8 October 2007

Highlights: PARASITIC JAEGER (2), BLACK SCOTER (1)

WEATHER: I shouldn't have mentioned the fog yesterday, it was way worse today! For the first 6 hours of the count, the water was not even visible. Winds were calm or very light out of the south and temperatures ranged from 15-20 Celsius. Finally, the fog lifted for the last two hours and skies eventually started to clear.

DUCKS & GEESE: It was a miracle that any ducks were tallied today considering the conditions. However, after the fog lifted, several small batches of birds came by including nearly 250 CANADA GEESE. A WOOD DUCK also came in with one of the goose flocks. A couple AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and GREATER SCAUP were counted. All three scoters were seen; SURF SCOTER (15), WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (240), and BLACK SCOTER (1). Flocks of LONG-TAILED DUCK are starting to form, over 130 birds were counted in the last couple hours. The first HOODED MERGANSER of the season was tallied today in addition to many RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and a single COMMON GOLDENEYE.

LOONS & GREBES: Nearly 100 COMMON LOONS were tallied during the last couple hours in addition to a small handful of RED-THROATED LOONS. Less than 10 RED-NECKED GREBES were counted even though 8 HORNED GREBES were counted.

SHOREBIRDS: Five species were seen today: AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (6 landed just after the count as well), BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING, DUNLIN, and WILSON'S SNIPE.

JAEGERS: Two different light-morph PARASITIC JAEGERS came by the point within 10 minutes of each other during the last hour of the count. The first was in a classic adult plumage, complete with a dark throat band and very nicely pointed retricies. The second jaeger, most likely an advanced third year bird, was the same as the first jaeger but different in that it totally lacked a throat band.

Some of the other birds around the shack today included PILEATED WOODPECKER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, PEREGRINE FALCON, SAVANNAH SPARROW, HORNED LARK, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, and AMERICAN PIPIT.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is calling for rain and southwest winds.

Thanks for checking in,
Cory Gregory
arcticory@gmail.com
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