Lots of sparrows out at Presque Isle State Park currently! Recent photographs at Budny Beach and Pine Tree Trail, + bonus bad video content.
Chipping Sparrow
Following are House Sparrow:
More Chipping Sparrow:
AdultImmature
Bad picture of lovely White-throated Sparrow:
White-throated Sparrow
Also seen (no pictures): Field Sparrow @ Pine Tree Meadows.
Sunday weather, Erie, PA: thunderstorms early AM. Cloudy/overcast at daybreak. All BirdingPI.com team members have the day off due to ‘weather hold,’ but who knows? Perhaps some ‘dodgy weather conditions photography’ is in the offing.
Happy second full day of fall 2022! This time, back with appropriate fall content – fuzzy/grainy footage of Wild Turkey fleeing across someone’s driveway.
Meanwhile, heading back towards the realm of legitimate bird photography, very recent shots of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Presque Isle State Park, Bundy Beach parking lot east. A bit shady, but lovely nevertheless.
Happy first full day of fall 2022! Nothing says ‘fall’ like Gull Point photos from late summer (?)
Unsettled weather this week in Erie – clouds, wind, rain, lower temps, etc. Forecast shows partly cloudy skies and seasonal temps for Saturday (no rain), thunderstorms later Sunday. Should be ok (periodically) for getting outside! #nature
World famous Gull Point observation platform (view from ground level)
These might be female or juvenile Magnolia Warbler (?):
Common Merganser entering the surf:
Gull Point, north beach
Common Merganser exiting the surf:
Killdeer on right, perhaps Sanderling on the left:
Erie Condor Turkey Vulture keeping an eye out from a Gull Point “do not enter the closed nesting area” warning sign:
A mashup of Bald Eagle BIF stills and cute Yellowlegs video? Makes total sense! BirdingPI.com: going where others fear to tread! (Editorially speaking.)
[Editor’s Note: “BIF” = bird in flight. Still (n.): a static image, as opposed to video/movie. Bald Eagle and Yellowlegs “mashup” – highly questionable.]
From Sunday, a beautiful Yellowlegs on Thompson Bay. Lesser, Greater? Let’s go with Awesome Yellowlegs! ❤❤❤
Presque Isle birding tip: if looking for shorebirds, be shore to check out Thompson Bay; edges = mud flat.
Many of these shots backlit against the sun = tough lighting conditions.
Tomorrow, compelling Yellowlegs video! And lots of it! Also eagles! Wow. ❤
[Editor’s Note to management: “Yellowlegs Fever?” “Shore?” “Awesome Yellowlegs?” Heart emojis? Obviously, things here are out of control. Need to keep a tighter rein on quality control.]
Gull Point and Thompson Bay (looking west) from observation platform
BirdingPI.com bird of the week: lovely American Pipit! Flock of 12+ out at the Gull Point mud flats on Sunday, mostly moving fast and keeping low to the shrubbery/grass – an exciting first sighting for BirdingPI.com at this location. Fortunately, one or two individuals were in the open long enough for photography.
Following shot out of focus, but included for showing the white side tail feathers:
Thunderstorms currently in Erie this Monday AM; greater NW PA weather over the weekend was as predicted – lovely. Mild, humid, partially sunny on Saturday, sunny, warm, and summer-like on Sunday.
BirdingPI.com dispatched multiple teams both back to the hinterlands (see previous post) and out to Presque Isle State Park – specifically, Gull Point. Fairly subdued for bird sightings; still lots of birds to see. … While waiting for the editorial board to review the bird photo logs, time for some rather nice shots of insects, esp. butterflies, along the Gull Point outer old trail.
Two photos of Clouded Sulphur butterfly (aka Common Sulphur)(Colias philodice):
Two shots of Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae):
This might be Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos)(actual size: < 2 cm):
Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly (Cupido comyntas)(actual size < 2 cm):
One of the duskywing butterflies, likely Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)(again, very small):
A Bumblebee (perhaps Bombus rufocinctus) on goldenrod:
Last but not least, a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippusin) in the shade:
Next time, a special BirdingPI.com bird of the week!
Nuthatches and other recent, random birds! Mostly at Presque Isle State Park. Fiddling around with lens/camera configurations on these shots = not ideally sharp. Still fun to see.
Red-breasted Nuthatch @ Pine Tree TrailJuvenile Magnolia Warbler?White-breasted Nuthatch/Pine Tree TrailAnother view/warblerMore R-b NuthatchBacklit W-b NuthatchSeed time ISeed time IINuthatch/pine coneResident Red-tailed Hawk at sunset
Clear and mild in the greater Erie area today – time to hit the trails!
