Waterbird Highlights:
During this week’s count (Sept. 10–16), the count had 50 species of waterbirds, and 19 of these species were shorebirds! A Buff-breasted Sandpiper still managed to make an appearance throughout the count while intermixed between other Calidris shorebirds. One of the final birds for the count this week was a fantastic stopover of a Stilt Sandpiper in the pond. After a jolting morning of thunderstorms and harsh southeastern winds, a Red-necked Phalarope was spotted sheltering in the pond making for decent viewings despite the extreme conditions.
Red-necked Phalarope (09/14/2021)
Stilt Sandpiper (09/16/2021)
But of course, what brought the excitement was the outrageous count and encounter with jaegers! An observer ended the day with 22 jaegers, surpassing last week’s count by three individuals. More often than not, most of these distant jaegers are unidentifiable to a species level due to discrete field markings in juvenile birds (e.g., upper and lower wing patterns). Thankfully there were several occasions where individuals made close passes by the shoreline, or as for one day, one blew over the boardwalk behind the waterbird shack! Several sightings were of adult birds when most jaegers seen this time are typically immature types. A stunning juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger was spotted over the Point to top off the jaeger show, providing some decent observations and photos.
Parasitic Jaeger (adult, 9/14/2021)
Other notable waterbirds this week were a couple of Harlequin Ducks and a juvenile Sabine’s Gull. More groups of ducks, grebes, and loons are becoming consistent throughout the eight hours of the count. The diversity of waterbirds has also remained steady, making counting and identifying mixed flocks challenging but stimulating compared to the season’s early stages.
Raptor Highlights:
Not much to report here. The Broad-winged Hawk numbers dramatically dropped after our last report (as expected). In addition to the few Merlins and American Kestrels patrolling the shoreline, a couple of Peregrine Falcons have made brief appearances but no pursuits of wary migrants.
Passerine and Near Passerine/Land-Bird Highlights:
The shining star this week is another western flycatcher, the Western Kingbird! This bird casually appeared on one of the wooden poles (also known as the Merlin post) along the treeline. When the shack goes from having 10+ observers to just the waterbird counter, you know this is a bird to chase down.
Western Kingbird (09/11/2021)
Our first grassland wandering species started appearing along the beach, such as American Pipits, Horned Larks, and Lapland Longspurs. The most dominant passerine species this week at the shack were Red-breasted Nuthatches and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Several attempted to land in or on the shack, but many realized a more suitable forest awaited them.
Weather:
The first notable sign of fall can be felt with the pleasant crisp breeze on most days when you approach the waterbird shack. Most days this week have had a westerly component and would shift to north or south winds. The day with relentless southeastern winds brought unusual sightings such as the forest Parasitic Jaeger, Sabine’s Gull, and Red-necked Phalarope. And as expected, the day with the steady northwest winds brought our highest diversity of birds and abundance. There were a couple of days this week where we hastily retreated from the shack after some bone-shaking claps overhead. Thankfully, everyone left safely, and once the storm system passed, many returned eager to find more birds.
As always, stay tuned for next week’s sightings! Let us know what you think, and reach out with any questions you may have about the count!
~ Mario Balitbit, 2021 Fall Waterbird Counter
