Fall Waterbird Count 10/14 – 10/20: We’re Lesser Scaup Maxing
Somehow, it’s already mid-October and although it has been an odd fall with the El Nino year, we have seen some recent changes at Whitefish Point. On Thursday the 15th, a front that was [...]
Fall Field Ornithologist Update: Week 10
Winter finch activity was a major highlight during morning flights. Pine Siskin remains the most numerous migrant. Over 2.5k were tallied in a two hour push on 10/15. Strong movements of Purple Finch have [...]
Fall Waterbird Count 10/7 – 10/13
The last week at Whitefish Point has been pretty slow overall, with a lot of strong winds and rain that has kept migration to a minimum. Strong 40mph winds on the 10th brought in [...]
Fall Field Ornithologist Update: Week 9
The birding was tough going this week! Strong, gusty winds of late fall have officially arrived. Windspeeds did not drop below 15mph for the entire week, often exceeding 25mph. Thankfully, it is difficult to [...]
Fall Waterbird Count 9/30 – 10/6
October has brought some cooler weather and some very strong winds. October 1st was bananas. Over 5,000 passerines came in off the lake, including over 2,000 juncos! Several other species such as Hermit and [...]
Fall Field Ornithologist Update: Week 8
This week was incredible for both songbird and waterbird movement! Winds finally shifted from calm southerlies to a prolonged west/northwest, alongside a strong cold front. Favorable conditions have a dramatic effect on productivity during [...]