​Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 12, 2015
Time: 0700 to 0830
Weather: Cloudy, rain showers, wind NNE to 15 mph, temp. 60 F, waves 4 to 6 feet.   
Comments: Double-crested Cormorants and some shorebirds, but no waterfowl seen.
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Double-crested Cormorant  183
Sanderling  3
Unidentified Calidris  1

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 13, 2015
Time: 0650 to 0850
Weather: Variably cloudy, wind NNW to 15 mph, temp. 57 F, waves 4 to 5 feet.   
Comments: Slow like yesterday.  The two bats were taken down by gulls as they tried to cross the lake.
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Canada Goose  2
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Double-crested Cormorant  72
Sanderling  9
 
Others moving across the lake:
 
Unidentified bat  2

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 19, 2015
Time: 0650 to 0750
Weather: Cloudy, wind SSW to 10 mph, temp. 66 F, waves less than a foot.  Passing cold front with rain before and after the count..
Comments: DCCO moving from Gull Point west over the lake.  No waterfowl seen.
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Double-crested Cormorant  632
Sanderling  4

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 20, 2015
Time: 0650 to 0850
Weather: Partly cloudy, wind NE to 10 mph, temp. 60 F, waves two feet.
Comments: DCCO moving west from Gull Point and flocks flying across the lake from Canada.  A county early record RTLO was seen moving west.
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Canada Goose  11
American Wigeon  7
Green-winged Teal  4
Teal species  8
Lesser Scaup  6
Red-breasted Merganser  1
RED-THROATED LOON  1
Double-crested Cormorant  1745
Great Blue Heron  1
Sanderling  13
 
Other bird moving along the lake:
 
Turkey Vulture  1

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 23, 2015
Time: 0645 to 0745
Weather: Clear, calm wind, temp. 52 F.  Calm lake
Comments:  Very little, just one mixed flock of ducks moving east.  Roger Donn assisted with the count. Visitors include Brian Berchtold and a very hardy young female swimmer doing laps along the shoreline.
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Wood Duck  1
Blue-winged Teal  4
Green-winged Teal  8
Common Merganser  4
Double-crested Cormorant  300
 
Other bird moving along the lake:
 
Bald Eagle  1 adult

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 28, 2015
Time: 0700 to 0830
Weather: Cloudy, S wind to 10 mph, temp. 64 F.  Misty light rain.  Waves calm onshore.
Comments: Cormorants were moving off the point and staging on the lake off Sunset Point.  Not much in the way of ducks.  First Common Loon of the season flying west.
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Mallard  1
Blue-winged Teal  1
Northern Shoveler  2
Northern Pintail  1
Lesser Scaup  1
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  1682
 
Other bird moving across the lake:
 
Peregrine Falcon  1 adult

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: September 30, 2015
Time: 0710 to 0840
Weather:  Cloudy, NE wind to 25 mph, rain showers, temp. 60 F, waves 4’ to 5’
Comments:  Driving wind and rain made for poor visibility.  At times I could only see less than a half a mile out.  At least 20 or so ducks slipped past unidentified because of weather conditions.  The teal and pintail were moving west while the scaup were moving east
 
Waterbirds recorded:
 
Blue-winged Teal  10
Northern Pintail  65
Lesser Scaup  8
Double-crested Cormorant  7
Sanderling  4

* Note: August and September were combined because there was very little to report.
The next few months will be the waterbird count that Jerry conducts.
Thanks, 
​Toni Kelly, webeditor for PIAS

​The following birds of note were reported for August and September in Erie County, Pa.

Whimbrel  1; Aug. 3
 
White-rumped Sandpiper  1; Aug. 5
 
Baird's Sandpiper  1; Aug. 6
 
High lake levels continue, so there is little shorebird habitat at Gull Point.  Part of Gull Point Trail remains under water with up to two feet of water in one place.

Willet  1; Aug 10; Gull Point
 
Red Knot  3; Aug. 15; Gull Point

September
Long-tailed Duck  1 moribund female; through the week
 
American Golden Plover  1; Sept. 5 to 8
 
Western Sandpiper  1; Sept. 13
 
White-rumped Sandpiper  1; Sept. 12
 
Stilt Sandpiper  1; Sept. 13

Lesser Black-backed Gull  1 adult; Sept. 14; Gull Point

American Golden Plover  2; Sept. 19; Gull Point
 
Western Sandpiper  1; probably same bird from last weekend continues to Sept. 19; Gull Point
 
Stilt Sandpiper  1; probably same bird from last weekend continues to Sept. 19; Gull Point

Red-throated Loon  1; Sept. 20; Sunset Point (waterbird count);  Record early in Erie County by about two weeks