Dateline: 10 December 2022

Been a while since the last BirdingPI.com “PI Bird Alert,” but seems warranted in light of a Great Horned Owl spotted along the Gull Point outer old trail today at Presque Isle State Park. Overcast and generally very quiet – Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Mallard, Bufflehead, American Coot, and gulls. Spotted this lovely fellow or lady approximately at where the red star’s positioned in the map excerpt below.

Flew away fairly quickly first to the west and then back east. Subsequent ‘tracking’ proved unfruitful.

These photos rather awful, but any owl sighting with any photos = win!

With the interior ponds at Presque Isle having returned to surface liquid state after the pre-Thanksgiving snow storms, tons of GBH activity, especially on Long Pond. From one vantage point the other day, the count from BirdingPI.com’s Long Pond task force was 14+!

Here, some fun shots of GBH doing what GBH does best: obtaining tasty fish snacks!

All shots on Long Pond, Presque Isle State Park @ 500mm.

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After a gloomy week, Friday turned sunny, and Saturday so far looks cold but partly sunny. All BirdingPI.com team members dispatched for more bird!

… on the Sidewalk Trail.

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Only BirdingPI.com brings you GBH on the Sidewalk Trail!

A splash of late-fall colour with lovely male and female Northern Cardinal. All shots in Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”).

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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: