Migration Counts

It's been one great October thus far! The waterbird highlights are coming every day or two and the woods are producing some great birds! In terms of duck numbers we have had a couple big aythya, scoter, and Long-tailed Duck days. Today was rather spectacular with over 11000 Long-tailed Ducks migrating past the point. The [...]

For the fall season, October is usually the best month at Whitefish Point in terms of quality and quantity. And this October has been no different! Scoters and scaup have been moving by in good numbers while rarities such as Red and Red-necked Phalarope and Sabine's Gull have been recorded. The woods have also produced; [...]

It's been a relatively slow September in terms of numbers of migrating waterbirds. But, the number of jaegers coming by the point has been great! So, if you're a true "lakewatcher" this is a great season for you. We're at about 45-50 total, including evening flights. Luckily, all three species have been represented during the [...]

The fall waterbird count at Whitefish Point kicked off on August 15th. The count has had it's ups and downs. August was well above average in terms of numbers but the south winds to start September, have slowed migration. The August highlights included a flock of 5 Stilt Sandpiper (which tied the season record, in [...]

Here are the totals for all of the waterbirds counted during the standardized 8-hour count at Whitefish Point in Spring 2016 (April 15 – May 31): 1 Snow Goose 3697 Canada Goose (above average seasonal total) 4 Trumpeter Swan 3 Trumpeter/Tundra Swan 18 Wood Duck 4 Gadwall 1 Eurasian Wigeon (first WPBO record; present at [...]

Shorebird diversity at the point has been on the upswing the last few days, with Black-bellied Plover and Short-billed Dowitcher seen flying past the tip on Wednesday, May 11, and Semipalmated Plover and Dunlin spotted on May 12. While these species have already been seen in numbers downstate, it is always special to see them [...]

May 8 was a great day to experience Red-throated Loon migration at Whitefish Point. Flocks of as many as 12 birds flew by several times, and were observed not only from the waterbird count site, but from the parking lot and the hawk deck! One flock of four that flew over the lakeshore by the [...]