One would think that with over 2000 Bonaparte’s Gulls passing by the point the day before that we would have seen at least a few hundred today, but only six individuals were seen braving today’s northwest winds. Fortunately, scoters made up the near absence of small gulls, with 91 White-winged Scoters flying by the point, most of them at close range. A total of five Surf Scoters were tucked into a few of the White-winged Scoter flocks, but most prized was a male Black Scoter that flew around the tip close to shore early in the morning with a flock of five White-winged Scoters. Long-tailed Duck migration is picking up as well, with several flocks totaling 86 birds counted.
With so much of migration delayed this year, it was a pleasant surprise to see the somewhat early first seasonal arrival to the point of Whimbrels, when a flock of five landed on the beach, sticking around long enough to be enjoyed by visiting birders before continuing on their way north.
