Dateline: 5-6 March 2022
An amazing weekend at Presque Isle State Park, with conditions changing rapidly and daily. Saturday started off cloudy with a few drops of rain, but turned partially sunny with temps in the high 30’s (deg F). Ice on Thompson Bay was starting to break up, but remained solid enough elsewhere on Presque Isle Bay for a final day of human ice fishing. That is, humans doing ice fishing. Stayed warm into the evening, with rain overnight, turning partially sunny Sunday with highs in the mid- to upper-60’s (deg F) and humid. Shirtsleeve weather in early March – lovely (!) Large portions of Thompson Bay unfrozen, diminishing ice elsewhere.
Huge amount of bird activity – ducks, swans, the previously reported Sandhill Crane, even some activity in the interior, e.g., sparrows and such. What better way to end a great weekend than with even more coverage of Erie’s most ubiquitous and irascible bird, the Canadian Goose!
[Editor’s note: picture above, Perry Monument looking southeast towards North Pier and South Pier, with the three smoke stacks of the Hammermill Paper Co. – now otherwise demolished – in the background. See https://www.sb3erie.com/history/. Picture below, Thompson Bay.]
Finally, a close-ish encounter Sunday by the swamp/pond off Thompson Circle:
[Editor’s note: Apologies for the anthropomorphism.]