This past week at Whitefish Point has been the most exciting stretch of the season thus far, thanks in no small part to the celebrity Burrowing Owl that turned up here this past Friday (9/27). Since being discovered early that morning by birders Paul and Catherine, visiting from New Zealand, the owl has captivated many birders and visitors with its expressive, yellow eyes and evening foraging antics. This individual represents the first record of Burrowing Owl for Whitefish Point and is one of only four known records from the entirety of Michigan, the most recent of which is from 1986! With the last record being nearly 40 years old, this was the first opportunity for most bird enthusiasts to see this species in the state. Despite the large number of people viewing and photographing the Burrowing Owl on the beach this weekend, we kept the bird cordoned off each day with cones and caution tape, and the bird could rest throughout the day undisturbed. When evening rolled around, the owl would perk up and begin running and flying after moths and other insects, while also perching conspicuously on driftwood, much to the delight of many. Although it wasn’t seen throughout the day on Monday (9/30), it made a quick appearance at the raptor deck in the evening and is most likely still here at Whitefish Point today (10/1).

Besides the Burrowing Owl, some other great birds have graced Whitefish Point over the last week. We’ve been seeing more Ruffed Grouse recently, but now we have three female-type Spruce Grouse that turned up on 9/27 and have been seen every day since. They have been feeding along the boardwalk that leads out to the waterbird shack, sometimes astonishingly close and unperturbed by quiet onlookers. The warbler diversity has declined as most species have already departed further south, but a beautiful male Black-throated Blue Warbler was hanging out behind the bird feeders on 9/29. The influx of sparrows and winter finches continues, with White-crowned Sparrows being abundant in the brush and flocks of Pine Siskins often zooming overhead. The birds have certainly changed a lot since I first arrived in August, but there are still many more changes to come over the next month.

~ Clay Bliznick
2024 Fall Field Ornithologist

Featured photo: The Burrowing Owl in its hiding spot on Friday morning. Photo by Clay Bliznick

Adult White-crowned Sparrow enjoying cracked corn by the feeders. Photo by Clay Bliznick

Palm Warbler posing nicely on the boardwalk. Photo by Clay Bliznick

The Burrowing Owl perching next to the caution tape we used to rope it off. It even perched on our "Do not Enter. Give Owl Space" sign for a minute. Photo by Clay Bliznick

This Spruce Grouse was maybe the most cooperative bird I've ever tried to photograph. Photo by Clay Bliznick

You can keep up with the 2024 Fall Field Ornithologist by reading Clay’s weekly blog posts and following WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X).

Would you like to go birding with Clay? Join him for one of his WPBO Migratory Bird Walks this season. Learn more at wpbo.org/events.

Clay Bliznick, MS: 2024 Fall Field Ornithologist

Clay 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 dived headfirst into the birding world while an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky, spending every free second exploring his home state for exciting new birds and places. Afterward, 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 Kentucky bottomland hardwood forest restorations. Most recently, Clay has been living in South Florida, where he’s worked closely with many charismatic birds, such as the Crested Caracara, Swallow-tailed Kite, and Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Clay is excited to join the Michigan Audubon team at WPBO as a fall field ornithologist and is eager to observe the spectacle of bird migration in the Upper Peninsula firsthand.