Michigan Audubon Office: (517) 580-7364|birds@michiganaudubon.org

Field Notes

This blog is your go-to for recent sightings at the Point, including both the usual suspects and the rare species that have been spotted, more in-depth looks at the habitats found here, educational programming being offered, and more. The unique juxtaposition of land and water at the Point funnels many birds through WPBO and over 340 species have been identified at the Point. Be sure to check this blog for regular updates!

Zombie Chick is Zombie Dad!

...and, he has been since July 3. Hannah (who you’ll recognize as WPBO's summer assistant bander) and I were enjoying one of those rare times of the day that we’re both awake with an afternoon beach walk. We paused at the nest exclosure; when I’d been out earlier that day, the adult plovers were still [...]

2020-07-21T17:13:37-04:00July 21st, 2020|Field Notes|Comments Off on Zombie Chick is Zombie Dad!
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Early Migrations

The ephemerality of the shoreline at Whitefish Point is subtle, except to those who spend significant time there. Every windy day takes away some beach in exchange for new driftwood deposits--but if you did not walk here regularly, this would be difficult to discern. The passage of shorebirds contributes a further element to the changeability [...]

2020-07-16T14:02:57-04:00July 13th, 2020|Field Notes|Comments Off on Early Migrations
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The Hatch

There are certain subjects that dominate conversation around WPBO. Weather, migrations, and our latest spoils from out-of-town grocery hauls are trusty standbys. I’ve noticed, though, that we’ve added some summer specials to the mix, like the tenuous relationship between black bears and bird feeders, and the mosquito hatch.  This is, actually, my first full summer [...]

2020-07-07T15:07:46-04:00July 6th, 2020|Field Notes|Comments Off on The Hatch
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WPBO’s 2020 Plovers-in-Residence

Piping Plover monitoring at WPBO has ushered in a change of pace for me: though I work just a few hundred yards from my old station at the waterbird shack, I now spend a good portion of my time intently looking at just two birds when, before, I spent my time intently looking for all [...]

2020-07-07T15:03:13-04:00June 23rd, 2020|Field Notes|Comments Off on WPBO’s 2020 Plovers-in-Residence
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Tropical Storm Cristobal Birding: WPBO Early Summer Update

Last week, birders throughout the Great Lakes region went out and kept vigil for the wayward birds we hoped might be transported by the fragments of Tropical Storm Cristobal. (The link takes you to a great Gizmodo piece that highlights how unusual a tropical storm on Lake Superior is.) It’s crazy to think about, but [...]

2020-06-16T14:36:36-04:00June 16th, 2020|Field Notes|Comments Off on Tropical Storm Cristobal Birding: WPBO Early Summer Update
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Lazuli Bunting, Birdathon, and Season’s End – 05/25/19 to 05/31/19

Lazuli Bunting - Birdathon Birds - Black-backed Woodpecker - Northern Cardinal The biggest news out of Whitefish Point this season is the first Point and third state record for a Lazuli Bunting observed on May 28, 2019, found by Point regular Dan Elliot. Lazuli Bunting are a western species that are strongly related to Indigo [...]

2019-05-31T18:11:38-04:00May 31st, 2019|Field Notes|Comments Off on Lazuli Bunting, Birdathon, and Season’s End – 05/25/19 to 05/31/19
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Warblers Here, Swifts There, Blue Jays Everywhere: 05/17/19 to 05/24/19

Highlights: Warblers - Chimney Swift - Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Blue Jay A Yellow-rumped Warbler hawking (catching flying insects on the wing). Photo by Charlotte R. Catalano Warbler migration has finally begun in earnest! Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, Wilson’s, and Canada Warbler have all shown in the [...]

2019-05-31T16:02:30-04:00May 31st, 2019|Field Notes|Comments Off on Warblers Here, Swifts There, Blue Jays Everywhere: 05/17/19 to 05/24/19
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Canada Lynx at WPBO

On May 5, 2019, WPBO hawk counter Krista Botting and visitors to the hawk platform were greeted with a view of a rare visitor: a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). The wild cat wandered out of the tree line to the northwest of the platform, sat under a large white pine for a moment, then carried [...]

2019-05-18T13:23:29-04:00May 18th, 2019|Field Notes|Comments Off on Canada Lynx at WPBO
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Waning and Waxing: 05/08/19 to 05/16/19

Highlights: Yellow-headed Blackbird - Hudsonian Godwit - Field Sparrow - Blue Jay Migration - Increasing Warbler Diversity - Sparrow Migration - Indigo Bunting There has been a steady influx of birds and a few new species at the Point. Particular species of note include Yellow-headed-Blackbird (May 9), Field Sparrow (May 14), and Hudsonian Godwit [...]

2019-05-17T17:44:11-04:00May 17th, 2019|Field Notes|Comments Off on Waning and Waxing: 05/08/19 to 05/16/19
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Avifauna Influx: 05/02/19 to 05/07/19

Between May 5 and May 7, 24 new bird species for the season were documented at the Point, with the majority appearing on May 5 following a night and half day of southeast winds. The first Field Sparrow of the season. The sparrows are not common at the Point, so this one was [...]

2019-05-10T19:53:03-04:00May 10th, 2019|Field Notes|Comments Off on Avifauna Influx: 05/02/19 to 05/07/19
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