Ahhh, the end of May — the mornings get earlier, and the nights get later; the sleep deprivation builds like the crescendoing peeper chorus back in the woods. One of the wonderful trials towards the end of the spring waterbird count is the phenomena of the evening waterbird flight. Though the end-of-season weariness is settling in, it is worth it to push through these last couple weeks, for some of our most beautiful migration happens on these night flights: the light is perfect, Superior serene, and birds rush by the Point. Long lines of scoters, tight packs of Bonaparte’s Gulls, and swarms of Long-tailed Ducks press north, and I love to stand at land’s limit. There, at the boundary of beach and water — and also of night and day — I strain my tired eyes as the birds race into the gloaming till they’re evidenced only by voice.
Bonaparte’s Gulls on the evening flight. Alison Vilag photo.
This week, the evening waterbird flights produced 1,424 Bonaparte’s Gulls — and two Little Gulls! — on May 16, and 321 White-winged Scoters in about an hour and a half on May 22.
White-winged Scoters pushed hard this week — we recorded nearly 1,800 within the period, with the peak flight (421) being recorded during the May 21 count.
Other highlights from the waterbird count this week include 759 Long-tailed Ducks and an Upland Sandpiper (May 17); 47 Surf Scoters and an Iceland Gull (May 18); a Hudsonian Godwit and Red Knot (May 19), and a White-rumped Sandpiper seen on May 20 and 21. We also had single Black Terns on May 18 and 21.
This is a short post; much of my energy this week was allocated to a really cool Virtual Bird Club program through the American Birding Association featuring WPBO’s waterbird count, a similar program for This Week in Birding with Brad Bumgardner of Indiana Dunes Longshore Count, and planning Birdathon. Weather allowing, this is slated to happen within the next few days. Birdathon is an event that provides critical funding for the research programs that perpetuate WPBO’s mission. In a year where we lost many of our funding avenues due to Covid-19, your support is vitally important, and ever appreciated. To donate, please visit our fundraising page.
White-winged Scoters on night flight. Alison Vilag photo.
As always, thank you for reading.
–Alison Vilag, WPBO Waterbird Counter
