This past week was bookended by two strong weather fronts, each bringing an interesting array of waterbirds to the area.
A powerful cold front passed across the region on the morning of Aug. 17. Down-pouring rain and a strong southerly breeze met me upon arrival at the waterbird shack. After three hours of pelting rain, the front finally pushed through with clearing skies and a freshening northwesterly breeze. As if almost on cue, flocks of Red-necked Grebes began streaming south behind the storms. Over 400 passed in that first hour following the rain — truly a spectacle to behold! The storm also downed several shorebirds, including a Red Knot that spent the afternoon feeding around the Point.
Since that front’s passage, Red-necked Grebes, along with flocks of Blue-winged Teal, Common Terns, and various shorebirds, have continued moving south — with numbers gradually tapering day by day. Over 20 species of shorebirds have migrated past the Point this week, often stopping to feed on the pool’s edges or the beach.
Trio of female Common Mergansers. Photo by Mike McBrien
As migrant numbers slowly diminished, another front approached. This weather mass — the same one that is bringing extreme heat to the southern parts of the state — draped a long rain front across the Upper Peninsula on Aug. 23. A pummeling southerly gale accompanied it; this kept many migrating waterbirds grounded and accounted for the low tallies to end the week. However, some of the stronger flyers (such as gulls, terns, and some shorebirds) still slowly worked their way south, hugging the lakeshore despite the heavy breeze. Among these, a juvenile Arctic Tern flew past the count in the early afternoon. Arctic Terns are quite rare in Michigan, and this bird might furnish one of the first August records for the state. Arctic Terns are truly incredible migrants in general. Each year, they embark on a multi-thousand-mile journey from their breeding grounds in the High Arctic to the waters off of Antarctica — one of the most impressive feats of any migrant bird.
A juvenile Arctic Tern migrating past the Point. Photo by Mike McBrien
~ Mike McBrien, 2023 Fall Waterbird Counter
Featured photo: Pectoral Sandpipers circling over the Point. Photo by Mike McBrien
