Weekend Update IV

Back with more general content from Gull Point from this past Saturday at Presque Isle State Park:

Yellowlegs w/ lagoon reflections
Greater Yellowlegs x2
Outer Gull Point w/ Canada Geese, view south
More 2x Greater Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper (in flight) w/ Killdeer (upper right)
More Yellowlegs

Three shots of Semipalmated Sandpiper:

ID tip: short black bill, slight collar, black legs.

Tricolored Heron (l); Willet (middle); Spotted Sandpiper (r)
More Tricolored Heron (l) & Willet (r)
Willet I
Willet II
Tricolored Heron
Another view of Heron & Willet
Distant/bad view of Pectoral Sandpiper (middle) + Semipalmated Plover (l)
Green Heron
Semipalmated Sandpiper in flight I
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper in flight II

Yellowlegs

It’s a beautiful Greater Yellowlegs at outer Gull Point, Saturday morning at Presque Isle State Park (guest starring various Bank and Barn Swallows):

Laser beam behavior

Morning Light

Early AM photography = frequently poor results from shade, dim conditions, or bad backlighting. These mostly quite nice shots (thank you, side lighting) are from Saturday morning on the hike out to Gull Point @ Presque Isle State Park:

A Blackbird morning
Common Yellowthroat (juvenile or f)
Gray Catbird!
Yellow Warbler I
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow Warbler II
Good morning!
Red-winged Blackbird (f)
Yellow Warbler IV
American Robin (juvenile)
Yellow Warbler V
House Wren
Yellow Warbler VI
Bald Eagle (juvenile/molting)
Yellow Warbler VII
The final warbler

Weekend Update

Dateline: 20 July 2024

Gull Point, view SW from old observation platform

Another beautiful/epic weekend at Presque Isle State Park, with warm-mild/spectacular weather and plenty of bird activity along the Gull Point Trail. Based on this carcass atop the old observation platform, however, not such a nice weekend, apparently, for a gull:

Raptor repast remnants

Gull Point highlights: Whimbrel, Tricolored Heron (still hanging around since last weekend), Willet, Semipalmated Plover, & unusual Green Heron volume (5+ spotted at one time). Of note, currently extremely ‘buggy’ @ outer Gull Point, with concurrent amazing (literally amazing) swallow, etc. activity – at times, hundreds and hundreds of mostly Bank Swallow (w/ Barn Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird, etc.) swirling about in flight. (More on this in later posts.)

Green Heron (x2, on left) + Short-billed Dowitcher (x2, on right)

First saw this Whimbrel already in flight; subsequently dropped into the brush/dunes on the south side of outer Gull Point. Not seen again, sadly, despite lots of observing.

Whimbrel in flight, rear view

This is (apparently) the same juvenile Tricolored Heron as seen both Saturday and Sunday last weekend. Spotted again both Saturday and Sunday this weekend:

Greater Yellowlegs in flight

Despite challenging conditions (long distance, backlit morning lighting), still a nice shot of Tricolored Heron (foreground) & Yellowlegs (background):

Happy Yellowlegs in flight

Not a very good shot (challenging distance + lighting), but here’s the Willet (l) and a (probably) Greater Yellowlegs (r):

More Yellowlegs in flight
Tricolored Heron
More happy Greater Yellowlegs
Willet & Canada Goose (guess which is which!)
More Tricolored Heron
More YIF
Tricolored Heron (l) & Yellowlegs in outline (r)
The final YIF

Less than ideal lighting, but still a cool view of Tricolored Heron exhibiting “shade water to attract fish” foraging behavior:

Trail conditions: locally muddy where usual, e.g., Gull Point ‘inner official trail:’ fairly wet/muddy.*

Coming up soon, “The Heron who would be a Goose.” Also, butterflies on rotten fish!

[Editor’s note: triple ‘r’ alliteration for the win!]

[* Editor’s note 2: seen multiple instances of folks starting on the Gull Point Trail at the official trailhead, along the ‘inner official trail,’ then turning back in discouragement due to mud/water. Hint: that section of trail comes out at the beach again soon enough, so just follow the beach in the first place!]

Another Landing

More Presque Isle State Park bird content, from a recent mid-morning at Leo’s Landing:

Osprey w/ fish, overhead view
Backlit Song Sparrow I
Good morning American Goldfinch (f)
Osprey II
Sunny Robin I

This Osprey was flying up and hovering briefly, then diving steeply down and back up, over and over, carrying what appeared to be a headless fish. Eventually it settled into a nearby tree w/ another Osprey (see shot below). After internal discussions in the BirdingPI.com break room, thinking this might have been courtship behaviour. (Video will be posted if the video function ever works again.)

Osprey III
Backlit Song Sparro II
Osprey IV
Sunny Robin II
Osprey V
Backlit Song Sparrow III
Stylized yellow birds

[Editor’s note: shot above – American Goldfinch (r) & Yellow Warbler (l).]

Another Osprey
Sparrow on a stick
Goldfinch II
Willow Flycatcher
Landing in tree

[Editor’s note: past observations have suggested that having caught a fish, Osprey may first eat the head. Perhaps it’s the ‘tasty bits.’]

Rabbit Ears

He reached the top of the bank in a single, powerful leap. Hazel followed; and together they slipped away, running easily down through the wood, where the first primroses were beginning to bloom.

Adams, Richard. Watership Down. Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., 17th printing, 1975.

For Mr. Hunter, 4th grade.

(Un)common

Usually down in the shrubbery (“heard not seen”), it was great for a couple recent, uncommon appearances of Common Yellowthroat along the Gull Point Trail, close to the trailhead at Bundy Beach:

Common Yellowthroat (m)

On one occasion, a male (see above), on the other, two of what were females and/or juveniles:

Common Yellowthroat (f or juvenile)

Lots and lots more shots of both:

7/7 (II)

Part II of 7/7 content from Presque Isle State Park along the Gull Point Trail:

Short-billed Dowitcher
View towards Budny Beach from Gull Point ‘beach trail’

(Trail note: fastest route to outer Gull Point is along the beach, which requires diverting through the brush in a couple spots, as above.)

Osprey w/ clouds
Another view of Dowitcher
Backlit Osprey

Nice shots of an older chick Spotted Sandpiper:

At this same spot, an older juvenile Spotted Sandpiper:

Plus more chick Spotted Sandpiper:

American Goldfinch (f)