Kicking off “Arizona week” today the right way, with a 2nd/bonus post of backlit Gray Hawk in flight outside Patagonia:

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It’s the BirdingPI.com “late-winter break,” with staff escaping the cold/snowy conditions of Erie County, Pennsylvania this week for “somewhere else.” Maybe somewhere with even worse weather, like Buffalo or Rochester. Anyway, hopefully someplace with interesting nature/bird activity.

The website’s also taking a break from the snow and cold, instead featuring summer 2024 content from Arizona, starting here with an early morning visit to great Canoa Ranch outside Green Valley.

Canoa Ranch a.k.a. Historic Canoa Ranch is a public park w/ historic ranch buildings, interpretive signs, etc. As a birding destination and Pima County ‘hot spot,’ it features a pond, adjacent wetlands, nice trails and benches, all tucked into an area of otherwise unremarkable scrub brush desert, e.g., Mesquite trees, dry grass, that sort of thing. Also a perimeter of barbed wire fence = great for perching birds like swallows and kingbirds.

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Recent shots of Tundra Swan in flight x GBH, on the same day by North Pier and Thompson Bay, respectively:

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Next week is the BirdingPI.com late-winter “get out of the northeast” staff retreat. While on ‘local duck break,’ the website will be featuring great Arizona content from last summer, including rabbits vs. mosquitos! Also squirrels. Maybe some birds.

Crazy to see what’s still in the BirdingPI.com “waiting for photo editing” queue. So many pictures, so little time… Like these great tern-focused shots from Leo’s Landing last September 2024 at Presque Isle State Park:

The large terns with the big orange beaks (e.g., 3 in middle above) are Caspian Tern in transitioning/molting plumage. The much smaller terns with mostly dark, slender beaks (e.g., birds at far left and right in shot above, and bird on the left in shot below) are Common Tern.

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After mostly freezing over this past weekend, the entrance channel to Presque Isle Bay (between North Pier and South Pier) was again unfrozen as of Tuesday, with lots of waterfowl activity (e.g., 1000s of birds): Redhead, Scaup, Canvasback, Mallard, Canada Goose, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, American Coot, Common and Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe, etc.

Finishing up with earlier, sunnier shots of some of these same species at South Pier, from last week:

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Brief thoughts on why identifying Lesser Scaup vs. Greater Scaup in flight is difficult. (As a first premise, Lesser Scaups are primarily fresh-water ducks, so most “Scaups” in Erie will be Lesser. Great Scaup more common by the ocean.)

First ID factor, at A above: black “nail” at end of beak is typically narrower on Lesser Scaup and wider on Greater Scaup. The nail of this duck is fairly narrow = suggests Lesser Scaup.

Second ID factor, at B: head iridescence, viewable only in full sunlight. Generally, purple on Lesser Scaup, green on Greater Scaup. Colour on this bird is green = suggests Greater Scaup.

Third ID factor, at C: delineation between upper breast and belly/lower breast is typically sharper on Greater Scaup. This bird exhibits “not sharp” patterning = suggests Lesser Scaup.

Fourth ID factor, at D, frequently mentioned in ID guides: white stripe on wing primaries extends almost to the end in Greater Scaup, usually just halfway down on Lesser Scaup. Here, white extends fairly far down the wing = suggests Greater Scaup.

So, two for Greater, two for Lesser, you can see the challenge. But based on location + head colour and wing colour varying significantly between the two species (i.e., neither is dispositive), probably this is a male Lesser Scaup.

“Carnivorous Coot cuties?” “Carcasses and carnivorous Coots?” Whatever the alliterative title, it was this last Saturday at Presque Isle State Park at North Pier, same spot as “Hot Spot.” A lone section of ice-ringed open water, with lots of in/out waterfowl activity, including American Coots.

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At one end, what appeared to be an unusually large number of frozen/dead waterfowl carcasses. Around the perimeter, at least three individual and group Coots apparently exhibiting carrion scavenging behavior. The immediate question: do Coots eat carrion?!?

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Obviously, Coots aren’t carnivorous. They’re paddling around the cattails in summer, diving underwater for vegetation, etc. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re opportunistically omnivorous; what water bird wouldn’t like a bug or worm or snail with their pond vegetation? But carrion?

Next thoughts, maybe those aren’t carcasses? Maybe something other than “flesh eating?” Taking a close look, however, definitely appeared to be, e.g., frozen dead Scaup, and bloody Coot beaks, etc. strongly suggested carrion scavenging.

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Later, Internet research was scant, indicating “Coots will eat carrion but it is not preferred.” These Coots seemed fairly enthusiastic. Then again, it was the end of a very cold week; maybe better food was scarce. Also, with the ice, perhaps physically practicable for the Coots to scavenge vs. carcasses floating in water.

Can’t tell for sure why the number of dead waterfowl (maybe the very cold weather + lack of food) or why this isn’t seen more often, but certainly fascinating behavior to witness.

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In other “fun Coot activity” on this same day, they’re walking on ice!

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Even better, a final shot of American Coot running on ice! One of the funnier bird things ever, as they sought to get away from humans approaching on the pier.

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Sometimes in bird photography there’s sunshine. Even in Erie, Pennsylvania in winter. These lovely shots off South Pier last week, on a painfully cold day.

So nice to pick up the head iridescence on these male Goldeneyes!

With the windchill, probably below 0 deg F (-18 deg C). So cold, even human footprints were frozen!

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Coming soon, more sunny ducks, and a word about Scaup ID!

The hot spot this weekend (figuratively speaking) was North Pier/South Pier, all centered around a small patch of open water at the east end of South Pier. Shot immediately above is the view from North Pier (@ Presque Isle State Park) towards South Pier; open water is at very center of shot. With nowhere else to go at this location, waterfowl activity was quite concentrated + things flying in/out.

Saturday afternoon, a brief appearance from a BirdingPI.com “first sighting ever” (!), a beautiful male Black Scoter. Key field markings: black colour & distinctive orange knob at base of bill. Shot above, it’s flying in with Redheads. Following wide-angle shot, Scoter is left of center:

More distant views of Black Scoter w/ mixed waterfowl:

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It took flight at one point, soon returning to the same spot:

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More Black Scoter, etc.:

Finally, along with a lot of other ducks, the Scoter startled and left the scene:

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Then Sunday afternoon, at this same location, great sighting of more Surf Scoters! Males black w/ knobby black/white/orange bills, females dark brown w/ two white spots on face:

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Species seen at this location Sat/Sun: Canada Goose, American Coot, Redhead, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Horned Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Tundra Swan, Red-breasted Merganser, maybe a Mallard or two!

Continuing on with recent waterfowl coverage at South Pier, Erie, Pennsylvania, from the last couple/few weeks. Following shots are female Bufflehead (in flight) x Lesser Scaup (takeoff mode):

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Coming up soon, reporting from yesterday at Presque Isle State Park, including a BirdingPI.com “first ever” (!), & carcasses and carnivorous Coots!

Dateline: 22 February 2025

Well, it’s Saturday morning here in Erie County, Pennsylvania and – gasp! — it’s actually sunny! After seemingly a week of constant snowfall, almost a miracle. (Temps low but not super low.) Time for a quick, “partially almost real-time” post for BirdingPI.com staff to get out to Presque Isle State Park ASAP!

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Good as place as any for finishing up McClelland Park the other day, esp. fun shots of cute Red-bellied Woodpecker:

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