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:
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:
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!
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:
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):
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!):
“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:
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!]
This post brought to you by Air Jordan 11 CMFT LowTM sneakers (shown here in ‘white/gym red’): “The footwear choice of discerning Least Sandpiper the world over!”TM
Moving on, it’s Part II of Gull Point coverage from this last Sunday afternoon (@ Presque Isle State Park, naturally), w/ both good and less-good bird photographs.
This just about sums up Gull Point on Sunday – “small birds at a distance.” Here’s Killdeer + perhaps a Semipalmated Sandpiper:
The yellow bird in the following shots = an “unusual for the time of year” female Yellow Warbler:
Just left/right of middle, a Lesser Yellowlegs (l) + sandpiper of some sort:
Somewhere there’s a Semipalmated Plover:
Not much happening at outer Gull Point Sunday afternoon – cormorants, gulls, Turkey Vultures, and a few distant Black-bellied Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, etc.
OTOH, some great activity at the ‘big bend’ bay-side beach access, including at least five Greater Yellowlegs:
And surprisingly (for this time of year), a Short-billed Dowitcher:
Series of Greater Yellowlegs (left) + Short-billed Dowitcher (right):
Dowitcher taking flight:
Dowitcher landing:
Here’s a shot of 5 Yellowlegs (5th is center left foreground/blurry) + 1 Dowitcher (center right):
Finally for “Part I,” two juvenile plumage Bald Eagles in a tree adjacent the lagoon/lake of the above shots (past east side of Thompson Bay):
[Editor’s note: ID on Greater Yellowlegs – overall size, slight barring on flanks, slightly upturned bill, + Merlin voice ID. (The Yellowlegs with its beak shown open above was unusually vocal.)]
BirdingPI.com’s insect coverage has been somewhat sporadic since the Sr. Editor for Insect Photography ‘retired’/went missing. As such, happy to get the following shots Sunday near outer Gull Point, even if with the ‘wrong’ lens. (600mm prime telephoto = unusual choice for this application.) All Orange Sulphur butterfly (Colias eurytheme) on goldenrod:
And now for something completely different, the “BirdingPI.com weekend award for intrepid nature exploration” goes to this (redacted) individual apparently attempting to walk directly from outer Gull Point to Beach No. 11 across Thompson Bay! The photographer did not remain on site long enough to verify whether this is physically possible, but it is a bold idea. #in_too_deep? #time_for_a_swim
