Highlights: YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, 6000+ birds
WEATHER: The morning started out with very little wind and a thick layer of haze/fog. Later, winds were very light out of the south and although visibility wasn't terrible, the horizon was never very clear. Temperatures ranged from 14-20 Celsius.
DUCKS & GEESE: Migration was very heavy today! Most notable were the huge counts of Aythya species (3000+). A surprising 864 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were also counted. Overall, a wide range of species were seen including AMERICAN WIGEON, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD, GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP, and RING-NECKED DUCK. Over 70 CANADA GEESE were also counted. Both SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER had numbers over 160. Some of the late fall species are hinting an arrival with COMMON GOLDENEYE (5), BUFFLEHEAD (7), and LONG-TAILED DUCKS (4) being seen today.
LOONS & GREBES: Over 120 COMMON LOONS and over 25 RED-THROATED LOONS were counted today. Also, over 120 RED-NECKED GREBES also passed the point today.
SHOREBIRDS: Both BLACK-BELLIED and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER were seen today. A GREATER YELLOWLEGS passed the point early in the day and a single DUNLIN came in late in the count.
GULLS/JAEGERS: No jaegers were seen today. Fifteen BONAPARTE'S GULLS came by during 3 hours of the count.
Three SANDHILL CRANES came in off the lake which was rather unexpected.
A YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO flew out to the point several different times again today, sometimes landing on the bare beach. Some of the other species seen from the point today included EVENING GROSBEAK, PILEATED WOODPECKER, PALM WARBLER, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, HORNED LARK, SAVANNAH SPARROW, DOWNY and HAIRY WOODPECKERS.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is calling for a 30% chance of rain during the morning, patchy fog, and light southeast winds.
Good Birding,
Cory Gregory
arcticory@gmail.com
Waterbird Counter
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