With news of the Willow Ptarmigan hitting the local press and more local press + eBird, there was a steady stream of enthusiastic birders at Gull Point this morning at Presque Isle State Park. It was even enough to lure a BirdingPI.com staff member out of the donut shop, despite heat/humidity + sand.
Fortunately, an ‘eagle eye’ birder (identity unknown) with amazing spotting skills noticed the bird this time on the north outer beach at outer Gull Point, barely within view of where the rope trail starts (to access the observation platforms):
Here are several really bad photographs (distant, bad viewpoint, bad lighting) in the ‘proof of life’ category, and sometimes that’s all you can do:
Would have been nice for some ‘out in the open’ shots, but then there’s the realization that 6-7 cups of black coffee is not the best source of hydration in super warm/humid weather 🙁 [‘AHS’ certification: No staff members were harmedTM].
Wrapping it up for today with a few additional birds at outer Gull Point:
Finally, a really awful shot of a Willet. Still, first Willet sighting this year for BirdingPI.com at Presque Isle State Park!
Tomorrow, an ‘amazing’ post in celebration of the #1 bird of the United States of America! (Hint: no, it is not Willow Ptarmigan, sorry. Also not Bald Eagle, sorry.)
This Team Members guess is turkey!
Also, this Team Member was very glad to stay in the donut shop, while the intrepid Team Leader beat the bushes for the Ptar. Thanks!
(sorry, this team member ate the rest of the donuts!) 🙂
Loved the sunrise picture and happy Sparrow!
Wild Turkey is a good guess, but no. (Actually, it perhaps would have been Wild Turkey if we had more photographs of said species – since spring they’ve been a bit more hidden/reticent in the thick brush, perhaps because of nesting season.)