Waterbirds are on the move! After several days of bad winds, April 23 finally brought some decent winds out of the south, bringing in some decent numbers of birds. On that day, 255 Greater Scaups, 108 Red-necked Grebes, 81 Common Loons, 24 Red-throated Loons, and numerous other species flew past Whitefish Point on their journey north. More south winds are to come this weekend, hopefully bringing in more big pushes. A few shorebirds, including Greater Yellowlegs and a Semipalmated Plover, have also been spotted.

Raptors have also been showing off with two Short-eared Owls and our first Osprey at the Point this week.

A Short-eared Owl that decided to take a break by the waterbird tent this week. Photo by Troy Herrel

Our first warblers have started to appear, with several Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers, and a Palm Warbler all being seen. Other songbirds, including Chipping Sparrows, an American Pipit, and an Eastern Meadowlark, were also documented at the Point.

Migration is just beginning; there will be much more to see in the next couple of weeks!

~ Troy Herrel
2024 Spring Waterbird Counter

Featured photo: Common Loons. Photo by Troy Herrel

You can keep up with the 2024 Spring Waterbird Count by reading Troy’s weekly blog posts and following WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X). The spring waterbird count runs April 15 through May 31.

Troy is a recent graduate from The Ohio State University where he obtained a degree in zoology. He has experience banding passerines and raptors, conducting point counts, and doing migration surveys. He spent last fall at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, where he assisted the biologists with various research and educational outreach. He hopes to one day get a master’s degree and continue working with wildlife.