This week, we had some unfavorable weather both for the birds and the birders, with our first truly cold days, a few days with strong southerly winds, and lots of rain. We experienced quite a drop in numbers with three particularly slow days mid-week, and it was pretty uneventful overall.
We added one new species to the count this week, with our first Tundra swan on 10/31 and two more on 11/01. The only waterbirds we continue to see in large numbers are Long-tailed Ducks and Red-breasted Mergansers. We had some decent Common Goldeneye and scaup on a couple of days this week as well. Our dabbling duck numbers have been dropping for a while now, but this week, we counted less than 50 total dabblers.
Looking at previous fall counts, we are well behind the average total number of waterbirds and most species numbers, too. My initial impression is that this could be due to our above-average temperatures this fall; maybe things are still lagging behind. We only have nine days left of the count, so it will be interesting to see how our totals end up comparing to previous years.
~ Hannah Leabhart
2024 Fall Waterbird Counter
Featured photo: A Common Merganser that was hanging out close to shore during some heavy rain on 11/5. Photo by Hannah Leabhart
I have noticed a lot more male Long-tailed Ducks lately; it seemed like the flocks in past weeks were more evenly mixed. Photo by Hannah Leabhart
Common Loon stretching its wings. Photo by Hannah Leabhart
Common Mergansers (back/left) are far outnumbered by Red-breasted Mergansers now (front/right). Photo by Hannah Leabhart
You can now see the waterbird count data on Trektellen! Check it out at trektellen.nl/count/view/4209.
You can keep up with the 2024 Fall Waterbird Count by reading Hannah’s weekly blog posts and following WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X). The fall waterbird count runs August 15 through November 15.
Hannah Leabhart: 2024 Fall Waterbird Counter
Hannah has always loved animals and being outdoors, but she became interested in birds in high school after seeing a Hooded Merganser and trying to identify it. After discovering how many other unique ducks there are to see in Iowa, she fell down the rabbit hole of trying to see all of them. Hannah quickly fell in love with birding and the community around it. While attending Iowa State University, she participated in the birding club and has been involved in Christmas Bird Counts and her local bird banding station. Since graduation, she has been traveling from state to state, working seasonal positions. Hannah looks forward to experiencing the spectacular bird migration and the beautiful fall scenery that Whitefish Point has to offer.
