More from Presque Isle State Park, back to the Gull Point Trail on 7 July, including plenty of pleasant shots of Short-billed Dowitcher:
And lovely Blue-gray Gnatcatcher off Budny Beach:
Coming up soon, special portraiture of Common Yellowthroat!
Plenty of Marsh Wren at Presque Isle State Park, but hard to photograph due to (i) inaccessible swamp habitat, &/or (ii) hunkered down in the cattails/reeds. Typical shots:
Here, lucked upon a very vocal/loud individual (audio clip below) in cattails fairly close to the Long Pond Trail. Strategy: carefully bushwhack along a slight deer trail to the edge of the marsh, then wait. Fortunately, after 5-10 minutes and lots of rustling, it popped up briefly into open sight:
Edit: further to received feedback, here’s audio (recorded using the Merlin app) of this bird (also Song Sparrow in background):
Beautiful morning at Gull Point yesterday – highlights included Tricolored Heron (different than the one last time), Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitcher, & lots of swallow, blackbird, and European Starling activity. While waiting on photo editing, it’s shots from June @ South Pier, Erie, PA:
More Common Grackle & R-b Gull except where noted:
Final epic coverage from July 4th at Presque Isle State Park, along the Gull Point Trail, including lots of lovely AAIF (American Avocet in flight) – because it’s not every day there’s flying Avocet! (Maybe Florida somewhere.)
Fascinating to see a skeleton of what’s probably Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus):
Could also be Spotted Gar or similar.
Finally, a special supplement featuring juvenile & adult Killdeer:
It’s the most beautiful bird at Presque Isle State Park, the amazing Gray Catbird! (This post brought to you by the American Gray Catbird! Appreciation Society, NW Pennsylvania Chapter.)
This individual (+ another nearby Catbird!) was quite vocal and persistent right along the ‘inner’ Gull Point Trail near the trailhead. Couldn’t tell if it was a juvenile crying for food, or an adult exhibiting nesting season aggressiveness.
More July 4th content from Presque Isle State Park @ Gull Point. (Post includes some previously posted preview photos.)
‘Bird of the day,’ an amazing American Avocet:
Beautiful Short-billed Dowitcher in flight & foraging in the lagoon:
American Avocet & Willet in flight:
Plus a surprise Whimbrel!
Dateline: 30 June 2024
Taking a break from July 4th coverage to return to the previous Sunday afternoon at Gull Point, with great/rare sightings of both Marbled Godwit (a BirdingPI.com ‘first ever’ at this location) & beautiful Tricolored Heron. All shots long distance @ 400mm from the observation platforms.
Alternating shots of Tricolored Heron & Godwit:
Finally, the Marbled Godwit took flight, seemingly departing Gull Point for points south:
According to reports, previous day there might have been as many as 4+ Marbled Godwits at Gull Point (e.g., after the heavy rain), but it was great to see even one, as here.
Part II of lots of photos from Gull Point on July 4th, at Presque Isle State Park.
Three of beautiful/uncommon Willet backlit against morning sun:
Reporting from Presque Isle State Park, it’s Part I of complete coverage of a rather excellent July 4th morning at Gull Point, generally in chronological order:
Nice sequence of Killdeer bathing:
Finally for today, three shots of a beautiful Short-billed Dowitcher:
Dateline: 5-6 July 2024
Per the BirdingPI.com organizational charter, any sighting of a “new” owl (i.e., not a recurring sighting) should be followed by an ‘afternoon’ of Presque Isle beach cleanup within 10 business days. Give a screech, clean a beach!TM
Friday, a surprise daytime sighting of a very gray-coloured Barred Owl (see above – poor quality iPhone photo). Saturday, beach cleanup at Presque Isle State Park:
Besides a broken fishing pole and an old stuffed toy or two, the main culprit (not unexpectedly): plastic and lots of it. Mostly single-use plastic bottles, followed by food wrappers, on one of the bay-side beaches near Gull Point.
There’s always room for birding, especially on such a beautiful Saturday, including this great encounter of a gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker near the park entrance:
At outer Gull Point itself, not as much unusual activity as July 4th, but still plenty of great sightings, e.g., Lesser & Greater Yellowlegs, Common & Caspian Terns, & Short-billed Dowitcher. Photographs forthcoming. The ‘bird of the day,’ a very unusual sighting of Least Tern, perhaps the first sighting here since 2022:
On site, thought this very small tern might be a juvenile Common Tern. But after reviewing the literature, no tern chicks match this plumage pattern & colouration. Factors to consider: (i) a classic black tern cap; (ii) yellow legs & pointy yellow beak; (iii) light gray on the wings; (iv) very small; & (v) very distinctive and well-delineated black eye stripe = Least Tern.
Side views showing eye stripe & yellow, pointy bill:
Coming up soon, more birds!