Dateline: 27 May 2023
Not the world’s best photos, but still fun to see female Blackpoll Warbler along the Long Pond Trail on Saturday, Presque Isle State Park.
ID tips (from All About Birds): yellowish wash on breast and head, “finely streaked cap, broken eyering, dark eyeline, and orangish legs.”
Dateline: 26-27 May 2023
It’s apparently the biggest birding event at Presque Isle State Park since, well, maybe ever! A steady stream of folks flocked roadside near Beach No. 8 to enjoy a Pileated Woodpecker nest, and specifically, Pileated Woodpecker babies. You know it’s a big deal when there’s giant cameras on tripods!
Apparently several chicks in this nest. BirdingPI.com personnel witnessed just the one in these shots, and no adults. (Per policy, stayed on site just long enough to take a few pictures; adult Pileated Woodpeckers are generally skittish around humans = concerns about untoward disturbance.)
Bonus video clip (resolution ‘turned down’ due to file size limitations):
Day 3 of more warbler content! #more_bird
Lucky for this beautiful Common Yellowthroat (m) to emerge from the shrubbery last Saturday off the Pine Tree Trail, Presque Isle State Park.
At a nearby location a bit later, this is probably a female Common Yellowthroat:
[Photo Editor’s note: appearances of ‘green/yellow’ fog in any of the shots above is out-of-focus leaves in the foreground. Windy conditions with lots of branches moving around.]
A literal flurry of Bay-breasted Warbler activity last Saturday after the rain, off the Pine Tree Trail at Presque Isle State Park. (3 or 4 individuals total, at least.) Photography conditions = shady/forest; still, great to get more ‘quality time’ with these lovely birds.
Really a lot of Yellow Warbler activity at Presque Isle State Park this year. Seen up to 6-7 individuals in one location, and multiple instances of 2 or 3 in flight/chase mode.
These shots at various locations over the past week or so. And yes, more Yellow Warbler content’s on the way!
It’s a lovely Blue Jay working on a nest in Chautauqua Park, Erie, PA:
[Edit: an iPhone shot of the nest in question, taken quickly after the Jay flew off to gather more twigs or whatever:
Volunteer/wild Purple Columbine (possibly Aquilegia vulgaris):
Dateline: 21 May 2023
From this past Sunday at Presque Isle State Park, fun shots of a Northern Flicker @ nest hole:
Site location: way high up in a tree by the main park road between Niagara Pond and Misery Bay:
Wonders never cease – shots of “wild” Ruby-throated Hummingbird that aren’t totally awful! (Wild = not at a feeder.) And a male to boot, with visible gorget. (Gorget = hummingbird throat feathers, esp. iridescent throat feathers.)
Photographs taken recently at Headwaters Park, Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”), early evening.
Mostly long-distance shots @ 400mm, significantly cropped.
Dateline: 21 May 2023
Another beautiful weekend at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA. After the rain Saturday morning: cool, humid, mostly cloudy; lovely, lingering scent of honeysuckle on the Pine Tree Trail (Common Yellowthroat, Bay-breasted Warbler, etc.; report forthcoming); Sunday: sunny, cool, slightly windy, beautiful day.
After just a fleeting glimpse the other day at Asbury Woods, BirdingPI.com personnel were dispatched for spending Sunday scouring the Long Pond Trail ‘hinterlands.’ Mission: Scarlet Tanager!
First up, by the east trailhead, another “first of 2023” BirdingPI.com sighting, Northern Parula! Not the best shots ever for showing distinctive colouring, but still excellent to see:
In that same area, another “first of 2023,” awful photographs of Blackpoll Warbler (m)(!):
Part of the southwest side of Long Pond is defined by a roughly NW-to-SE sand ridge; hence the stand of mature forest in this spot. Pond on the one side, swamp on the other, tall trees and brush in between = bird goodness.
Warbler nest near Boat Landing #5:
Several shady shots of Red-eyed Vireo:
BirdingPI.com’s springtime “go to” spot for the amazingly red Scarlet Tanager = Long Pond Trail:
Mission: successful!
