Happy Monday

Dateline: 3-5 December 2021

Lots of exciting and controversial bird photographs to share with you from this past weekend. But first, the weather and trail updates!

Weather update: the stretch of seasonally-poor weather continued over the weekend in the greater Erie, Pennsylvania area: overcast, cool, and windy on Friday; mixed sun/clouds, cool, and very windy on Saturday; mixed overcast/hazy sun, cool, and lightly windy on Sunday. (“Cool” = low 40s deg F.) Heavy rain, wind, and snow/ice on Monday; 3-4″ snow overnight Monday in the Millcreek Twp area. Still, not a bad Saturday and Sunday for being outdoors at Presque Isle State Park for birding, bird photography, hiking, etc. (Not so good for swimming or picnicking.)

Trail update: trails as expected – locally very wet and muddy:

Pine Tree Trail: good condition

Dead Pond Trail: localized wet and muddy

Sidewalk Trail: wet at the pond crossing at the bay trailhead end, but easily passable, rest in good condition

Ridge Trail (east): good condition

Long Pond Trail (west): flooded, muddy

Long Pond Trail (east): flooded, barely passable with caution

Marsh Trail: flooded and very muddy, not recommended without rubber boots

Thompson Bay access trails: good condition

Short Pond fishing access trails: good condition

Photography conditions were generally challenging due to clouds and wind. Verified sightings included Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Starling, Canadian Goose, Mallards and other ducks (Mergansers, etc.), Pigeons, Dark-eyed Juncos, Belted Kingfisher, various Gulls, various Sparrows, Winter Wren, Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, various Woodpeckers (Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy), and so on. Fair amount of duck migration activity on the lake, mostly heading parallel to the shore from east to west.

Plenty of sun on the beach Saturday, but wind chill conditions were brutal. No beachgoers other than the diehard bird photographers of Birding, PI.com and several stalwart Gulls.