Other than a bit of patchy sun yesterday (Friday) afternoon, the gloomy/damp/cold weather continued this week in Erie County, Pennsylvania. In bird news, the big attraction seemed to be copious Great Egret activity on Duck Pond @ Presque Isle State Park, e.g., as per these recent shots. Duck Pond = conveniently adjacent the main park road:
Here are Great Egret pairs/trios, under cloudy/gloomy conditions:
Coming up soon, bathing beauty, Osprey edition!
Photographing American Robins engaging in nematode (worm) foraging behavior is surprisingly difficult – lots of hopping around following by frequent periods of intent/still concentration, then a lightning fast “strike and swallow.” These shots taken in Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”) in the last week or so.
A year ago Tuesday it was “The Big Event” (the 2024 total solar eclipse) here in Erie, Pennsylvania. The weather: warm and humid. This year, mostly overcast, below freezing, w/ light occasional snow. Nevertheless, enough occasional overnight clearing recently for a couple interesting/minor astronomical events, e.g., a ‘blood red’ moonset Monday morning about 4:40AM:
And a beautiful 3/4 moon about 1AM Wednesday morning:
Thanks to BirdingPI.com’s NOOB (nocturnal observation) team for these nice shots!
Moving on to birds, anecdotally, no spring warbler activity yet. Makes sense with the protracted cold weather. Still, plenty of recent “new for spring” arrivals, like the lovely Caspian Tern. These shots (all Caspian Tern unless noted) @ Presque Isle State Park, Beach No. 11, under very gloomy conditions:
Having technical difficulties here at BirdingPI.com this morning due to the ongoing cold (+ recent snow), so pulling something random out of the “drafts” folder for a quick post. These shots taken last summer 2024 outside the BIRDS (BirdingPI.com regional desert southwest) field station in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in the Tucson metro area, starting with everyone’s favourite silky-flycatcher, a beautiful male Phainopepla:
At most natural areas/preserves, there’s a parking area somewhere on the periphery, and the interior’s accessed via a network of trails. Cochise Lake is somewhat unusual in having a perimeter dirt road around the entire rim, including folks camping in trailers/RV’s (e.g., for camping/birding) wherever there’s a well-placed wide spot. The birds don’t seem to mind.
As mentioned last post, not the right time for major Sandhill Crane migratory activity. Still, great to see a few late arrivals, like these coming in for a landing:
Really amazing how high the cranes fly, followed by extended ‘parachuting in‘ for landing.
Plumage was rather drab (winter/non-breeding), but still great to see these beautiful Chestnut-collared Longspurs:
Saying goodbye to Cochise Lake w/ a final sequence of landing Sandhill Crane:
Worth the drive to Wilcox, Arizona and amazing Cochise Lake just for this shot of Horned Lark in ‘horns up’ mode (actually crest-like feathers):
This time of year (late winter/early migration), there were lots of other birds, like this beautiful Golden Eagle flying far overhead:
Also lots of sparrow activity:
Cochise Lake is on the north end of Wilcox Playa, a large seasonal/dry lake + important habitat for migrating birds like Sandhill Crane. Not sure of the yearly water stewardship plan for Cochise Lake, but this time of year (dry season) it’s fed with town (?) water, i.e., some sort of waterflow out of a pipe. (Perhaps pumped ground water; didn’t notice any signs relating to use of tertiary treated waste water.) Anyway, very popular with passing waterfowl like these great Snow Geese:
Lots more shots of Horned Lark:
This visit (early March) was about a month late for prime Sandhill Crane migration, but nevertheless, more digital photographs of Sandhill Crane activity coming up soon, here at Cochise Lake!
Very unsettled (e.g., wet, windy, rainy, relatively warm) weather yesterday/Saturday in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, by afternoon there were extended periods of “not much rain,” so it was time to head into the woods at Presque Isle State Park. E.g., for seeing this spring favourite, a lovely Hermit Thrush @ Duck Pond Trail/Canoe Portage Trail area.
ID tips: streaked chest, slight but noticeable eye ring, & distinctive rufous tail contrasting w/ drabber back.
Heavy rain overnight (Friday night) here in Erie County, Pennsylvania. While waiting to see if the flooding’s subsided enough for some rain birding at Presque Isle State Park, it’s a quick but long post of the final recent, Saturday-morning content (early March) at El Rio Preserve in Marana, Arizona.
Anecdotally, not nearly as much Greater Roadrunner activity this time of year relative to summertime. So it pays to keep an ‘eagle eye’ out:
(It’s way, way up there on the hillside, right at the center of the shot above against the skyline.)
Not the best pictures, but still so nice to see a small flock of Neotropic Cormorant:
Back to Wilcox, Arizona, where the main nature attraction (close to town) is Cochise Lake and the adjacent ponds/wetlands @ Twin Lakes Golf Course. These shots of the latter, answering the question of “where are all the American Wigeons?” (Answer: mostly in Arizona, apparently.)
Finally, a couple “bonus American Wigeon,” a bit closer up, from the day before elsewhere/nearby in southern Arizona:
Coming up soon, lots of birds at Cochise Lake!
We tried explaining to these nice folks you don’t need to swim into the surf to enjoy beautiful Willets in flight. In response, it was mostly “Dude, leave me alone!” and “WTF is a Willet?!?,” followed by a quick scurrying away up the beach. Anyway, unless you are way, way out to sea (e.g., on a boat), the beach view is just as good for seeing passing shore birds. Additional advantages to birding on land: dryer, warmer, easier to buy/drink hot coffee, & lower risk of shark attack.
Also easier to operate camera equipment. (Nikon weatherproofing is notoriously good, and rightly so, but weatherproofing =/ (does not equal) waterproofing/submersible.) Take these photos of beautiful Willet “not in flight:”
Same day/location at Oceanside Harbor Beach, very interesting to see female (etc.) Great-tailed Grackle foraging on the jetty/rocks/surf-line:
Even better, beautiful Marbled Godwit:
More Marbled Godwit:
Here’s a Willet @ field sobriety test, or practicing dance moves, or something:
More Willet:
Nice sequence of Western Gull (probably) in flight/landing:
Even more Willet:
Coming up soon, catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world! Or maybe more birds.
[Editor’s Note: As best can be determined, “WTF” = ‘what the fun.’]