With above-average temperatures and wind blowing to the north and northeast each day, we didn’t see any significant pushes of waterbirds this week; however, we did continue to add some new species to our fall count, putting us at 40 waterbird species for the week.
Most of the new waterbirds were diving ducks. We had our first groups of Redheads on 9/17, Lesser Scaups on 9/12, and a single Common Goldeneye on 9/13. We also saw more American Wigeon and Northern Pintail than in previous weeks. Additionally, we are seeing a more consistent movement of Red-throated Loons, with numbers comparable to Common Loons. Shorebird numbers have continued to decline as expected this time of year, but we did have our first Pectoral Sandpiper of the fall on 9/16 and still have some Sanderlings hanging out at shore most days.
As far as songbirds go, we have had larger numbers of American Pipits and Horned Larks on the shore lately and continue to have a nice diversity of warblers around.
As much as I enjoyed the warm weather for my first week as the waterbird counter, I am excited to see what the upcoming cooler weather has in store for bird movements!
~Hannah Leabhart
2024 Fall Waterbird Counter
Featured photo: One of many low-flying Common Loons we had over the Point this week. Photo by Hannah Leabhart
Ring-billed Gull relaxing on the water. Photo by Hannah Leabhart
It was neat to see the size difference up close in the two grebe species we have seen — Red-necked Grebe (left) and Horned Grebe (right). Photo by Hannah Leabhart
A few more Jaegers were seen this week, this Parasitic Jaeger gave me some relatively good looks. Photo by Hannah Leabhart
A distant group of Northern Pintail and American Wigeon. 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.
