Highlights: Pacific Loon, Sabine’s Gull, 
Red & Red-necked Phalaropes and Grasshopper Sparrow

       After an extended period of easterly and southerly winds, a short period of west and north winds finally stirred things up a bit bringing some excitement to the Point. As per usual, many of the recent highlights came from the waterbird count. A group of three Harlequin Ducks made a close pass by the tip on 10/9. That same day Red and Red-necked Phalaropes were spotted out on the lake where they remained until at least dusk. The season’s first Sabine’s Gull flew by on 10/10 and the first Pacific Loon made a close pass today. Other sightings from the waterbird shack include Northern Goshawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Lapland Longspur.

        The best find in the woods was the Points fifth Grasshopper Sparrow found on 10/8. Other highlights around the woods include Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-billed Cuckoo, Northern Saw-whet Owl, White-breasted Nuthatch, Gray Catbird and Brown Thrasher. We continue to see good numbers of  Golden-crowned Kinglets along with a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets most days. The finch numbers have not increased much since our last post, but we are regularly hearing modest numbers of flyover Purple Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin along with the very occasional White-winged Crossbill. We have unfortunately experienced very low numbers of White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows with just one nice push of them so far this fall. Hopefully we will get another push of them before their migration period has passed.  

grsp-10-8-16-wpThe Point’s fifth Grasshopper Sparrow.

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American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler &
Gadwall

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Northern Pintail, American Wigeon &
Green-winged Teal

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Black Scoter

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We were able to show this Northern Saw-whet Owl
to a few very lucky and excited small groups of visitors
yesterday that had come to the Point specifically hoping
to find one of these little beauties.

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Golden-crowned Kinglet with a meal.

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It always seems odd, but mid October into November is often a good
time to find several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers at the Point.

Chris Neri