More Dunlin, more Presque Isle State Park. Recent/gloomy shots at Leo’s Landing on Presque Isle Bay.

Dateline: 5 August 2023

While waiting for more Dunlin content from Presque Isle State Park, it’s back to Marana, AZ in August for BirdingPI.com’s final epic installment (for now) of birds @ El Rio Preserve.

Lucky to have plenty of time with this beautiful Greater Roadrunner in a tree – such an amazing/cool bird!

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Not quite sure, but some sort of juvenile or female flycatcher probably:

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Forgot to switch back to a fast shutter speed for most of these shots = overexposed white plumage + blurry. (#2 Rule of Photography: check your camera settings. #1 Rule of Photography: remember the batteries and memory cards.) Nevertheless, very cool to see (and hear = distinctive whooping/hooting) Tundra Swan last week back at Presque Isle State Park the first time this fall:

Two Tundra Swans landing by four already in the water (hard too see, but on the right-hand corner of this shot):

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Foolish perhaps to ascribe human emotions to birds, but everyone seemed very happy with this reunion! See also recent, very interesting research showing geese (and by extension, presumably, Tundra Swans) recognize each other socially.

Still lots of Dunlin activity at Presque Isle State Park. Recent sightings at Thompson Bay, head of Presque Isle Bay, and Leo’s Landing. These shots from the other weekend at Gull Point.

And lots and lots of flocks of Dunlin in flight:

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Coming up soon, more Dunlin! #more_bird

Overcast with periodic light rain Saturday; very gloomy. Sunny Sunday – lovely day. Lots of ducks spotted evacuating Presque Isle State Park ahead of today’s start of duck hunting season. Stay safe, duck friends!

On Niagara Pond, perhaps the world’s blackest American Black Duck?

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Can’t help but be happy with birds as beautiful as Costa’s Hummingbird in the world! (Forthcoming new name: “Purple Star Sapphire.” Maybe “Purple Shooting Star.”) In Tucson this past August.

Finally back at Gull Point last Saturday @ Presque Isle State Park. Cloudy/unsettled weather, but a beautiful day nevertheless – very few folks out. #peaceful_nature

Roped trail to the observation platform has been ‘de-roped’ for the year, so looks like nesting season is officially over. Following’s the view of the official trail from the old observation platform, sans rope:

Surprise of the day was two large flocks of beautiful Dunlin, BirdingPI.com’s ‘tied for first’ favourite shorebird:

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Also four lovely Sanderling. Conveniently, the other of BirdingPI.com’s ‘tied for first’ favourite shorebirds.

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More Dunlin!

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And finally, here’s the old observation platform with fully completed repairs/maintenance – new stairs, new decking, and new side rails! Great job DCNR on these excellent Gull Point improvements!

It’s members of the Nightjar family from August in Arizona! First up, Common Nighthawk, high over Pinetop/Lakeside. Usually nocturnal, these birds sometimes migrate during the day = probably the case here:

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Next up, Lesser Nighthawk at dusk in suburban Tucson, flitting about fast/erratically for catching insects. Very dark/tough photography conditions; these ‘no flash’ shots at fast shutter speed (to capture motion) + high ISO (sensor light sensitivity) = grainy/noisy. Still, came out better than expected, with the help of Photoshop auto colour correction + Topaz AI noise reduction.

ID tips: Best distinguished by placement of white wing bands – Common Nighthawk is further from the wing tip, by the bend in the wing, whereas Lesser Nighthawk is closer to the wing tip. Lesser Nighthawk also has white tail band + found mostly in the desert southwest.

Shots above were right at dusk; dark but manageable. Shortly thereafter, turned too dark for suitably fast shutter speeds, but here’s a couple ‘bat outline’ shots (species unknown):

And finally, illustrating night feeding species overlap, Lesser Nighthawk (left) + bat (right):

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Coming up soon, the swans are back! (+ Dunlin, finally.)

Dateline: 1 November 2023

In breaking ornithological news, it was announced Wednesday that dozens of North American birds, whose names currently include an honorific (e.g., Wilson’s Warbler), will be re-named to “reflect their traits and habitats rather than the names of people.”

BirdingPI.com plans on actively participating in the re-naming process, but will instead propose soliciting corporate sponsorship to re-name such birds accordingly. Examples include “Keybank Tern” instead of Forster’s Tern, “Crypto.com Sparrow” instead of Bachman’s Sparrow, “AT&T Flycatcher” instead of Hammond’s Flycatcher, etc. Proceeds will go to bird-related conservation efforts.

Started snowing in Erie County around 10:30PM Halloween night, with approx. 8 cm on the grass by morning. Conditions warmer/patchy sun on Wednesday = probably won’t stick.

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Still waiting on photo editing for Gull Point on Saturday. Meanwhile, more shots from sunnier/warmer Arizona back in August, this time at Woodland Lake Park in Pinetop/Lakeside.

Following, lots of Lewis’s Woodpecker x Broad-tailed Hummingbird. (Helpful hint: the hummingbird is the one with the flowers.)