Two species have dominated the past week. The first is possibly the rarest waterbird to be recorded on a waterbird count at Whitefish Point. On Sunday, October 16, a Bar-tailed Godwit briefly circled the pond at the Point and eventually headed west down Lake Superior. This is a mainly old-world species with a small population breeding in Alaska. This record represents a first state record and fifth inland United States record. Previous inland records are one from Iowa and three from Utah.
The second species is much more common and is known for making big flights in October/November. On Monday, over 1,000 were recorded. A fearsome windstorm was predicted to hit the Point on Tuesday, with winds around 55–60 kph. All of us at the Point were excited to see what this storm would bring. On Tuesday, the floodgates opened in a major way. At the end of the count, we had recorded almost 14,000 Long-tailed Ducks, 978 White-winged Scoters (new Whitefish Point daily high count), 178 Black Scoters (new daily state high count), and three Sabine’s Gulls were the main highlights. We figured this would be the peak of the season, but we were wrong. Alison Világ covered the count on Wednesday and recorded over 16,000 Long-tailed Ducks! She also broke the Black Scoter daily high count we set the day before, with over 200 recorded. Common Loons also had a major flight, with almost 500 being counted. The first Black-legged Kittiwakes of the season and three Harlequin Ducks added a little diversity to the major flights. Without a doubt, this past week will be the peak of this autumn’s waterbird count due to the sheer number of birds.
First state record Bar-tailed Godwit. Photo by Alec Olivier
~ Alec Olivier
2022 Fall Waterbird Counter
