The Last Birding Class :(

Well, the 2009 spring birding classes have some to an end. A great big thanks to our mentor and friend, Jerry McWilliams, for his generosity, patience and for being an all around good sport. No questions were too trivial and no ridiculous comments ridiculed. Unfortunately, after class Jerry was caught by the DCNR speeding off the park & creating a disturbance by yelling "Hallelujah, it's over!" repeatedly. He was brought to central booking--a.k.a. the Ranger Station. We all chipped in 5 bucks and posted his bail. A bake sale will be held next week at the Stull Center to retain an attorney for Jerry. There are rumors that Jerry may jump bail and leave the country this week, maybe heading to South America! We're confident he'll stick around so we don't all lose all the money we chipped in for his bail.
The following is an excerpt from Jerry's first correspondence post-incarceration.

We sure lucked out on the weather again. Forecasts were for rain, strong wind, and thunderstorms. It never materialized, at least the rain never came until we were in our cars and leaving the park. The skies remained mostly cloudy with humid temperatures in the low 70's throughout the morning. Joining me for class today was Bernhard & Janet, Toni, Julie Leonard, Michele, Joao, Jean, and Kate. We had a super day of birding with lots of bird activity. We stopped at the Great horned Owls nest. From there we were able to see the top of the owlets head. The adults weren't around.

Pine Tree trail was kind of quiet, except for a fleeting glimpse of a Bald Eagle through the trees. The entrance of Thompson Circle was pretty good with many species of birds to look at, but the prize find was a Black-billed Cuckoo that gave us prolonged views.
Fry's landing was the hopping place to be with many warblers to sift through. Our most interesting finds there were Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Orange-crowned Warbler. We spent most of the morning at Fry's then we stopped to have a look at the Least Bitterns nest. We watched the male rolling the eggs and repairing the nest.
When we went out to the channel to use the restroom with had a Swainson's Thrush out in plain view as well as a Gray-cheeked Thrush, though the latter didn't stick around long. Sidewalk Trail was a little slower than Fry's, but we did manage to turn up another Orange-crowned Warbler and Gray-cheeked Thrush.

We recorded the following 71 species of birds:
Canada Goose--several everywhere
Gadwall--one in Horseshoe Pond Mallard--a couple in Horseshoe Pond and a pair along Thompson Bay
Common Goldeneye--one male in Horseshoe Pond
Least Bittern--one male incubating on a nest
Turkey Vulture--11 over Niagara Pond
Bald Eagle--one over Pine Tree Trail
Cooper's Hawk--one over Fry's landing Killdeer--a couple in beach 11 parking lot
Spotted Sandpiper--one along Beach 11
Ring-billed Gull--a few at Gull Point Herring Gull--at least a couple at Gull Point
Caspian Tern--a couple overhead
Black-billed Cuckoo--one at Dead Pond Trail
Common Nighthawk--one above the owls nest
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--one flying over Sidewalk Trail
Downy Woodpecker-- a couple over Sidewalk Trail
Eastern Wood-Pewee--a couple at Thompson Circle, one or two at Fry's landing, and one on Sidewalk trail
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher--two at Fry's landing
Least Flycatcher--singles at various sites
Great Crested Flycatcher--singles at most sites
Eastern Kingbird--a couple heard
Blue-headed Vireo--one or two at Fry's and one on Sidewalk Trail
Warbling Vireo--one heard singing at the meeting place, The Feather
Red-eyed Vireo--fairly common throughout
Blue Jay-several throughout
American Crow--one at Thompson Bay
Purple Martin--four over beach 11
Tree Swallow-several throughout
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--two along Beach 11
Barn Swallow--several throughout
Red-breasted Nuthatch--two at Fry's landing
House Wren--several throughout
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--one along Pine Tree trail
Veery--singles at various sites with one singing at Fry's landing
Gray-cheeked Thrush--one at the channel and one on Ridge Trail
Swainson's Thrush--singles at several sites including one singing along Pine Tree Trail
Wood Thrush--a couple singing at Fry's landing
American Robin--several throughout
Gray Catbird--many throughout
European Starling-little groups at a few sites
Cedar Waxwing--about 20 flying past the owl site
Orange-crowned Warbler--one at Fry's landing and one on Sidewalk Trail
Nashville Warbler--one at the channel
Northern Parula--one heard singing at Fry's landing
Yellow Warbler--several everywhere
Chestnut-sided Warbler--more than 40 throughout
Magnolia Warbler--more than 40 throughout
Black-throated Blue Warbler--more than 30 throughout
Palm Warbler--at least a few at several sites
Bay-breasted warbler--at least a dozen at Fry's landing and two or three on Sidewalk Trail
Blackpoll Warbler--one heard out the window while driving along the road Black-and-white-Warbler--at least a dozen altogether
American Redstart--more than 50 all total
Ovenbird--at least four heard and one seen briefly at Fry's landing
Northern Waterthrush--a couple at Fry's landing and one on Sidewalk Trail
Common Yellowthroat--several at most sites, mostly heard only
Hooded Warbler--one female seen briefly and another bird heard at Fry's landing
Wilson's Warbler--One at Thompson Circle, one or two at Fry's landing, and one or two on Sidewalk Trail
Canada Warbler--one or two at each site
Eastern Towhee--several at most sites
Chipping Sparrow--two in beach 11 parking lot
Swamp Sparrow--a few heard singing
White-throated Sparrow--one or two at each site
White-crowned Sparrow--some along the road, at beach 11 parking lot, and three on Sidewalk Trail
Northern Cardinal--one male at Thompson Circle
Rose-breasted Grosbeak--one heard at Fry's landing, and one seen on Ridge Trail
Red-winged Blackbird--a few at most sites
Brown-headed Cowbird--a few at most sites
Baltimore Oriole--several throughout American Goldfinch--two at Beach 11 parking lot

~Jerry McWilliams (Instructor)

Thanks and Good Luck to you Jerry and if you do go on the lam--YOU OWE ME 5 BUCKS!

Migrating Birds Week 7

One of my favorites a Chickadee

Friday nights weather was absolutely perfect for bringing in migrating birds. The Southwest winds were a bit cool as the front came but soon turned warm as hundreds of birders descended on Presque Isle for our 2nd Annual Bird Festival.
I went prepared for a full day of activities starting with my birding class. Our first stop was the banding station and they were already in full swing catching warblers, sparrows, and more. I later found out from Tom LeBlanc they caught a Chat, wish I could have seen that one.
I knew Tom was going to be in Erie with his group from Jamestown, NY and we ran into each other near Niagara Pond where everyone was fascinated by the Least Bittern nest. It was wonderful seeing Tom again and I got to meet Patty. What a great couple. I'm looking forward to seeing them at the Nature Pilgrimage.
Our class maneuvered through several trails Saturday morning weaving through birders catching glimpses of Yellow Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, Northern Parula, Sparrows, Vireo's, and one of my favorite finds an Indigo Bunting. But the Least Bittern stole the show for the weekend as we watched both female and male taking turns on the nest, turning the egg and fixing the nest. What a thrill for all.
We did not come across one disappointed birder because our feathered friends were putting on quite a show for everyone.

Michele and I will have more about the festival including:
the Live Raptors - Up close show by Sue DeArment from Tamarak.
And a video of the Least Bittern that Michele was able to capture.

She doesn't get noticed much next to her male counterpart.
Female Red Wing Blackbird

I just love this Magnolia Warbler!

Female: Least Bittern

Male: Least Bittern

Gotta keep the egg turned!

Here is our list of birds from class:
We recorded 65 species of birds including the following:

Canada Goose--many scattered around the park
Wood Duck-- a male near the owls nest
Mallard--a few flying overhead
Wild Turkey--one heard gobbling along Pine Tree Trail
Double-crested Cormorant--one distant one flying well south of Dead Pond Trail
Least Bittern--one female on a nest at Niagara Pond
Great Egret--one over Niagara Pond and later off Sidewalk Trail
Green Heron--one along Sidewalk Trail
Turkey Vulture--four from beach 11 parking lot
Osprey--one distant bird past Niagara Pond
Bald Eagle--one immature over Niagara Pond carrying a fish
Broad-winged Hawk--one adult flying low directly over our heads at Fry's landing
Killdeer--one in Beach 11 parking lot and one over Lawrence's boat launch
Ring-billed Gull--singles overhead
Herring Gull--singles overhead
Mourning Dove--a few along Pine Tree Trail
Red-headed Woodpecker--one flying past Pine Tree Trail
Northern Flicker--one heard near Sidewalk Trail
Least Flycatcher--heard at least four, and we saw three others
Great Crested Flycatcher--mostly heard, but we did get glimpses of one at Fry's landing and Pine Tree Trail
Eastern Kingbird--one at the second parking lot and one at Lawrence's boat launch
Blue-headed Vireo--a couple at Thompson Circle
Warbling Vireo--a couple heard and one seen at Thompson Circle and a couple on Sidewalk Trail
Red-eyed Vireo--one heard and one seen at Fry's landing
Blue Jay--several overhead
American Crow--one at Thompson Circle
Tree Swallow--several overhead
Bank Swallow--one on a wire at Niagara Pond
Black-capped Chichadee--one on Pine Tree Trail
House Wren--several heard though none seen
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--singles at Pine Tree trail, Fry's landing, and Sidewalk Trail
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--one at Fry's landing
Eastern Bluebird--two flying over beach 11 parking lot
Thrush species--one flew across the trail at Thompson Circle
American Robin--a few at various sites
Gray Catbird--many throughout
Cedar Waxwing--several overhead at Fry's landing
Nashville Warbler--a couple heard at Fry's landing
Northern Parula--one at Fry's landing
Yellow Warbler--everywhere on the park
Chestnut-sided Warbler--singles at most sites
Magnolia Warbler--singles at Fry's landing and a few along Sidewalk Trail
Black-throated Blue Warbler--at least one at Fry's landing
Yellow-rumped Warbler--several scattered throughout
Blackburnian Warbler--one at Fry's landing
Pine Warbler--one heard singing on Pine Tree Trail
Palm Warbler--several at most sites
American Redstart--one male along Sidewalk Trail
Ovenbird--a couple heard at Fry's landing
Common Yellowthroat--several heard throughout, but we did get a brief look at one on Sidewalk Trail
Eastern Towhee--several at a few sites
Chipping Sparrow--one at Niagara boat launch on the split rail fence
Song Sparrow--one in the hand at the banding station
Swamp Sparrow--several heard singing on Niagara Pond and along Sidewalk Trail and Pine Tree Trail
White-throated Sparrow--several with most seen along Sidewalk Trail
White-crowned Sparrow--almost everywhere especially along the roadways
Northern Cardinal--one along the road near Pine Tree Trail
Rose-breasted Grosbeak--one heard at Fry's landing and one seen on Sidewalk Trail
Indigo Bunting--one male on Sidewalk Trail
Red-winged Blackbird--several throughout, especially at Niagara Pond
Common Grackle--one flying past Pine Tree Trail
Brown-headed Cowbird--several at various sites
Baltimore Oriole--everywhere in the trees
Pine Siskin--at least 75 flying past the second parking lot when the leader first arrived
American Goldfinch-singles overhead at various sites

Jerry McWilliams (instructor)

Birding Class #6: "Palm Wonderful!"

The following is a transcript from Jerry McWilliams, our birding instructor and guru of all things wing'd.
It was cool, but we had some sun, which made it comfortable birding. Another nice gathering of birders including, Bernhard & Janet, Kate, Philip, Toni, Julie, Michele, Joao, Julie Dell, Judy, Jean, and Linda.

Jerry's other half, Linda, Guru of All-Things-Greenand soon to be co-author of Presque isle, Naturally!

We started off with a beautiful pair of Baltimore Orioles at our meeting place then a stop at the banding station where they were just setting up, so we decided to stop back later and have another check. At the owls nest we found the adult bird sitting high on the nest, exposing its entire head and upper body. Apparently the young owl was nestled down and beneath the parent, since we didn't see it. The trails were quite slow this morning with only a handfull of warbler species, though we did see numerous Palm Warblers (See top photograph). We had great views of perched American kestrels and an immature Bald Eagle that circled over Pine Tree Trail.

Very distant shot of the kestrel. This immature bald eagle circled over Pine Tree Trail quite a few times.

At beach 11 we saw a distant flock of Common Terns and what looked like a Peregrine Falcon that put up all of the gulls. There were still some ducks hanging around off beach 11, but mostly scaup and Bufflehead. Even the banding station was slow with their best bird being a Grasshopper Sparrow. We did get some up close and personal looks at a House Wren and a Gray Catbird.

We recorded 55 species of birds today:

Canada Goose--several throughout

Mallard--a few at various sites

Redhead--one in Thompson Bay

Greater Scaup--three or four in Thompson Bay

Lesser Scaup--about a dozen in Thompson Bay

Bufflehead--about 20 off beach 11

Red-breasted Merganser--a couple along beach 11

Wild Turkey--a male on the sand mound at Beach 10 parking lot

Common Loon--one bird calling in Presque Isle Bay off the banding station

Double-crested Cormorant--four seen from Pine Tree Trail

Great Blue Heron--at least three flying over Thompson Bay

Great Egret--one over Pine Tree Trail

Bald Eagle--one first year bird over Pine Tree Trail

Sharp-shinned Hawk--one flew in front of the car near beach 11

American Kestrel--two or three along Pine Tree Trail

Peregrine Falcon--one possible bird over Gull Point

American Coot--several off beach 11

Killdeer-- a few heard and seen

Ring-billed Gull--a few at Gull Point

Herring Gull--several scattered around the park

Caspian Tern--a few flying over Gull Point

Common Tern--30 flying well off Gull Point

Mourning Dove--two or three along Pine Tree Trail

Great Horned Owl--one on the nest

Downy Woodpecker--territorial rapping at several sites

Northern Flicker--one along Pine Tree Trail

Blue Jay--several flying over Beach 11 and a few at Niagara Pond

American Crow--several scattered throughout

Tree Swallow--several overhead

Barn Swallow--several overhead

Black-capped Chickadee--at least a couple along Pine Tree Trail

White-breasted Nuthatch--one heard on Pine Tree Trail

House Wren--one heard on Pine Tree Trail and one at Fry's landing

Ruby-crowned Kinglet--a few along the trails

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--single birds on each trail

Hermit Thrush--one on Pine Tree Trail

American Robin--several at various sites

Gray Catbird--two or three along the trails

Brown Thrasher--one on Dead Pond Trail

European Starling--several on the ground at various places

Nashville Warbler--one at Fry's landing

Yellow Warbler--fairly common everywhere, but most heard only

Black-thoated Blue Warbler--one at Fry's landing

Yellow-rumped Warbler--a few along the trails

Palm Warbler--fairly common everywhere and the most frequently seen warbler

Common Yellowthroat--one singing on Pine Tree Trail

Eastern Towhee--three or four heard singing along the trails

Song Sparrow--a couple on Dead Pond Trail

Swamp Sparrow--one or two along Niagara Pond

White-throated Sparrow--one heard along Pine Tree Trail

Red-winged Blackbird--several scattered throughout the park

Brown-headed Cowbird--several around the park

Baltimore Oriole--singles and pairs at several locations

Purple Finch--one immature male singing on Pine Tree Trail

American Goldfinch--one over beach 11 parking lot

The Black-Throated Blue: our obsession with this bird cost us a view of the Nashville Warbler. C'est la vie!

Toni and I have been extremely busy getting ready for the Festival of the Birds! It promises to be a very exciting event and last year was "Sold Out". I'm not sure how many tickets remain, but if anyone is interested in attending click here for details and registration information. Toni and I will be presenting a workshop on Nature Blogging. Also, some of our works, along with those of other local artists, will be on display during the festival and for the next six weeks. If you can't make it to the festival but want to see the largest variety of migrating birds around, you must visit Presque Isle State Park within the next three weeks!! Things are a hoppin'! If you do plan a trip and need a some directions or advice for hot spots, drop Toni and I an e-mail.

Bird Migration Week 4

Ann retrieving a Sparrow from the mist net

Saturday was absolutely glorious with perfect weather for our class and the Hawk Festival. We met at Vista 2 but didn't spend much time there because it was the first day of trout season so the bay had more fishermen and boats than waterfowl. So our first stop was at the Niagara Boat Launch to check out the banding station. Sarah and the girls started banding this week so I finally got to meet Ann and Andrea the new interns for the season. This was the first time for most of the students to see mist nets and how the birds are caught and retrieved from the nets. I was excited for them seeing this for the first time.

Our next stop was the Great Horned owl nest and we think we saw a little head popping up. I'm sure we will get a better look next week. While at the Owl nest a Pileated woodpecker flew by and landed briefly in a distant tree. Now it was my turn to jump for joy because I have never seen a Pileated woodpecker before. Check one more bird off my life list.

Phoebe at Pine Tree trail

Yellow-rumped Warbler at Pine Tree trail (wanted you to see the yellow patch on the head)

We then headed for Pine Tree Trail where we saw several Phoebes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Gold Crown Kinglets and Ruby Crowned Kinglets.

Mourning Cloak at Fry's Landing

Next was beach 11 to check out some remaining waterfowl and we also spotted Savannah Sparrows. Jerry and the rest of the class headed for the TREC for the Hawk Festival while I and three others decided to check out fry's landing. I am so glad we did because I spotted my first butterfly of the season. I had read on some blogs that the Mourning Cloaks were out and I danced as I saw one flitter by and land on a White Birch Tree. I posted my sketch of the Mourning Cloak on a group blog Sketching in Nature and on my blog next.

Here is our bird list from Saturday minus the Hawk Watch which you can get here and I updated that list to show the actual counts.

Canada Goose--several throughout
Wood Duck-- a pair in a tree next to the banding station
Gadwall--a few in Thompson Bay
American Wigeon--a few in Thompson Bay
Mallard--at least a couple off beach 11
Lesser Scaup--several off beach 11
Bufflehead--many off beach 11
Red-breasted Merganser--many off beach 11
Double-crested Cormorant--many at Gull Point
Great Blue Heron--four near the Great Horned Owls nest
American Coot--many in Thompson Bay
Ring-billed Gull--a few at various sites
Herring Gull--a few at various sites
Caspian Tern--at least a couple over Thompson Bay
Mourning Dove--a few at various sites
Great Horned Owl--one on the nest
Belted Kingfisher--one heard
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--one at Fry's landing, seen by some of the class
Downy Woodpecker--a couple heard doing their territorial drumming
Northern Flicker--common everywhere
Pileated Woodpecker--one near the Great Horned Owls nest
Eastern Phoebe--three or four on Pine Tree trail
Blue Jay--a couple at beach 11 parking lot area
American Crow--several everywhere
Black-capped Chickadee--a couple on Pine Tree Trail
White-breasted Nuthatch--one near the Great Horned Owls nest
Brown Creeper--one on Pine Tree trail
Winter Wren--one heard singing along Pine Tree Trail
Golden-crowned Kinglet--a few on Pine Tree Trail
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--a few on Pine Tree Trail
American Robin--a few at various sites
European Starling--a few overhead at various sites
Yellow-rumped Warbler--a few along Pine Tree trail
Eastern Towhee--one heard along Pine Tree Trail and one at Fry's landing
Chipping Sparrow--five or six in beach 11 parking lot
Dark-eyed Junco--several at Beach 11 parking lot
Song Sparrow--several at various sites
Red-winged Blackbird--many around
Common Grackle--many around, especially overhead
Brown-headed Cowbird--a few mixed in blackbird flocks
Purple Finch--one on Pine tree Trail
Pine Siskin--8 or 10 on Pine Tree Trail

Jerry McWilliams (Instructor)

Hawk Watch April 18th

Update: yes this is Michele's photo of the Osprey. I don't mean to confuse people.
I'm sure some will be spotted on Saturday also. posted by Toni

Just a reminder that tomorrow Saturday, April 18th is the 5th Annual Hawk Watch at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC) from 9am to 1pm.

A free family event sponsored by Presque Isle Audubon Society and DCNR...spy hawks as they migrate along the Lake Erie shoreline, participate in fun family birding activities occurring throughout the grounds, and discover all that the TREC has to offer.

I'll be there after my birding class around 11:30 and tomorrows weather looks promising. I would love to meet you and join in the experience of counting hawks.

Check out the calendar below for more activities on Presque Isle.

Migrating Birds week 3

Brown Creeper found at Fry's Landing: photo by Michele

Saturday was cold but not like last week and the sun warmed our faces every now and then. We have some photos for you this week. Michele was trying out a new lens. I'll let her tell you about it. This week Jerry had us back and forth from the bay and other water ways to the inland trails. My favorites are the trails but after three weeks of looking at water fowl I'm starting to recognize the difference and appreciating their color. Same for the gulls. I wonder if everyone started out like me. You know a bird is a bird and duck is a duck and a gull is a gull. I'll admit I did not know much about our avian friends. Over the years I have become fascinated with their personalities, coloring, and habits. For me there is so much expression in their every move. And to think how far they fly for the summer and winter season. They are amazing.

Red-breasted Merganser: photo by Michele

Jerry has been so kind letting me post the list of birds we see each week. I'm terrible at remembering and should write them all down but we are so busy looking through scopes and our binoculars. So Jerry sends out an email with our list of birds.

We were excited to see our first warbler this year, a Yellow-rumped. We should start seeing more next week. We saw several Brown Creepers and Gold Crown Kinglets and should start seeing Ruby Crown Kinglets next week also.

Osprey seen at Sommerheim: photo by Michele

Michele and I want to make our blog more informed and fun so we are going to start a new weekly post called Ask Joe Root. Who is Joe Root you might ask, well Michele will answer that question in our next blog post. So in the meantime do you have any questions about Presque Isle? If so write them down and you can ask Joe Root. Michele will give you the details and the legendary Joe Root. So stay tuned.

White Birch: photo by Toni (always looking for something to paint)

Here is what you can look for on Presque Isle this week:
We recorded 41 species of birds including the following:

Canada Goose--several at various sites
Wood Duck-- a couple passing by the west pier
Mallard-- a couple of pairs and single males at various sites
Ring-necked Duck-- a couple in Marina Bay and a few in Niagara Pond
Greater Scaup--several off the west pier
Lesser Scaup--several throughout
Bufflehead--several throughout, but mostly off the west pier
Common Goldeneye--several off the west pier
Red-breasted Merganser--common everywhere
Common Loon--three or four off Niagara boat launch
Double-crested cormorant--one off the second parking lot and one or two at the channel
Great Egret--three in Niagara Pond
Turkey Vulture--four over the channel
Bald Eagle--one adult over Long Pond
American Kestrel--one along Pine Tree Trail
American Coot--many off the second parking lot, beach 11, and a couple in Niagara Pond
Killdeer--two in beach 11 parking lot
Bonaparte's Gull--many at various sites
Ring-billed Gull--a few overhead and over the bay
Herring Gull--a few overhead and over the bay
Caspian Tern--one over Misery Bay and four or five at the channel
Mourning Dove--four or five along Pine Tree Trail
Red-bellied Woodpecker--one heard at the west pier
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--two at Thompson Circle
Downy Woodpecker--three or four at various sites
Northern Flicker--several throughout
Blue Jay--one at Fry's landing
American Crow--several throughout
Tree Swallow--many over Horseshoe Pond
Barn Swallow--one over the channel and two or three over Horseshoe Pond
Black-capped Chickadee--several along Pine Tree Trail and Fry's Landing
White-breasted Nuthatch--one or two at Thompson Circle
Brown Creeper--several at Fry's landing
Golden-crowned Kinglet--several on Pine Tree Trail and Fry's landing
American Robin--several everywhere
European Starling--a few flying over the road along West Fisher Drive
Yellow-rumped Warbler--one at Fry's landing
Song Sparrow--a few at various sites, especially along beach 11 parking lot
Dark-eyed Junco--one at Thompson Circle
Northern Cardinal--one heard singing and another along beach 11 parking lot
Red-winged Blackbird--several throughout
Brown-headed Cowbird--singles heard or seen briefly at a few sites

Jerry McWilliams (Instructor)

Michele, Julie and Julie's nephew Christian saw and photographed the Osprey.

What happened to Spring?

I was on my way down to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center for one of our Bird Festival meetings when a snow blizzard hit. Never fails it seems we get a Spring snow fall every year and now all my daffodils are nearly flat on the ground from the wet heavy snow. If we can get past this week I'm sure we will be well on our way to warmer weather and all the activities coming up on Presque Isle.

Eastern Phoebe sketch

The photo above is the sketch I did for a painting I'm about to begin. Had to show at least one photo because Saturday's Birding class was cold, cold and windy and I didn't get any photos. Since it was so cold our instructor Jerry knew there would not be much action on the trails and one of the trails was washed over with water. So we stayed close to the bay side looking at waterfowl. The most exciting spotting was when Julie spotted two Great White Egrets behind some Phragmites at the Thompson Bay Area. I'm sure next Saturday's class will be warmer with more bird sightings.

So before I give you our list from this week I want to bring to your attention the calendar of events that you will find at the bottom of our page. We will try to keep it up to date but if you know of any activity going on at the park let us know and we will list it. April 18th will be an active day at PI State Park and here are the events for that day. The annual Hawk Watch will be from 9 am till 1 pm at the TREC. The 18th is also the first day of Trout Fishing and there will be a special children's area at the East Waterworks pond on the park. And for the artist in you there is a series of classes with artist Lee Steadman and writer John Repp on interpreting Presque Isle's natural world. Please call the TREC to register for the workshop but no registration is required for the Hawk Watch. For more information on events and programs by the DCNR and the TREC go here.

Our list of birds this week:
Canada Goose—several at various sites
Wood Duck—at least 15 flying over Thompson Bay, and three or four in Horseshoe Pond
Gadwall—a few in Thompson Bay and in Niagara Pond
American Wigeon—single males in Thompson Bay and Misery Bay
Mallard—a few pairs at various sites
Green-winged Teal—three flying out of Horseshoe Pond
Canvasback—many in Thompson Bay
Ring-necked Duck—several in Niagara Pond and a few flying over Thompson Bay
Greater Scaup—several off Niagara boat launch and in Thompson Bay
Lesser Scaup—many at various sites, but most were in Niagara Pond
Bufflehead—a few at various sites
Common Goldeneye—several off Niagara boat launch and off beach 11
Hooded Merganser—a single female in Horseshoe Pond
Common Mergnaser--a pair off Niagara boat launch and flying out of Thompson Bay
Red-breasted Merganser—many everywhere on the bay
Ruddy Duck—three in Thompson Bay
Common Loon—one flying high over Presque Isle Bay off the second parking lot and one flying out to the lake.
Horned Grebe—one in Thompson Bay
Great Blue Heron—one at Niagara Pond
Great Egret—two in Thompson Bay
American Kestrel—one flew past Pine Tree Trail
American Coot—many in Misery Bay and few in Thompson Bay
Bonaparte’s Gull—100’s, mostly off Niagara boat launch, Thompson Bay, Misery Bay, and the channel
Ring-billed Gull—several flying overhead
Herring Gull—several flying overhead and over open water
Great Black-backed Gull—singles off Niagara boat launch, Thompson Bay, and Long Pond
Caspian Tern—about 8 or ten over Thompson Bay and at least one over Misery Bay
Mourning Dove—a couple over beach 11
Belted Kingfisher—two males off the second parking lot
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker—one male at the west pier
Northern Flicker—one at the channel
Eastern Phoebe—one along the road near beach 11 and one near Niagara Pond
Blue Jay—one heard along Long Pond
American Crow—several throughout
Tree Swallow—one at Thompson Bay
American Robin—several at various sites
Eastern Towhee—one or two heard along Pine Tree Trail and Thompson Bay
Song Sparrow—two or three along the road and one singing at the second parking lot
Red-winged Blackbird—many overhead
Common Grackle—many overhead
Brown-headed Cowbird—many overhead

Jerry McWilliams (Instructor)

Spring Migration

Eastern Phoebe

It's that time of year when we can hardly wait to shed our winter coats and bask in the sunshine.
I also love the smell of the earth as she gets washed in Spring rains, the scent of new growth popping up and the buds beginning to swell on the trees. There is a renewed energy in the air as we get outdoors to absorb the sights, smells and sounds of Spring.

And on birding blogs I'm sure you are reading about birds returning to their Summer grounds and some have already begun to incubate their eggs like our Great Horned Owl on the park. Presque Isle is considered one of the major stop overs for many birds migrating North before crossing the Great Lakes. Last Friday after work I treated myself to some trail walking and had a lifer for me. I was on B trail when I came across some Eastern Phoebes. Then Saturday morning began our bird class with Jerry McWilliams. Michele and I consider Jerry our guru of birds. Jerry is also conducting Hawk Watches at the TREC in the parking lot from about 10:00 to 3:00. Stop by and check out the Hawk migration with Jerry. We will have more on the big Hawk Watch coming up in April.

Eastern Phoebe

For the next 8 weeks I will present our list of birds we see each week in class or otherwise. There is a link to a map of the park in our top navigation bar. This is a pdf file you can download and print if you wish. The list will indicate where the birds were sited and now you can find the area on the map.
Note: The waterfowl migrating through will be leaving soon so if you live nearby get out soon before they are gone.
Here is our class list:
Canada Goose—several at various sites
Gadwall—a pair in Niagara Pond
American Wigeon—a pair in Horseshoe Pond
American Black Duck—a pair flying out of Niagara Pond
Mallard—a few pairs at various sites
Northern Shoveler—at least a couple of males in Niagara Pond
Green-winged Teal—brief looks at a male in Niagara Pond
Canvasback—several in Thompson Bay
Redhead—several in Thompson Bay
Ring-necked Duck—many in Niagara Pond
Greater Scaup—several off Niagara boat launch and in Thompson Bay
Lesser Scaup—most common duck on the park, most were in Thompson Bay and Niagara Pond
Bufflehead—a few at various sites
Common Goldeneye—several off Niagara boat launch
Hooded Merganser—a few in Thompson Bay and Horseshoe Pond
Red-breasted Merganser--a few off Niagara boat launch
Wild Turkey—one at beach 11
Horned Grebe—one in Marina Bay
Great Blue Heron—one or two off beach 11 and in Niagara Pond
Bald Eagle—one adult over Misery Bay and later Michele, Julie and I saw one fly over Sommerheim across from Vista 1
American Coot—many off the second parking lot and in Misery Bay
Killdeer—a few at various sites
Bonaparte’s Gull—25 or so over Misery Bay and about 15 over the road near the eagles nest
Ring-billed Gull—several flying overhead
Herring Gull—several flying overhead
Mourning Dove—a couple over Pine Tree Trail
Great Horned Owl—one on the nest near Duck Pond Trail
Downy Woodpecker—a few doing the territorial drumming
Hairy Woodpecker—one at Thompson Circle
Northern Flicker—at least three at various sites
Eastern Phoebe—a couple on B-trail and Pine Tree Trail
Blue Jay—a few along Pine Tree Trail
Wood Duck—two flying over Thompson Bay

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

If there was ever a contest for the cutest bird ever, this bird would definitely be in the running! Presque Isle is a stop over for the occasional saw-whet owl in late March and early April. The saw-whet is one of the smallest owls in North America (length 8"; wing span 17" weight 3 oz.) and definitely the smallest owl to migrate through Presque Isle. The saw-whet is reclusive by nature and is strictly nocturnal on breeding grounds making it somewhat difficult to research. There are specialized monitoring operations in the Great Lakes Region which is a major passage for the migrating owls. One such operation is at Allegany State Park where banding is done in the fall. For more information about saw-whets including some wonderful pictures, visit Monarch's Nature Blog and do a search for saw-whet owls.

The owl in the picture above was spotted by Jerry McWilliams on March 26, 2009. Jerry conducts a bird identification class in the spring and occasionally in the fall on PISP. He scouts out the areas on the park that the saw-whets frequent and sounds the e-mail alert for all in his class to meet him at the park at a designated time in hopes the owl will have stayed put. Jerry has seen more saw-whets on the park than most and knows to what trees they tend to return. No one can be sure if the same owl returns to the same tree each year or if it is something special about the tree that attracts the species in general. The most saw-whets Jerry has seen on the park in a season is nine. Wouldn't it be great if this year was a record-breaker!

I took this photo last spring along Fry's Landing

Below is my first attempt with uploading video. Next time I'll use a tripod!