Migration Counts

As the saying goes: April showers bring May raptors. This past April brought its fair share of precipitation (in the form of rain and snow) and opposing northwest headwinds. In spite of less favorable conditions during certain blocks of the month, the raptor count was able to complete the month with an above-average monthly total [...]

The shift into the third week of the spring raptor count was characterized by a consistent block of north winds and precipitation, yielding 548 raptor migrants (compared to the previous week of 1,933). The first two days (April 18 and 19) saw blustery northwest winds churning in off of the lake with minimal raptor [...]

As November rolls in, that means we have almost reached the end of the fall waterbird count. Even though there has yet to be snow that has stayed on the ground, the water and woods at the Point are dominated by winter species, including Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Common Merganser. Winter finch [...]

Greater Scaup. Photo by Alec Olivier The recent week has continued to prove that October is the month for migrating waterbirds. Long-tailed Ducks continue to migrate in notable numbers, with several days over 1,000 recently. Slow days comprise around 200–300 Long-tailed Ducks, which for any other species is a great day. Common [...]