9 September 2007

Highlights: PARASITIC JAEGER (1), WHIMBREL (1), BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (3), FORSTER'S TERN (1)

WEATHER: We had rain showers for the first three hours while winds were very light from the south. Later, the wind picked up as it changed to northerly. Temperatures ranged from 15-18 Celsius and skies remained very cloudy making visibility great.

DUCKS & GEESE: Most notable in this category was a good push of CANADA GEESE (600+). We also had a couple of MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and GREEN-WINGED TEAL. A SCAUP and a couple WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were also tallied.

LOONS & GREBES: Nearly 150 COMMON LOONS and 7 RED-THROATED LOONS passed by at a pretty constant rate. A couple of HORNED GREBES passed by mid-count while over 85+ RED-NECKED GREBES were seen.

SHOREBIRDS: It was a good day for shorebirds at the point with 10 species tallied. The highlights included a lone WHIMBREL, 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and 3 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. A couple BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, a SEMIPALMTED PLOVER, and 5 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen in addition to a couple RUDDY TURNSTONES, SANDERLING, LEAST SANDPIPER, and BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.

JAEGERS/TERNS: Our 11th jaeger of the season came today and put on a show by chasing a gull for a bit. This juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER looked like an intermediate between intermediate and light morph (it was distinctly lighter than the Parasitic Jaeger yesterday). A juvenile FORSTER'S TERN came by in the 2nd hour which represents the 2nd sighting this fall.

RAPTORS: A PEREGRINE FALCON terrorized the point for several minutes early in the count while a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, MERLIN, NORTHERN HARRIER, BALD EAGLE, and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK were also seen today.

Some other birds tallied from the shack included LAPLAND LONGSPUR, AMERICAN PIPIT, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, and SAVANNAH SPARROW.

It looks as if the winds will remain light out of the north through the night and into tomorrow.

We'll see what drops in!

Cory Gregory
arcticory@gmail.com
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