Winter has yet to arrive. Unseasonably warm temperatures were the theme of the week with consistent south winds blowing warmer air northward. Thankfully, winds with a southern component are excellent for winter finch movement at Whitefish Point. These late fall finch flights continue to be a spectacle from the Raptor Deck.
Sunrise at the Raptor Deck. Photo by Oliver Kew
American Goldfinch suddenly took center stage this week. Late October/early November is the expected migration window. A fantastic two day push from 10/31-11/1 resulted in 9,867 American Goldfinch, all heading southeast during morning flight. Big thanks to Skye Haas and Talus Rutgers for running the count while the Field Ornitholgist (me) was on weekend bird walks.
American Goldfinch. Photo by Oliver Kew
Type 2 and 4 Red Crossbills are still irrupting in impressive numbers! The morning flight count has tallied 3,236 this week alone. Pine Siskin have also sustained momentum, with another 8,240 recorded. Purple Finch flocks have become less consistent. The count on 10/31 still managed to reach triple digits (119). Sadly, no Redpolls have been tallied so far this season.
Purple Finch. Photo by Oliver Kew
The first flocks of Bohemian Waxwing have returned! A few flyover groups moving southeast on 11/01 resulted in a season high of 42. Small numbers of Evening Grosbeak also trickled through. A flock of 6 visited the bird feeders on 11/2. This week also brought sporadic sightings of Pine Grosbeak! A southeast wind on 10/28 produced two flyby groups for a daily total of 21.
Pine Grosbeak. Photo by Skye Haas
Apart from finches, songbirds have become scarce in the woods. Roaming groups of Blue Jays and Red-breasted Nuthatches are still present. Some Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets will remain as winter residents.
Brown Creeper. Photo by Oliver Kew
American Tree Sparrow are now the only migrant sparrow observed in considerable numbers. A few Dark-eyed Junco and White-crowned Sparrows still linger at the feeders. A late Clay-colored Sparrow was observed along memory lane on 10/28.
Clay-colored Sparrow. Photo by Oliver Kew
A major highlight for the week was a gorgeous Yellow-throated Warbler, found in the woods by Talus Rutgers on 10/30. It stayed in close company to a group of four (!) Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. This is the 8th eBird record for the point. The only other warbler species observed was a handful of Yellow-rumped.
Yellow-throated Warbler. Photo by Talus Rutgers
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are a late fall specialty at Whitefish Point. Their nasally calls are a constant presence around the parking lot. It has been over three weeks since the last reported sighting anywhere else in the entire state of Michigan. It won’t be long now before conditions at the point become too harsh for this species.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Photo by Oliver Kew
This has been a quiet fall season for Black-capped Chickadees. Daily counts are barely creeping above double digits. Fingers crossed that a recent increase in activity helps produce a Boreal Chickadee. Fall records of Boreal Chickadee are particularly uncommon (2 in the last 10 years), compared to spring.
Black-capped Chickadee. Photo by Oliver Kew
The second Spruce Grouse of the season was a young male found by Linda Ar on 10/31. He provided great views for a group on one of our guided bird walks as it foraged right off the main boardwalk!
Spruce Grouse. Photo by Skye Haas
Spruce Grouse. Video by Oliver Kew
A singing Eastern Bluebird lingered around the museum/parking area on 11/1 and 11/2. Fall sightings at the point are infrequent. Notable flights are recorded during the spring count in late May.
Eastern Bluebird. Photo by Oliver Kew
It has been a fantastic season for Townsend’s Solitaire! This species has been recorded almost daily this week. On 10/28, three (!) were foraging closely together in a single binocular view along memory lane. That afternoon, a pair decided to take a bath in the new water feature!
Townsend’s Solitaire in the water feature. Video by Oliver Kew
The end of the season is approaching fast! Only two weeks remain until our fall counts officially end on November 15th. Remember to check Trektellen.org to see live updates for the fall waterbird and morning flight counts. Enjoy some scenery photos from this week and take a peek at our updated sightings board.
Recent Sightings Whiteboard. Photo by Oliver Kew
Lakeside dune grass. Photo by Kelly Foster
Walking in the woods. Photo by Oliver Kew
Rainbow at the Waterbird Station. Photo by Oliver Kew
Oliver Kew, Fall Field Ornithologist
Featured Photo: Red Crossbill by O. Kew
Track the morning flight counts on Trektellen.
Keep up with the 2026 Fall Field Ornithologist’s weekly blog posts and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X).
Join Oliver for one of his WPBO Migratory Bird Walks offered every weekend through November 15. Learn more: wpbo.org/wpbobirdwalks/
Oliver Kew: 2026 Fall Field Ornithologist
Oliver is a passionate naturalist from Petoskey, Michigan. He worked for Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch as a waterbird counter for seven seasons. Oliver graduated from Michigan State University in 2017 with a B.S. in Zoo & Aquarium Science. His previous roles include working as an Animal Husbandry Technician and Zookeeper Aide, where he helped maintain large collections of exotic birds and reptiles. Originally from Coventry, England, Oliver developed an immense appreciation for the natural world through his family of foresters. He loves exploring the shorelines of northern Michigan in pursuit of exciting and unexpected birding experiences and is honored to help convey the importance of Whitefish Point as a migration pathway. When he is not birdwatching, Oliver enjoys playing disc golf, looking for insects and plants, and spending time with his two cats.
