ABA Warning: This post Rated PG-13 for fish gore, bird-on-fish violence, and smoking. Viewer discretion is advised.

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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.

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.)

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.

Couple nice shots of Cape May Warbler, showing a bit more typical colour:

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Other than gulls, etc., no shorebird activity. But lots of Osprey, including this beautiful bird and its fish lunch:

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Coming up soon, more Osprey x fish plus a BirdingPI.com “first sighting ever!” Wow.

Bonus post of content from the Mogollon Rim, Arizona area (& beyond!), back in August.

Appropriate for pine forest, a great sighting of a beautiful male Grace’s Warbler:

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A bit off the Rim, on another day, @ Fort Apache Historic Park:

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay @ Fort Apache:

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Way far away, but similar environment @ Mt. Lemmon:

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.

Introducing Squirreltraiture^TM, BirdingPI.com’s new squirrel photography service for NW Pennsylvania and surrounding areas!

Meet “Sir Edward,” pet Fox Squirrel of Mr. & Mrs. James St. John-Smythe of Girard, PA:

Such a handsome lad!

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If interested, please e-mail as per the “Contact Us” section of this website! Reasonable rates.

[Editor’s note: BirdingPI.com does not endorse keeping wild animals as pets.]

ABA Warning: This post contains two pictures of a cute snake. Parental guidance is suggested.

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Dateline: 2 September 2023

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:

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Everyone loves the beach!

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The star of the day, another excellent sighting of lovely Whimbrel! (All shots at a distance from the observation platform.)

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Coming up soon, weekend warbler wonderland!

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.’)

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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.

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 Plover running on beach:

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Lots of Sanderling (juvenile plumage = black and white):

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Another epic post from A-S NF back in August. And even if a bit blurry, can’t help but lead off with this lovely shot:

Shot above + following shots probably all Broad-tailed Hummingbird:

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More hummingbird:

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Still more hummingbird:

Several particularly-nice HIF shots:

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Too many hummingbirds!

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Set out to capture some nice ‘feather pop’ on an in-flight male Rufous Hummingbird. Mission: FAIL. Came close with this shot, but still blurry even with AI sharpening:

OTOH, it’s a beautiful bird + decent ‘perched’ shots (see below) = win.

Location: central-eastern Arizona, August 2023.

From a few weeks ago in Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest, outside Pinetop/Lakeside, AZ @ White Mtns/Mogollon Rim area.

First up, beautiful Mountain Chickadee:

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Following hummingbirds mostly Broad-tailed Hummingbird. (For a couple, could be female Rufous Hummingbird.) Some shots somewhat grainy due to shady conditions.

[Location note: the fence/barbed wire is an artifact of cattle grazing on national forest land.]

More hummingbird:

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Lots more Broad-tailed Hummingbird (male with magenta throat):

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Still more hummingbird:

Coming up soon, more hummingbird in the forest!

ABA WARNING: This post contains spider-related content and is only suitable for emotionally mature individuals. Thank you for your cooperation.

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It’s your friendly neighborhood spider man & BirdingPI.com’s resident/beautiful Cross Orbweaver (Araneus diadematus) @ Millcreek Twp, PA (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). [Note: species uncertain, but some sort of orbweaver.]

So cute and furry, if only he was bigger for cuddling up!