The first four days of the count this year have been off to a great start! On August 16, more than 200 Ring-billed Gulls moved past the Point, along with smaller numbers of American Herring and Bonaparte’s Gulls. A first-calendar-year Lesser Black-backed Gull was an uncommon sight among them. The first day of the [...]
The great thing about the end of the season here is that things haven't completely slowed down, and there are still plenty of birds to see. Early mornings can reveal a beach teeming with shorebirds, along with several species of waterfowl still moving through. The morning of May 27 brought light winds, fairly clear [...]
The end of the count may be right around the corner, yet some of the best action was only beginning during this observation period. Starting on May 20, we were met with moderate northwest winds which overall led to reduced numbers for this time of the year. However, with this high pressure overhead, it [...]
We have reached the heart of May, bringing warmer temperatures and even more new birds! May 13 started slow though as steady winds out of the northwest essentially halted most bird movement. However, I was still treated to the striking white wings of both of our white-winged gulls! A very clean looking adult Iceland [...]
This observation period continued to bring new arrivals both over the water and back over land, as well as some exciting counts. This post kicks off on the overcast morning of May 6, where upon arriving at the station, I was greeted by a first-cycle Glaucous Gull amongst a few other gulls sitting along [...]
April turned into May during this observation period, with the birds continuing to tell the tale of seasons changing, despite the weather not. April 29 is the first day this post will cover, another day dominated by westerly winds. Moderate numbers of waterfowl were detected, and this was the first day of noticeable loon [...]
As we rounded the second official week of the spring waterbird count, the signs of spring continue to show themselves. This is indicated by the disappearance of much of the ice along the shoreline and the influx of waterbirds taking advantage of these open waters. This was noticeable on April 22 when a Long-tailed [...]
Welcome back as we kick off another year at the spring waterbird count! This is Aaron Graham reporting, and I am thrilled for my first season at Whitefish Point as this year’s spring waterbird counter. I have been doing migratory counts for several seasons now with this being my first strictly waterbird count. Counting [...]
The 2025 fall waterbird count at Whitefish Point has officially ended. The last few days of counting were a reminder of why the season ends when it does. With just a few waterbirds moving, it’s encouraging to think that we have successfully documented the bulk of waterbird migration moving past the point this fall. Even [...]
The gradual changing of the seasons at Whitefish Point is reaching its finale. The dunes and beach grasses are now covered in snow, with the sand beneath only visible where footprints leave tracks. There was an influx of visitors on Monday for the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Parked cars lined the road [...]
