They say if you see a one-legged gull on Lake Erie, it’s rough seas ahead. So it was with a sense of foreboding that the following were captured at West Pier on Saturday (26 March 2022), at Presque Isle State Park:
Lots of debate at BirdingPI.com whether pictures of a physically-challenged gull are exploitative. Finally, decided it falls into the “things in nature” category, and is therefore journalistically relevant. If it makes folks feel better (yes, seeing a one-legged gull is distressing), the gull seemed to be doing just fine.
Anyway, the weather Saturday in Erie was generally poor. Overcast/cloudy, periodic rain and light snow, heavy wet snow later in the day. Cold and windy. Conditions at Presque Isle as expected – locally muddy or flooded in the wet spots, e.g., as reported last week.
Bird activity as expected – gulls, geese, ducks. Very little activity in the interior.
After some time at West Pier, and a brief stop at the Pine Tree Trail (no activity to speak of), time to hit Thompson Bay. Various ducks on site (e.g., Mergansers, Buffleheads, and Canvasbacks), plus a Belted Kingfisher flying about in the snow:
Next, on to Long Pond, but conditions were rough with the overcast, wind, and snow/rain. Happy to see a pair of Northern Shovelers still!
Thankfully, there was no boating involved, but Saturday night turned colder, with freezing rain, snow, and wind, which persisted into Sunday. Sunday was overcast, cold, windy, and snowy all day long – hints of sun and blue sky periodically, in between the whiteout and snow squalls. Quite a winter storm, although perhaps a bit “warmer” than it would have been back in January.
Bird activity very sporadic – Cardinals, Blue Jays, Robins, Crows, etc.
Have a nice week!