Birding at Presque Isle State Park, Charity Kheshgi , 15 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

23 May 2026

On May 15-16 I went birding with Charity and Kaleem Kheshgi at Presque Isle State Park where we saw many birds featured in Seen This Week: Warblers and Ducklings. It was chilly and cloudy when we paused at a lagoon on the lakeshore. Charity found no birds in the distance but it sure was beautiful.

At lunch we stopped at a picnic table near the rental boats and a red-winged blackbird arrived to beg for food. He stomped back and forth demanding a snack and landed so close on our table that I couldn’t take his picture.

Flowers seen included:

• Cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias), invasive at Presque Isle and featured in this vintage article: A Smell That Reminds Me of Warblers.

Cypress spurge at Presque Isle State Park, 16 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

• Starflower (Lysimachia borealis), a native perennial.

Starflower, 16 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

• Starry false lily of the valley (Maianthemum stellatum), another native perennial.

Starry false lily of the valley, 16 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

This week at Schenley Park I photographed three alien plants that deer don’t eat because they are toxic — which is why it’s easy to find them at Schenley.

• Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens)

Creeping buttercup is toxic when eaten — unless you’re the bug that tunneled through the petals, Schenley, 22 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

• Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens)

Jetbead flower and fruits, Schenley Park, 21 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

• Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus). If you break a leaf or stem it “bleeds” bright orange latex sap. This makes it easy to identify the plant. Read more at Orange Juice in The Leaves

Greater celandine, Schenley, 21 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)