Dateline: 21-22 January 2023.
Bad weather in the Erie, PA area this weekend – overcast with periodic light frozen rain/hail on Saturday, light/moderate but substantial snow starting 12 noon on Sunday. Still, plenty of interesting avian activity at Presque Isle State Park; BirdingPI.com personnel deployed as usual for bird photography. #hot_coffee #more_bird
Following shots from Saturday:
Below, Common Merganser over Presque Isle Bay. Hill in far distance (looking south) in upper right corner is the Waste Management “Lake View” dump.
Tundra Swan on Presque Isle Bay. Middle/left background: Ferncliff Beach; middle right: Erie Yacht Club.
Off Long Pond, an American Tree Sparrow:
Beautiful Red-tailed Hawk, in the trees on the inland side between Saw Mill and Short Jetty:
Moving on to Sunday. Ring-billed Gull in snow @ Marina Lake:
Canada Geese/Marina Lake/snow:
Thanks to a kindly birder passerby on Saturday, heard a rumour of an Iceland Gull at Presque Isle. Iceland Gull = very uncommon; like a Ring-billed Gull or Herring Gull but with white or gray wingtips. BirdingPI.com wishes everyone good luck in finding the Iceland Gull!
Gull ID tip: hopefully obvious, but in case not, wing tips in flight shown in top view below. Wing tips on land/water shown in lower view below (red arrows):
Coming up this week: more Great Black-backed Gull, including “amazing” video! Also more gull fishing! Plus Red-breasted Merganser, and Canada Goose vs. Bald Eagle (?)! #more_bird!