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.)

Pinecones should be afraid. Very afraid.

[Editor’s note: worst Halloween post ever!]

Cloudy and unsettled weather this past weekend in Erie County, PA.; full Gull Point report forthcoming. (Spoiler alert: amazing/surprise Dunlin, and lots of them!) Meanwhile, a veritable potpourri of misc. bird from (mostly) recent sunnier days.

Wrapping it up with beautiful Mallard ducks on Marina Lake, Presque Isle State Park:

All these shots at fairly long distance, but still great to see Magnificent Frigatebird @ Crandon Park Marina, Key Biscayne, FL. Male: all black with red throat sac; female: white head/chest.

Small, uninhabited key/islet off the marina = known rookery. Thanks again to the kind folks at the Nature Center for mentioning it.

With another wet weekend in Erie County, PA, time for a brief diversion back to Florida @ Crandon Park, Key Biscayne. From the Nature Center, head north-ish on the Osprey Beach Trail. At the bike path, keep heading north on the Fossilized Reef Trail until the mangrove boardwalk:

This ends at the fossilized reef observation platform, with very nice views of, yes, the fossilized reef + Bear Cut (channel between Virginia Key and Key Biscayne) + Miami Beach + Atlantic Ocean.

Also birds! Here, one adult and several juvenile Black-bellied Plover:

RTIF (Royal Tern in flight):

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Now it’s back to the beach adjacent the Osprey Beach Trail:

Great to see several American Avocet:

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Mixed Sanderling (l) & Dowitcher (r):

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Dateline: 25 October 2023

After several reports on eBird, great to finally see a Surf Scoter (female) Wednesday evening off East Ave boat launch:

ID tips: dark appearance, distinctive/’chunky’ bill, two white spots (fore and rear of eye), very dark top of head, + lacks white wing patch of White-winged Scoter.

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Dozens and dozens of Double-crested Cormorant relocating further out in the bay:

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Bonus shots of what’s probably “1st winter”/juvenile Ring-billed Gull: