By Kym Drapcho, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Though Presque Isle is a tourism hot spot during the summer months, Erie’s eleven beaches are somewhat less of an attraction when accompanied with piles of lake effect snow and blistering winds.  However, Erie’s characteristically harsh winter weather does not stop one particular group of enthusiasts:  bird watchers.

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According to local news source GoErie, Presque Isle State Park’s location on the Atlantic Flyaway, the bird migration route that follows the Atlantic Coast through North America and the Appalachain mountains, make it an ideal place for birds to rest and feed while attempting to migrate across Lake Erie.  This favorable location--specifically the Gull Point Hiking Trail--has allowed Presque Isle State Park to be named as one of the top birding spots in the country by “Birder’s World” magazine.  

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Though national recognition for something other than massive amounts of snow is appealing to longtime citizens of “dreary Erie,” Presque Isle’s location on the Atlantic Flyaway is more than just a chance for this Great Lake to shine in the spotlight. Particularly, the appearance of a handful of rare birds in the last year has made bird-watching all the more accessible to those interested in the hobby. Among these birds is the Piping Plover, spotted this past April at Gull Point according to the Erie County rare Bird Alert, and the Snowy Owl, an annual, though still fairly rare, guest to Presque Isle.  According to Dana Massing of GoErie.com, the appearance of Snowy Owls is a regular indication of winter in Erie, as at least a couple are spotted each year.  

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“During the winter of 2013-14, dozens of the birds were observed at Presque Isle and elsewhere around the county, including at Erie International Airport, as part of an irruption that brought record numbers of snowy owls to the U.S. from their home in the Arctic tundra,” wrote Massing.

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Because the Snowy Owl is North America’s largest owl, with a wingspan of four to nearly five feet and a typical height of about 2 feet, and regularly regarded as aesthetically pleasing, with its typical pure white or mottled feathers, their appearance has inspired both birders and non-birders to come observe them in a natural habitat.

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However, though these rare birds are beautiful, experts warn that they should be watched from a distance and not approached.  Dwindling reports of sightings from the months of November and December mirror the decrease of the species worldwide, as, according to an Op/Ed written for GoErie by Matt Martin, “For the first time, the snowy has been listed as vulnerable — one step from endangered — by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.”  As Martin goes on to recognize, though legal protection is offered by the U.S. Migratory Bird Act, it is up to passive observers of these creatures to ensure their safety by keeping their distance, avoiding the urge to feed them and donating to organizations such as Project SNOWstorm to fund ongoing research.

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Nonetheless, Presque Isle State Park’s welcoming environment during migration season has allowed Erieites and tourists alike to continue visiting the peninsula, even in its typical off-season.