This past week was quite interesting and fun at the waterbird shack; it featured two heavy waterbird flights on Oct. 20 and Oct. 25, with lighter days of waterfowl migration in between. However, among those lighter days, the Point experienced two potentially record-breaking days for passerine migration.
The forecast for Oct. 20 looked good for a potentially memorable flight: overcast, strong north breeze at 20+ knots, and pelting rain! Despite the tough weather conditions, it brought non-stop movement for the majority of the day. Nearly 12,000 ducks were tallied, with the majority being Long-tailed Ducks. Huge pushes of White-winged Scoter (878) and scaup (over 1,600) were experienced, and over 1,700 Red-breasted Mergansers migrated past — more than doubling the single-day count from the past couple of years. We also had a strong flight of late-season dabblers, with multi-hundred tallies across several species (American Wigeon at 301, over 200 Mallards, over 100 Northern Pintail, and nearly 250 Green-winged Teal).
A string of Long-tailed Ducks migrating distantly down a stormy Lake Superior. Photo by Mike McBrien
The week ended on Oct. 25 with another impressive flight day. A thick rain front that was draped across the region began clearing just after dawn. The day started dull and slow, with very few ducks in the first hour, but waterfowl began moving as the rain cleared. Between noon and 1 p.m., there was non-stop duck movement — over 4,500 ducks migrated past just in that hour. The flight waned after 1:30 p.m. as the skies cleared to sun, but there was still a steady trickle moving until the evening flight began ramping back up late in the afternoon. High daily counts for the season were recorded for many species — over 400 Mallards, nearly 350 American Black Ducks, 721 Green-winged Teal, and 2,325 Red-breasted Mergansers!
White-winged Scoters with the Canadian highlands in the background. Photo by Mike McBrien
On the passerine front, two enormous diurnal flights were observed on Oct. 19 and Oct. 21. On Oct. 19, there was a strong flight of Pine Siskins in the afternoon after the morning rain cleared. On a day with very little waterfowl migrating, it was quite enjoyable to observe thousands of siskins streaming overhead while migrating east. By day’s end, we tallied over 13,000, shattering the 7,000+ high count recorded on Sept. 23. We also recorded Cave Swallow (a major rarity from the American Southwest), a swift species, and a martin species. The latter two could not be identified to species due to distant views. On Oct. 21, another historic finch flight was experienced. Along with numerous Common Redpolls, White-winged Crossbills, and Purple Finches, over 20,000 Pine Siskins were recorded — a tally eclipsing the previous count recorded two days prior.
A flock of Pine Siskins passes over the waterbird shack before launching across Lake Superior on their migration. Photo by Mike McBrien
A flock of Pine Siskins. Photo by Mike McBrien
All four days were even more memorable because they got to be shared with an enjoyable group of birders over the past week, including my parents, who witnessed the flights on Oct. 19 and 20. It was truly a special occasion to share Whitefish Point and the location’s incredible migratory flights with them!
Along with Pine Siskins, other winter finches such as these White-winged Crossbills are also actively migrating past Whitefish Point. Photo by Mike McBrien
~ Mike McBrien
2023 Fall Waterbird Counter
Featured photo: A large flock of Dunlin migrate down the duneline during a strong waterbird flight on Oct. 25. Photo by Mike McBrien
