This past week brought a stretch of unsettled and often windy conditions to Whitefish Point. Wind direction seemed to come from every corner of the compass, with sustained winds over 20 mph from both the northwest and southeast on multiple days and lighter westerly and southwesterly winds in between. There was even a gale watch issued for the area on Oct. 19th. Temperatures generally stayed in the mid 40’s-50s, though persistent wind made it feel much colder at times, and two rounds of steady rain on Friday and Sunday limited bird activity. Despite the rough weather, there were still a few bright windows of migration and a handful of new arrivals to mark another week of fall at the Point.
Strong winds kept most songbird migration subdued for much of the week, but more favorable conditions on the 16th, 18th, and 20th brought at least some noticeable movement. Winter finches were moving a little during these calmer periods, with Pine Siskin flocks totaling 25-30 birds on both the 16th and 18th, plus a couple small groups of Red Crossbills mixed in on the 18th too. American Tree Sparrows showed a clear uptick throughout the week, with easily 50+ individuals tallied on Sunday the 19th. The 20th provided the most interesting migration activity, with visible flights of small passerines crossing Lake Superior throughout the day. Many of the birds approaching the Point arrived too distant to the west to confidently identify, but there were many Lapland Longspurs, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Golden-crowned Kinglets among the new arrivals that were seen well. The change in activity from quiet woods early in the morning to a loud and lively chorus by afternoon was a profound contrast.

We had many flocks of longspurs come in on the 20th, and a few stopped in right at the waterbird count. Photo by Clay Bliznick.

One of many, many kinglets in the woods on the afternoon of the 20th. Photo by Clay Bliznick.

While no major rarities were found this week, several new first-of-season birds added excitement and nudged our fall total past the 200-species mark. A Vesper Sparrow off the boardwalk on the 14th claimed the milestone, followed by the season’s first Pine Grosbeak around the bogs and a sizable flock of Eastern Bluebirds near the parking lot on the 20th. Another addition was a second-cycle Iceland Gull resting with Herring Gulls on the harbor breakwall on the 19th. While not a new bird, a cooperative Clay-colored Sparrow near the bird feeders on the 18th rounded out the week’s highlights.

2nd cycle Thayer’s-type Iceland Gull on the harbor wall on the 19th. Photo by Clay Bliznick.

Saturday’s bird walks drew a handful of visitors, where we encountered a pleasant mix of finches and sparrows, a kettle of Red-tailed Hawks that grew to 50+ by early afternoon, a brief Ruffed Grouse sighting, and cooperative views of the Clay-colored Sparrow at the feeders. Sunday’s walk was rained out entirely, which was probably for the best given the near-constant wind and consistent rain.

Clay-colored Sparrow right by the bird feeders on the 18th. Photo by Clay Bliznick.

The wet weather also spurred some late-season amphibian activity, with Spring Peepers and other frogs calling frequently from the bogs near the boardwalk and a few salamanders as well. Although two-thirds of the counting season is now complete, migration still hasn’t fully wound down yet. Some of the late-season species are beginning to appear, but we’re still expecting plenty of new arrivals and busy counting days to come before the fall season draws to a close.

Blue-spotted Salamander. Photo by Clay Bliznick.

Track the morning flight counts on Trektellen.

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Join Clay for one of his WPBO Migratory Bird Walks offered every weekend through November 15.
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Clay Bliznick, MS: 2025 Fall Field Ornithologist

Clay worked as the WPBO fall field ornithologist in 2024 and is excited to return for the fall of 2025. He 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 dove headfirst into the world of birding while an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky, spending every free second exploring his home state for exciting new birds and places. Afterwards, 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 KY bottomland hardwood forest restorations. For the last several years, Clay has traveled throughout the US working with birds in varying capacities, including nest monitoring of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows and Crested Caracaras, conducting surveys of Swallow-tailed Kite post-breeding roosts, and collecting breeding bird data in North and South Dakota for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.