This week on the waterbird count, we had it all. There were big flights of diving ducks, a trickle of scoters and Long-tailed Ducks, three different Sabine's Gulls, Harlequin Ducks, and a thrilling Whitefish Point rarity! The first of two great Aythya flights this week was on the morning of 10/8. It was our [...]
This past week brought a true mix of fall weather to Whitefish Point. Temperatures hovered mostly in the mid-40’s to mid-50’s, though Wednesday morning (Oct. 8th) dipped into the 30’s. Strong southeast winds dominated much of the week, but shifted to the north for a day beginning Thursday night (Oct 9th) before swinging back [...]
October started with a bang at Whitefish Point. Early in the week, we had a continuation of warm weather and southerly winds. Even with these conditions, some waterbirds were moving, including a couple of very notable arrivals. Then on October 6, the temperature dropped nearly 25 degrees and the wind started blowing out of [...]
We’ve now hit early-October here at Whitefish Point, and we’re right in the middle of fall migration. Besides the huge uptick in waterbird migration that Frank will cover in his blog, the last of the early-season migrants are giving way to more sparrows, finches, and other mid-fall species. The week was characterized by a [...]
Numbers are picking up at the waterbird count! We’ve had 18 species of ducks this week and multiple days with over a thousand individuals. The bulk of the birds have been Greater Scaup, Redhead, American Wigeon, and Northern Pintail. The composition of the duck flocks can change day to day, and often the birds [...]
The feel of the season has shifted at the Point as the remnants of early-season migrants are quickly moving on. The diverse flocks of warblers and vireos, with a sprinkling of flycatchers, have largely passed. While the weather is still surprisingly warm and sunny at times, the bird life is more representative of mid-fall. [...]
Another week has passed at Whitefish Point, and we’re drawing closer to the peak season for waterbird movement. We had almost every kind of weather this week with still, sunny days full of heat shimmer to gusting SE winds with driving rain. We are waiting patiently for another cold front to bring us some ducks, [...]
Another week is in the books at Whitefish Point and it’s really starting to feel like fall. The leaves are beginning to transition from vivid green to yellow, orange, and red, heralding the departure of summer. The leaves aren’t the only thing that’s changing; the birds are too! An adult Bald Eagle right [...]
This week on the waterbird count there were lots of South and East winds that kept waterbird numbers fairly low, with one exception. The big story for the week was the arrival of our migrant Canada Goose flocks. Before this week, we’d seen only 14 individuals. The floodgates opened just after sunrise on the [...]
Since the last blog post, we’ve had quite the assortment of unusual birds show up at the Point, so there’s plenty to talk about! Last week’s blog wrapped up by covering the fabulous songbird influx we had on September 8, and I was hopeful that some of those birds might stick around. Fortunately, that [...]
