It’s that time of year again where we waterbird counters set out to the Point prepared to count the fall waterbird migration. As you may have seen in our recent social media posting, I (Mario) will be your guide during this fall adventure. This will be my first time working and living in the U.P., and I am very excited to watch migration unfold at the Point throughout the season. Follow the link here if you are joining us for the first time or for those that would enjoy a refresher on the background of this waterbird count.
We are already finishing the second week of the count, which has had a relatively calm haze (from the western fires) and toasty weather conditions. These conditions brought mild migration activity, with Red-necked Grebes (894), Common Terns (435), and Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers (307) being the primary movement observed during these weeks. If you recall from last season, Red-necked Grebes almost reached 3,000 individuals by this date. These large movements of Red-necked Grebes are hopefully in sight for days to come.
Shorebird species and counts have been relatively steady, with highlights being several Buff-breasted Sandpipers, a single Red Knot, and a decent number of Baird’s Sandpipers. A few Piping Plovers have been seen, and two were recently released from a captive-rearing facility. This week, one of our recent waterbird highlights was a Sora skulking around the pines along the dunes behind the waterbird shack! Waterbird migration may seem slow, but having these calm days allows us to collect our bearings in preparation for the high volume of waterbirds to come.
While the weather conditions were mild, we could spend some time observing the non-waterbird species. Several diurnal raptors were seen moving, such as the occasional Northern Goshawks and several Broad-winged Hawks. Even the passerine flocks have started to disperse over the shack, such as 16 species of warblers and a Lark’s Sparrow being one of the highlights of this week. There have already been 121 species detected during the count, and we are excited to see this number grow in the following weeks!
Sora (08/25/2021)
Adult Lark Sparrow (08/26/2021)
You can see our live waterbird count on Dunkadoo and check out eBird for other recent sightings at the refuge.
Life as a field wildlife biologist has many rewards, and sharing these experiences is one of the perks of our work. Feel free to email us at birds@michiganaudubon.org with any questions and suggestions on what you would like to hear and see from us this season.
-Mario Balitbit, 2021 Fall Waterbird Counter
Featured photo: Red-necked Grebe by Kirk Zufelt
