As forecast, a cloudy Saturday morning here in Erie County, PA. Good trail conditions at Presque Isle State Park, but today’s the Barber Institute’s Beast on the Bay obstacle race (starting 8:30AM, presumably from the Budny Beach area, ending at Waldameer Amusement Park), so expect busy conditions and some trails either in-effect closed (e.g. Dead Pond) or hard to access (e.g., Gull Point).
While waiting for more warbler or shorebird sightings, here’s recent content, off Long Pond, of BirdingPI.com’s “favourite heron regularly seen at Presque Isle.” (Sorry, GBH.)
Green Heron
“Word of mouth” reports indicate significant, if someone sporadic/variable, bird activity over the week at Presque Isle. Happy birding!
Not quite a warbler ‘wonderland’ last weekend, but the activity’s picking up; current BirdingPI.com “September warbler count” = 9 species.
These are recent sightings at Presque Isle State Park. First up, following’s likely all Cape May Warbler along the Pine Tree Trail; anecdotally, unusual amount of CMW activity this year.
Beautiful Palm Warbler in non-breeding plumage:
Another surprise, great to see this beautiful female Tennessee Warbler:
Beautiful Black-throated Green Warbler:
Moving away from Pine Tree Trail, here’s a Wilson’s Warbler (m) by Leo’s Landing:
Yellow Warbler at that same location (different days/times):
Finally for this post, a low-light shot of female Common Yellowthroat near Marina Lake:
On a cloudy Friday, the Erie County forecast calls for continued cloudy conditions over the weekend. Happy birding nevertheless!
A great area for birding in southern Arizona: the little town of Patagonia. Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Patagonia Lake State Park, Borderlands Wildlife Preserve, etc. And here, The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, a beautiful parcel of mixed woodland and grassland centered along a permanently-flowing section of Sonoita Creek.
Field/woods + visitors’ center (back left)Entrance signVisitors’ centerView from visitors’ center towards creekSonoita Creek
Great spot for local mammals (e.g., deer and javelina/peccary both seen), insects, flowers, plants, and plenty of birds like Gray Hawk. (Gray Hawk spotted several times on this outing; sadly, no good pictures.)
Vermilion Flycatcher (m)V. Flycatcher IIFlood plains parallel to Sonoita Creek
Lots of beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail (a.k.a. Blue Swallowtail)(Battus philenor):
Another view of Sonoita Creek
Probably Dusky-capped Flycatcher:
More hawk/tree @ Cooper’s Hawk:
Javelina (Peccary) in a mud wallow in the woodsFremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
Bird of the day (besides Gray Hawk), the lovely not-a-parrot Western Tanager (m):
Broad-billed Hummingbird adjacent feeders at the visitors’ center (‘cheating mode’ – feeders cropped out):
Violet-crowned Hummingbird in walnut tree
Highly recommend a visit; closed on Mon/Tues. Entrance fee required with discount for TNC members.
No affiliation, but please consider supporting The Nature Conservancy and its important mission + great spots like this.
ABA Warning: This post Rated PG-13 for fish gore, bird-on-fish violence, and smoking. Viewer discretion is advised.
Dateline: 3 September 2023
A special report from BirdingPI.com’s occasional adjunct team in NE Ohio with a trip last Sunday to remarkable Lake Co, Ohio. Specifically, a great visit to Headlands Beach State Park and adjacent Mentor Marsh, Mentor, OH.
Zimmerman Trail trailhead
North end of Mentor Marsh (closest to Lake Erie) is Shipman Pond – great for Egrets, etc. (Tip: for easy access to Shipman Pond and SW end of Headlands Beach Park, park at the Zimmerman Trail lot off Headlands Rd and follow the blue-blazed trail across the road and through the park maintenance yard.)
Shipman Pond, view from roadGreat Egret @ Shipman PondBeach @ Headlands Beach State Park, view SWRing-billed GullBeach @ Headlands Beach State Park, view NE towards lighthouseLots and lots of gulls
Main beach at Headlands Beach is unremarkable (wide open and flat), but worth it for adjacent Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve = great mix of beach, grassy dunes, & woodland border.
Grassy dunesLeast Flycatcher
Couple nice shots of Cape May Warbler, showing a bit more typical colour:
Probably female/immature Blackpoll WarblerBlack-and-white WarblerGulls off Fairport Harbor West Breakwater LightHeadland Dunes State Nature Preserve, beach view SW from lighthouseBeach view NE towards lighthouseView SW of outer beach adjacent lighthouse at end of trail
Other than gulls, etc., no shorebird activity. But lots of Osprey, including this beautiful bird and its fish lunch:
Bonus post of content from the Mogollon Rim, Arizona area (& beyond!), back in August.
View SW from Mogollon Rim (from Rim Lakes Vista)
Appropriate for pine forest, a great sighting of a beautiful male Grace’s Warbler:
Pygmy NuthatchWhite-breasted Nuthatch (rear view)Another view from the rim
A bit off the Rim, on another day, @ Fort Apache Historic Park:
View (generally west) from Fort Apache museum
Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay @ Fort Apache:
Phainopepla (f)
Way far away, but similar environment @ Mt. Lemmon:
Common Raven
And a very cool sighting of Zone-tailed Hawk. Dark colouration like a Turkey Vulture, but note hawk beak, white band on tail, + underwing shading: light interior (w/ barring) and black/dark edges.
ABA Warning: This post contains two pictures of a cute snake. Parental guidance is suggested.
Dateline: 2 September 2023
Gull Point, north-side beach
Partially sunny, warm, and humid this weekend in Erie County, PA. Saturday morning, nice day for a hike out to Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park; not many folks out.
Lots of Sanderling activity along the beach trail:
Everyone loves the beach!
Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)More snakeSpotted Sandpiper (juvenile) + SanderlingSanderling ISanderling IIGull Point, looking generally southTurkey Vulture (l) + American Kestrel (r)
The star of the day, another excellent sighting of lovely Whimbrel! (All shots at a distance from the observation platform.)
Multiple recent regional sightings of Cape May Warbler, including these from Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, on Saturday. (By the mud flats just inside the tree line on the ‘outer old trail.’)
ID notes: tough to ID due to fall juvenile or non-breeding plumage. Olive crown, gray cheek patch, dark eye line, black streaking from throat down onto breast and underside, yellow on face, throat, and breast, and white undertail coverlets. In comparison to this Palm Warbler at the same location, note its yellow undertail coverlets and brown streaking:
Slow day yesterday (Saturday 2 September 2023) at Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park, people-wise at least. Also not a ton of bird activity, but still some nice sightings including one very special guest. More on that later. In the meantime, it’s shorebirds from last weekend, and lots of them, along the Gull Point ‘beach trail’/outer beach.
Mixed shorebirds I
In shot above, Sanderling on far right + left of center, Semipalmated Plover second from left, and Semipalmated Sandpiper second from right and center (bird facing left).
Semipalmated PloverMixed shorebirds IISemipalmated Plover (rear) + SanderlingMixed shorebirds IIIPlover (right), Sanderling (left)Semipalmated SandpiperSemipalmated PloverPlover x Sanderling IPlover x Sanderling II
Semipalmated Plover running on beach:
Lots of Sanderling (juvenile plumage = black and white):
