipse w/ sunspots:

Key takeaways: (i) totality, although short, is pretty amazing, especially the level of darkness relative to partial coverage; (ii) seeing solar flares, wow; (iii) big difference between eclipse glasses and anything w/ magnification (telescope or camera); (iv) never bet against bad weather in Erie; & (v) “everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.”

Looking forward to 2044!

Really an emotional rollercoaster Monday in Erie County, PA with the bad weather relative to The Big Event, i.e., the eclipse. Thankfully, not a total eclipse disaster; halfway decent astrophotography forthcoming. In the meantime, it’s gulls at East Ave beach, by the boat launch. Unless otherwise specified, American Pixie Gull*.

Large flock of American Pixie Gull at this location, which (anecdotally) is unusual. Attracted to some sort of small (hard to see) food source in the water, apparently.

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[* Editor’s note: while waiting on the very slow “honorific bird name re-naming project,” still calling Bonaparte’s Gull = American Pixie Gull.]

Dateline: 8 April 2024

Well, after a beautiful, sunny Sunday, the weather today in Erie County, PA started off high fog + a hint of sunrise, since transitioning to light rain. #Erie_weather_strikes_again. Guess folks will see the eclipse – or not – soon enough. (Forecast still for sun by afternoon.)

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Back to birds, celebrating the day with BirdingPI.com’s first sighting this season of amazing Greater Yellowlegs, at outer Gull Point the other Friday:

ID info: This is adult breeding plumage. Versus Lesser Yellowlegs, has a longer, slightly upturned bill, and also significant streaking on the flanks, which Lesser generally lacks.