It’s hard to believe summer in the UP is already winding down, and fall migrants are here! It seems like just the other day that a Mississippi Kite zipped by me on the final weekend of the spring hawk count. In fact, for some species fall migration has been well underway for some time. Though a pair of first-year Piping Plover parents successfully fledged two chicks on the beach at Whitefish Point this summer, like many shorebirds, they have already departed for their wintering grounds.

The weather for opening day was far fairer than one might picture fall at Whitefish Point — the temperature climbed into the 70s (a rarity this far out into Lake Superior) and the sun shined brightly all day! Today’s waterbird migration was a mere trickle to start things out however. Four Red-necked Grebes that flew past in the first hour were the only ones of the day, and Common Loons came by irregularly, totaling 13 by the end. A pair of Northern Shoveler and a lone Mallard were the only ducks seen. The day finished with a total of 37 species and 365 individual birds recorded.

Without a doubt the opening day highlight was an immature Parasitic Jaeger! Seen from quite a distance, this kleptoparasite made a few half-hearted swipes at Herring Gulls as it powered past the point then was gone as suddenly as it appeared. Surely just the first of many!

Follow along daily at Dunkadoo to see the complete data in real-time. Fall at Whitefish Point is an unpredictable time, but there are bound to be some incredible days of birding and maybe even a mega-rarity!

 

 

Gary Palmer

WPBO Fall Waterbird Counter