Dateline: 5 October 2024

In this US election cycle, it’s important to give equal “airtime” to those who would be kinglet. (The punny copy practically writes itself!) All Golden-crowned Kinglet, all Gull Point Trail.

Here’s more ‘fishing fun’ (successful & unsuccessful) w/ the Great Egret that’s been hanging out at Leo’s Landing the last month+:

Scraping the bottom of the barrel for punny ‘king’ titles, but that’s ok when there’s some nice (if shady/overcast) digital photographs of Ruby-crowned Kinglet exhibiting foraging behavior at Presque Isle State Park:

The following include characteristic “fly hovering” (flapping in place) to collect aphids (or the like) on what’s probably a Common Reed (Phragmites australis) plant:

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Erie County, PA weekend weather forecast: nice through Sunday afternoon turning to rain. Happy birding/nature! #more_bird

Modest but significant temperature drop in Erie County, PA over the last couple days – definitely feeling “more fall” and “less summer.” In migration news, the kinglets are back in town (Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned) – lots more on this in upcoming posts.

Meanwhile, it’s interleaved shots of GBH (Great Blue Heron) & R-bG (Ring-billed Gull) fishing follies. (Fishing fun? Fishing failures? In any event, no fish.) Same day/location at Presque Isle State Park.

Not quite the exotic hummingbirds outside the BIRDS field station in Tucson, but there’s always plenty of beautiful avian activity in Millcreek Twp, PA (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). Here, the “bird of the day,” Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, currently in town for 1-2 weeks fall migration:

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This just about sums up Erie in early fall, Blue Jay w/ acorn:

North American medley of shady Northern Cardinal (m), Northern Flicker, & American Robin:

More late summer/early fall birds at Leo’s Landing at Presque Isle State Park. Why so much Leo’s Landing? Very close to park entrance (< 2- to 3-minute drive) + great mix of habitat (swamp, sand bar, back bay/lake, brush, & mature trees) = best spot at PI for “quick birding outing.”

ID note: all Palm Warblers @ immature or non-breeding (i.e., fall) plumage.

Bit of a weekend washout in Erie, PA (weather-wise and otherwise), so it’s a return to Arizona with part 1 of an August visit to Tucson’s premier botanical garden/park, Tohono Chul. Always worth a visit for lots of wildlife and not-so-wild life.

Unless otherwise noted, hummingbirds are mature Purple Shooting Star (a.k.a. Costa’s hummingbird) (as above) or immature Purple Shooting Star, as here:

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BirdingPI.com doesn’t regularly feature captive (i.e., zoo) animals, but it was great to see one of Tohono Chul’s Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) out-and-about (as opposed to hiding in its cave) = so darned cute!

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Coming up soon, more Arizona hummingbirds, and more Erie fall bird! #more_bird

Recent Presque Isle State Park photographs of a Great Egret foraging (+ flying) at Leo’s Landing, in chronological order:

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Plus bonus juvenile Spotted Sandpiper:

The Duck Pond Trail at Presque Isle State Park might be the most poorly named trail there. Only one end is anywhere near a “duck pond,” and even that portion’s lacking much of a view + mostly muddy/impassible. However, it’s a nice walk in the woods and sometimes good for birds, as shown here from a recent afternoon in late summer:

Really nice sighting of Lincoln’s Sparrow, soon to be re-named Buff-breasted Sparrow (or something like that, hopefully):

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Hard to capture the magnitude photographically, but lots (!) of Robin activity on this date (several dozen+ = migratory activity):

Although American football season, this is not a sports post. Instead, it’s a juvenile Caspian Tern off Leo’s Landing, having fishsues (a portmanteau of ‘fish’ & ‘issues’ – ha ha):

Plus “bonus” Great Egret content at this same date/location (happy Friday!):

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“Unforced Fumble:” When the ball carrier bird loses possession of prey or something else carried in its beak without direct contact (or other harassment) from a defender another bird:

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Looks like unsettled weather for the weekend here in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Happy nature nevertheless! #more_bird

[Editor’s note: A two-point conversion for using “portmanteau” in a post!]