Recent Tufted Titmouse on a branch in the wind, Millcreek Twp, PA (“Gateway to Presque Isle”):
In The Wind
The Pelican (Briefly)
Dateline: 25 June 2023
NW Pennsylvania is great for birds, just there’s some birds that are neither residents nor ‘pass-throughs,’ e.g., most birds whose names include “Carolina.” So it was time to ‘hitch up the wagon’ and head SE to the Atlantic seaboard for a brief BirdingPI.com road trip. In search of… pelicans!
Part I: amazing (if long distance) Brown Pelican (breeding plumage) @ Coquina Beach observation platform, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC:
Beach/dunes for context:
(Brown Pelicans also spotted – no pictures – flying by the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, Route 64 (Bypass), over Croatan Sound.)
Coming up soon: the BirdingPI.com pelican hunt takes a sharp right turn towards the unexpected!
2/Eagles
Two juvenile Bald Eagle off the Erie bluffs, 18 June 2023. For lighting/effect, these were manipulated (to various extents) in Adobe LightroomTM.
Marsh/Bugs (II)
ESA DISCLAIMER: This post contains content of dragonflies engaging in mating behavior. Viewer discretion is advised.
More recent shots from Presque Isle State Park. First up, Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) + flower along the Ridge Trail:
Along the Marsh Trail, an interesting & excellent sighting of male and female Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) dragonfly:
ID tips: white face; overall black colouration; square-ish yellow dot towards end of tail; each wing has small black spot towards outer edge; slight triangular colouration at base of rear wings. Females have more yellow – see penultimate shot above.
[Editor’s Note: “ESA” = Entomological Society of America. No affiliation.]
No Bluffing
From a recent visit to Erie Bluffs State Park and nearby locations.
Nice/backlit shots of Tree Swallow. (Lots of swallow activity at Erie Bluffs.)
Nice/fore-lit shots of more Tree Sparrow:
Summer/Ducks
Marsh/Bugs (I)
Great for insects, etc. along the Marsh Trail @ Presque Isle State Park. These shots from earlier in June.
Finally, a cooperative swallowtail butterfly – the lovely Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus):
And the always fascinating Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis):
More swallowtail x dragonfly:
Looks like a beautiful Hobomok Skipper (Lon hobomok):
No one’s a huge fan of flies (other than birds = food), but still a nice shot of some sort of hover fly (species uncertain):
A beautiful flycatcher, probably Least Flycatcher:
Asbury Woods
Shots from a recent outing to Asbury Woods, Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”). Beautiful spot for nature! #more_nature
Several different colours of non-native Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus):
The beautiful, native Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata):
Another native, Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis):
The beautiful Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis):
Great sighting of Broad-shouldered Hawk:
Finally, some sort of lupine, perhaps Large-leaved Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus):
Float Like A Butterfly
Celebrating the start of summer 2023 with a bonus post of beautiful Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) from last Sunday at Erie Bluffs State Park, Lake City, PA:
[Photo Editor’s note: Hard to shoot BIF (butterflies in flight) due to small size & erratic movement relative to camera autofocus limitations. But never discount the role of luck in photography. “Luck” = increased probability of eventual good shots over time.]
Weekend Update
Dateline: 16-19 June 2023
Beautiful almost-summer weather in Erie County, PA this past weekend. Bit of rain Friday, warm/mild/sunny/humid Sat-Mon, bit of rain Tuesday.
Other than a lack of shorebirds at Gull Point, bird activity’s mostly fallen into ‘summer mode’ – Canada Goose, Red-winged Blackbird, Gray Catbird!, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, GBH, gulls, swallows, Green Heron, GBH, Wood Duck, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, etc.
Trail conditions at Presque Isle State Park: generally good. Problem spots: Duck Pond Trail, Long Pond Trail west end, B Trail, Marsh Trail (muddy but passable), Gull Point ‘inner old trail’ (muddy but passable).
Lots of lovely/invasive Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) along the east end of Long Pond Trail:
Probably a lovely Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) butterfly @ Sidewalk Trail:
More on Gull Point and other interesting western PA areas coming soon! Plus insects and bunnies.