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.]
Dateline: 18 September 2022
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:
Next time: there might be Yellowlegs!
Dateline: 17-18 September 2022
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!
Dateline: 17 September 2022
Quick report from Pymatuning Reservoir. Light/minimal bird activity – geese, gulls, one Spotted Sandpiper, Eastern Wood-pewee, GBH, Mallard Ducks, Gray Catbird!, etc.
Northern Cardinal (m) enjoying a berry (wild grape) or two! Yum.
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.
Clear and mild in the greater Erie area today – time to hit the trails!
… I must be dreaming? Ugh.
Not a dream, just lovely American Goldfinch and friends at Headwaters Park, Millcreek Twp (“Gateway to Presque Isle”), PA.
Male: bright yellow with black cap; others: female or immature.
A trio of Gull Point views, from wide to narrow:
Lots of interesting happenings out at Gull Point from the bird species grab bag perspective. All these shots from a very long distance = rather awful as photographs, ok for ID.
First off, Yellowlegs. Seemingly not that many at Presque Isle this year, but fairly active recently. With a slightly upturned beak (see second shot below in particular, bird on the right), calling these as Greater Yellowlegs. (Lesser Yellowlegs: no upturned bill.)
Extreme crop from the shot above = Semipalmated Plover:
Back to more Pectoral Sandpiper. Note the delineated streaky breast on the bird on the left. Also more in line with typical body size.
(Ducks are probably Teal of some sort.)
Thought this might be a Wilson’s Snipe at first, due to how the eye seemed placed in certain shots. Lacking buffy strips on the body, however, and considering the long bill and chunky body, calling this as Long-billed Dowitcher:
Time for the Erie weekend weather forecast: “mostly sunny and warmer,” “pleasant with clouds and sun,” “intervals of clouds and sun,” max high temp 27 deg C, max chance of rain 8% on Sunday. (Source: AccuWeather.com.) Looks like an excellent weekend for birding/nature!
Out to Gull Point (Presque Isle State Park) again. Mud flats, shoreline, swamp, forested/brushy interior – a veritable potpourri of habitat for interesting birdlife!
Here in Part I, what was seen on the way, and on the way back. Tomorrow, more bird!
With the gray head, white eyering, and yellow throat, first thought the bird below was Nashville Warbler. Further digital forensics, however, shows white coverts, two white wing bars, and black-streaked sides – all indicating female/immature Magnolia Warbler. (Nashville lacks wing bars and black streaking, and has yellow coverts.)
Belted Kingfisher in ‘hovering’ behavior above a pond:
Black-and-white Warbler taking advantage of a spider web:
Nothing says Lake Erie like gulls and dead fish! Gull below probably juvenile Ring-billed Gull. (Could also be juvenile Herring Gull, but close up review of the in-flight pictures suggests Ring-billed.)
Lovely Common Merganser on Budny Beach:
Enjoy more peaceful floating:
Bonus Wood Ducks on the Thompson Circle swamp/pond:
Tomorrow, reasonably interesting birds at Gull Point!
Dateline: 10 September 2022
Saturday, the BirdingPI.com team headed south to check in with Erie National Wildlife Refuge and environs. Not a lot of bird activity, but a nice day for nature.
Woodcock Reservoir. Double-crested Cormorants on the water, and a seagull or two, otherwise very quiet. … Adjacent Bossard Nature Area, centered on a pretty, forested ravine – mature conifers and mixed deciduous – was more active.
Cardinal, Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, etc. Highlight: Black-throated Green Warbler. Following two shots are female/immature:
Juvenile male:
Also groundhog/woodchuck, and here, a chipmunk:
Erie Natl Wildlife Refuge headquarters area. Cedar Waxwing, various sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, etc.; fairly quiet overall. White-breasted Nuthatch:
Highlight: beautiful fields of blooming goldenrod + copious Monarch Butterfly and honey bee:
Must be a “float like a butterfly sting like a bee” joke in here somewhere… [Editor’s Note: No team members stung by bees. #500mm_lens]
State Game Lands No 69. Random area of mature mixed forest and forest ponds. Little bird activity other than Belted Kingfisher:
Erie Natl Wildlife Refuge, Seneca Block – fascinating area centered around portions of the French Creek watershed. Little bird activity mid-day. “Mental note:” visit again in early fall.