Yearly Archives: 2025

Piping Plover Update Week 4

Whitefish Point I’m glad to report that nesting progress at Whitefish Point is running smoothly. Each day Little Bill Bob and his mate Vie take turns incubating their nest of four, switching shifts about every hour. When one does leave the nest to forage, it’s not unlikely to run into Hot Shot on the [...]

2025-06-06T10:39:58-04:00June 5th, 2025|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Update Week 4

Piping Plover Update Week 3

Whitefish Point Vie has laid her fourth egg, meaning incubation has begun! In around 26 days tiny Piping Plover chicks will be running around at the Point. In the meantime Vie and Little Bill Bob will be taking turns sitting on the eggs while the embryos develop inside. Hot Shot is still moseying around [...]

2025-05-31T08:07:05-04:00May 29th, 2025|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Update Week 3

Spring Raptor Count 5/20-5/26–Winding Down

Osprey by Sean McLaughlin In the penultimate week of hawkwatching at Whitefish Point this spring, we have finally begun to see migration slip back into low gear. Seasonal totals are nearing their zenith, but daily totals are dropping by the day. It is sad to see the final days of migration arrive, [...]

2025-05-30T13:46:25-04:00May 28th, 2025|Migration Counts, Raptor Count|Comments Off on Spring Raptor Count 5/20-5/26–Winding Down

Piping Plover Update Week 2

Whitefish Point PIPL X,B:-,O Male from Vermilion Point. Photo by Stephanie Owens PIPL Little Bill Bob performing a broken-wing display. Photo by Stephanie Owens Little Bill Bob and Vie had been taking the past week slow, and I don’t blame them. It must be hard work growing eggs and deciding [...]

2025-05-22T16:10:40-04:00May 22nd, 2025|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Update Week 2

Spring Waterbird Count 5/13-5/19: Week 5

Hi everyone! The 5th week of the waterbird count has flown by! I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but like other weeks, it was a mixed bag of exciting days and quiet moments. This is, unfortunately, my last full week as your waterbird counter. My last day of counting will [...]

2025-05-22T07:35:25-04:00May 21st, 2025|Migration Counts, Waterbird Count|Comments Off on Spring Waterbird Count 5/13-5/19: Week 5

Spring Raptor Count 5/13-5/19–Home Stretch

The past week at the hawk watch was pleasant. Mid-May means warmer temperatures, diverse flights, and the arrival of breeding boreal songbirds. Spring-like conditions delivered consistent Sharp-shinned Hawk and Bald Eagle flights alongside dwindling numbers of buteos and falcons. It is rewarding and heartwarming to make it to the back end of a season, [...]

2025-05-21T15:42:15-04:00May 20th, 2025|Migration Counts, Raptor Count|Comments Off on Spring Raptor Count 5/13-5/19–Home Stretch

Piping Plover Update Week 1

Things are shaping up to be another successful Piping Plover breeding season at Whitefish Point. The plovers have been arriving at the Point since April 27, and our pair from last year have found each other again. Just a refresher, that pair is Of,bL:X,B/O/B (Male, aka Little Bill Bob) and X,V:Of,YY (Female, aka Violet [...]

2025-05-15T19:20:41-04:00May 15th, 2025|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Update Week 1

Spring Waterbird Count 5/6-5/12 Week 4: Scoter Season

Week 4 of the Waterbird Count was very much a boom or bust week, with a few days of remarkable migration and a few days of calm and quiet. Red-throated Loon by Martina Nordstrand May 6th continued our theme from last week- lots of loons! With 588 loons counted, this day is [...]

2025-05-15T12:42:15-04:00May 14th, 2025|Migration Counts, Waterbird Count|Comments Off on Spring Waterbird Count 5/6-5/12 Week 4: Scoter Season

Spring Raptor Count 5/6-5/12–Record Days

The second week of May sped right along, and it feels as if it was just last night I was sitting down to write a blog, rather than last week! These full spring days, growing ever longer, are action packed from sunrise to sunset, and it is hard to drag myself away to even [...]

2025-05-13T19:19:13-04:00May 13th, 2025|Migration Counts, Raptor Count|Comments Off on Spring Raptor Count 5/6-5/12–Record Days

Spring Waterbird Count 4/29-5/5- Diver Days

It's hard to believe, but we are already halfway through the Spring Waterbird Count! The third week of the count was very eventful and full of highlights! Red-necked Grebes by Martina Nordstrand April 29th featured an exciting weather switch, with southwest winds overnight and into the first few hours of the count. [...]

2025-05-08T18:43:08-04:00May 7th, 2025|Migration Counts, Waterbird Count|Comments Off on Spring Waterbird Count 4/29-5/5- Diver Days
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