Things started to heat up during the second week of the fall waterbird count at Whitefish Point. While some species from the first week, such as Piping Plover, have already departed, the influx of several new species kept things interesting. We had 32 waterbird species pass by the Point over the past week: three more than last week. We continued to see good numbers of Red-necked Grebes (267), as well as large increases in the number of Common Terns (154), Canada Geese (127), and Semipalmated Plovers (63). Overall numbers of both dabbling and diving ducks increased as well, and we hit double digits for both Surf Scoter and White-winged Scoter this week. As far as uncommon sightings go, we had a flyover Red Knot on 8/22, plus a distant Long-tailed/Parasitic Jaeger and a Forster’s Tern on 8/27. This weekend should be an exciting time to watch waterbirds at the Point, as potential cold fronts bringing NW winds are projected in the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday.
White-winged Scoters heading around the Point. Photo by Clay Bliznick
While the raptor and songbird movements were slow some days this week, there were still great highlights. We had an impressive flight of 112 Broad-winged Hawks tallied on the afternoon of 8/23 and a kettle of six subadult Bald Eagles on 8/27. Similarly, 8/22 was a strong day for songbird flight, with a bare minimum of 100+ warblers dropping into the jack pines near the Point throughout the morning.
With migration just getting underway at Whitefish Point, there’s still so much more to look forward to in the coming weeks!
~ Clay Bliznick
2024 Fall Field Ornithologist
Featured photo: Red-throated Loon in early morning light. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Flock of Sanderlings and Semipalmated Sandpipers low over Lake Superior. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Distant jaeger coming around the Point. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Some Broad-winged Hawks could be seen cruising well below a the main raptor kettle on 8/23. Photo by Clay Bliznick
You can keep up with the 2024 Fall Field Ornithologist by reading Clay’s weekly blog posts and following WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X).
Would you like to go birding with Clay? Join him for one of his WPBO Migratory Bird Walks this season. Learn more at wpbo.org/events.
Clay Bliznick, MS: 2024 Fall Field Ornithologist
Clay first took an interest in birds during a high school trip to Alaska, where he was struck by the flamboyance of magpies, the sleek, penguin-like appearance of alcids, and the sheer number of waterbirds residing along the coast. He dived headfirst into the birding world while an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky, spending every free second exploring his home state for exciting new birds and places. Afterward, he attended graduate school at Murray State University and wrote a master’s thesis examining the response of bird communities to environmental factors in Western Kentucky bottomland hardwood forest restorations. Most recently, Clay has been living in South Florida, where he’s worked closely with many charismatic birds, such as the Crested Caracara, Swallow-tailed Kite, and Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Clay is excited to join the Michigan Audubon team at WPBO as a fall field ornithologist and is eager to observe the spectacle of bird migration in the Upper Peninsula firsthand.
