In Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”), recent drama with a Red-bellied Woodpecker attempting to steal a Blue Jay‘s nut/acorn breakfast. (Photo above: released nut/acorn is just under the Jay’s left tail feather.) Shots are grainy due to high auto ISO = fast shutter speed (1/2500 s) + low light conditions. Still, fun to see. Note also the eponymous red belly.

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Bonus recent woodpecker shots, all at Presque Isle State Park:

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Back to Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”) with beautiful Pileated Woodpecker:

Tomorrow, Northern Cardinal!

Black-crowned Kingadee? Whatever, a lengthy ‘mashup’ of lovely Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Long Pond, and Black-capped Chickadee by the Thompson Circle swamp/pond, all @ Presque Isle State Park.

Mostly cloudy and cold Sunday AM, sunny in the afternoon but relatively little bird activity at Presque Isle State Park. (GBH, Red-tailed Hawk, ducks, a few woodpeckers, etc.)

In random trail news, the Gull Point “middle-portion” old trail – flooded for years now – was traversable Sunday without specialized footwear.

Trail is mostly overgrown/non-existent, also very muddy in spots – not recommended for casual use, but interesting to see this area from this vantage.

Muddy flats shown above and below usually covered in water.

Moving on to bird content, Hooded Merganser (m) on takeoff from Long Pond, from earlier last week:

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Stay tuned this week for Chickadee, Kinglet, GBH, Blue Jay vs. woodpecker, etc. More bird!

Rather awful weather Saturday – heavy rain and wind in the morning, dryer but heavy overcast, cold, and gloomy in the afternoon. Too gloomy, even, for bird photography. Sunday’s looking better so far – cloudy/hints of sun – with lots of bird activity. Confirmed sightings near BirdingPI.com HQ: Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, gulls, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-tailed Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Mourning Dove.

In celebration of the bad weather, some shots from Presque Isle State Park from the other week during overcast/heavy wind/light snow-rain conditions. (View above is looking NE towards the Pennsylvania/New York border, with incoming ducks heading south.)

Following shots are looking north, with ducks (mostly Hooded Merganser) heading east-to-west along the shoreline.

So much for the Erie-area Saturday weather forecast of “light rain;” currently more like tropical storm conditions. All BirdingPI.com team members on dispatch “weather hold.” Hopefully conditions will improve for the afternoon #wet #windy

Up now, birds departing from Long Pond. Mostly Hooded Merganser, also Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, and GBH, plus two shots below of beautiful Tundra Swan.

Ducks on Long Pond = very skittish + spook easily, despite BirdingPI.com’s standard uniform polo t-shirt:

The generally unsettled and cold weather continues in Erie. (Shot above during mild lake-effect snow at night, from the Erie bayfront looking towards Presque Isle State Park, Bicentennial Tower on right and Perry Monument center/left.)

While waiting for editorial review of more duck photos, a few recent shots of lovely Red-bellied Woodpecker:

Recent video of American Coot on Presque Isle Bay. Coots diving underwater = very coot.

Yes, not afraid to admit that “very coot” is a pun for ‘very cute.’

Unsettled weather in Erie recently, with wind and heavy rain overnight and into Wednesday morning. Heavy rain and bird photography don’t mix well, so catching up on earlier, recent activity out at Presque Isle State Park. Here, on Long Pond by boat landing #5 off the Long Pond Trail.

Tomorrow, part 2! In which there are many birds, and then not so many birds.

While waiting for the photo editor to process numerous recent duck photos, quick post of Fox Squirrel x White-breasted Nuthatch. Makes as much sense as anything else on this site.

Generally, lots of Ring-billed Gull at Presque Isle State Park and the greater Erie area. #2: probably Herring Gull. “Anything else in the gull category” is a good day. Here, a recent flock of lovely Bonaparte’s Gull (non-breeding plumage) on the back bay:

ID tip for non-breeding plumage: completely black bill; black ‘ear’/smudge to the rear of the eye; perhaps overall a bit smaller than Ring-billed Gull. (Note previous posts showing breeding plumage = totally or transitionally black head, i.e., mottled black, with white eye-lines.)