We had a better stretch of weather the last few nights which led to some better nights of netting. The last two nights treated us to some calm north winds. We even had a chance to see the stars for the first time in a long time it seemed. The last two nights we were [...]
We have been trying not to get to upset about the rough stretch of rainy/windy weather. After the first 21 days we only had 2 nights off, and then over the next 14 days we have had 6 nights off due to rain and/or windy conditions. The first three weeks of the season produced some [...]
Highlights: Pacific Wren, Green-tailed Towhee (photo above), Purple Sandpiper, Sabine's Gull & Long-tailed Jaeger Things have really picked up at the Point and we've been spending a lot of time in the field. While the Pacific Wren is the most interesting sighting, it is also the most complicated. Identifying Winter/Pacific Wrens by plumage is very difficult, if [...]
It's been one great October thus far! The waterbird highlights are coming every day or two and the woods are producing some great birds! In terms of duck numbers we have had a couple big aythya, scoter, and Long-tailed Duck days. Today was rather spectacular with over 11000 Long-tailed Ducks migrating past the point. The [...]
It has been really tough to get quality netting hours in the last few nights due to wind and rain. We have only been able to open nets 3 of the last 6 nights, and strong winds look to continue through Saturday night. Luckily the winds look to be slowing down for Sunday, setting up [...]
On Sunday Raina and I got stuck mediating a debate of our own...between two Barred Owls. It was quite a raucous, nobody could figure out who was cooking for who. Both owls were pretty adamant they were "cooking for all." It was just a chaotic seen (actually both owls were pleasantly calm for barreds)! [...]
Highlights: Pacific Loon, Sabine's Gull, Red & Red-necked Phalaropes and Grasshopper Sparrow After an extended period of easterly and southerly winds, a short period of west and north winds finally stirred things up a bit bringing some excitement to the Point. As per usual, many of the recent highlights came from the waterbird [...]
For the fall season, October is usually the best month at Whitefish Point in terms of quality and quantity. And this October has been no different! Scoters and scaup have been moving by in good numbers while rarities such as Red and Red-necked Phalarope and Sabine's Gull have been recorded. The woods have also produced; [...]
Sometimes it feels like a completely different world being out here in the darkness; very dream-like. You get to see things and hear things you might not always see or hear when the sun is up which of course helps us stay awake. These night-time critters that occasionally greet us are fascinating, to say the [...]
Highlights: Lesser Black-backed Gull & Northern Goshawk Well, we had to work a few things out to get the blog going again, so thank you for your patience. Before getting to the more recent sightings I should mention two of the highlights so far this season. A Townsend's Solitaire was found [...]