We only have about three weeks left of the fall season at Whitefish Point, but the bird activity here has yet to slow down. While just about all the warblers and other early to mid-fall migrants are gone (even Yellow-rumped Warblers!), we continue to have large quantities of sparrows and winter finches. Not to mention some huge flocks of Snow Buntings both flying over and stopping on the beach.
Additionally, the bird feeders have been providing a lot of entertainment. We have so many Purple Finches visiting that they can’t all squeeze onto the platform feeders, so several wait in line on the adjacent branches. Often, a Red-bellied Woodpecker will swoop in to take their place and send the Purple Finches flying in every direction! We also have a lingering Northern Shrike that sometimes tries to snag a chickadee or finch from the feeders but is often chased off by several Blue Jays before it can do so. The small bird bath has been a busy spot, too, with all our regular birds coming in to take a quick drink from time to time.
Over the last week, there were also quite a few rare birds to turn up at the Point. Dan Elliot found a Barn Owl roosting near one of the ponds just off the main boardwalk on 10/23 (2nd WPBO record). Karen Hogan Noel and Teresa Noel found a Spotted Towhee skulking in the brush behind the bird feeders on 10/25 (3rd WPBO record). Lastly, Talus Rutgers found a White-eyed Vireo in the woods on the southern part of the property on 10/27 (4th WPBO record). It seems that the Barn Owl and White-eyed Vireo may not have stuck around, but the Spotted Towhee has been spotted (couldn’t not say it!) near the bird feeders on four consecutive days and continues to be seen as I write this blog post.
The forecast for our area suggests we’ll continue to have mild temps for at least the next week, and that there may be quite a bit of rain in store for us too. We really haven’t had much rain this season, but hopefully, it won’t hamper the bird activity too much. You never know; sometimes bad weather brings in the best birds!
~ Clay Bliznick
2024 Fall Field Ornithologist
Featured photo: Red-breasted Nuthatch clinging onto a tiny jack pine. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Every once in a while, the visiting Spotted Towhee will pop up on some branches for a nice look. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Gerry the Ring-billed Gull doing some yoga. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Snow Buntings galore in the sky above the beach. Photo by Clay Bliznick
Ruffed Grouse nibbling on sapling leaves. 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.
