Migration Counts

This past week has been quite interesting. Visitors to the Point, including Michigan Audubon's September tour participants, were treated to incredibly good weather for the last week of September. While the weather and temperatures have been unseasonably pleasant, this prolonged stretch of east-southeasterly breeze has essentially stalled much of the major pushes of waterbird [...]

This past week featured the most exciting and dynamic migration activity so far this season at Whitefish Point! Pileated Woodpecker in active migration passing by the Waterbird Shack. Photo by Mike McBrien. The dabbling duck diversity is coming into full swing, with some nice flights of wigeon and pintails. This past week [...]

The week started with one of the largest pushes of waterbirds so far this fall. A strong northeasterly breeze blowing down from the southern Hudson Bay brought an enormous flight of Canada Geese on Sept. 7. A few flocks were evident in the early morning. However, once 10 o'clock came around, migrant groups began [...]

This past week has been highlighted by an early fall heat wave that stretched across much of the Midwest, bringing balmy temperatures reaching almost 80 degrees on at least four days. On multiple days, the strong southerly breeze accompanying this heat wave had thwarted southbound migration, with waterbirds reluctant to spend excess energy fighting [...]

Over the past week, the waterbird count has experienced a couple slower days of migration but has also been highlighted by the arrival of several new species and a few interesting sightings. Red-necked Grebes continue moving in good numbers and have been the most prevalent species on flight days. August 25 showcased a large [...]

This past week was bookended by two strong weather fronts, each bringing an interesting array of waterbirds to the area. A powerful cold front passed across the region on the morning of Aug. 17. Down-pouring rain and a strong southerly breeze met me upon arrival at the waterbird shack. After three hours of pelting [...]

The fall 2023 waterbird count got off to a strong start with some excellent weather and pleasantly warm temperatures for the first two days of the season. Many visitors to the Point this week (including myself) could be seen in short-sleeved shirts and shorts, enjoying the pleasant conditions. Waterbird migration so far has been [...]

The last week of the 2023 spring waterbird count has been defined by two things: the mosquito hatch and the Canada Goose molt flight. In their own right, both of these happenings are fairly remarkable natural phenomena.  We've got two periods of heavy Canada Goose movement at Whitefish Point. The first is towards the [...]

Late May is just a time of year that feels good. It’s sunny; it’s warm. Black flies and mosquitoes have emerged down in Paradise, but the Point is bite-free for a couple of days or so. It’s one of the few genuinely comfortable times we get at a place that, of all this continent’s bird observatories, [...]