Dateline: 4-5 June 2022
A belated weekend update, just in time to usher in the new weekend.
Rain Thursday and earlier in the week, otherwise generally mild and sunny. Trail conditions at Presque Isle State Park are generally good, but may be locally muddy. Of note, as of Sunday the Sidewalk Trail east end was finally mostly dry. Gull Point outer old trail locally muddy but generally still easily passable.
Lots of nesting activity happening at Gull Point, but difficult to see from the trail or observation platform due to vegetation. Easily-viewed bird activity included Barn Swallow and Tree Swallow, Spotted Sandpiper, Red-winged Blackbird, Starling, Killdeer, various sparrows and gulls, Canada Geese, Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Plover.
So focused (literally) on getting shots of the Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper, somehow missed any good shots of a Semipalmated Plover:
Note the Plover has one black neck/chest band vs. a Killdeer’s two, plus a shorter, stubbier bill.
Bird ID tip: Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers have black legs, vs. a Least Sandpiper’s yellow legs. Western Sandpiper would have a longer bill and would probably be rounder and larger.
Lucky all three species were wading/foraging in the turtle pond along the roped-off trail corridor = closer shots than usual.
More Dunlin:
In flight, probably a flock of Semipalmated Sandpiper:
Heading back along the outer old trail, first a Yellow Warbler:
A common trio scavenging on dead fish:
Finally, more lovely Cedar Waxwing. Bird ID tip: Bohemian Waxwing are similar, but would likely have a brown instead of yellow hind-belly, plus white cross-patches on the wings.
Reminder there’s a Presque Isle Audubon outing to Gull Point on 11 June 2022, gathering at 7:45AM: https://www.presqueisleaudubon.org/uploads/2/5/0/0/25009090/junejulytoe2022.pdf?mc_cid=b717b40237&mc_eid=d5b0db7e32