Sunday, August 31, 2008

Highlights: Jaegers

WEATHER: Another pleasant day at the point. Sunny, with 10-15mph winds out of the south, and temps in the upper 70's.

WATERFOWL: A handful of Red-necked Grebes,and 3 Horned Grebes was just about it.

SHOREBIRDS: Low numbers, only 3 Baird's, 2 Least, 1 Semipalmated Plover, and 7 Sanderlings.

JAEGERS; Three Jaegers where seen today. At dawn I had a adult Jaeger fly around the tip and into the bay, where it landed on the water and I lost it. Just before 9:00, a juvenal light morph, LONG-TAILED JAEGER came flying down the shoreline. Just before the double stacked logs it turned offshore and headed out into the lake, and then turned, and flew north back up the shoreline and I lost it. In the 4th hour a intermediate type juvenal was seen well offshore working its way south.

WEATHER; Things are supposed to hold steady for the next couple days, before a front comes through later in the week.

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Saturday, August 30, 2008

August 30, 2008

Highlights: Jaeger Sp., Whimbrels.

WEATHER: A beautiful day at the point! sunny, with light winds out of the South at dawn, then shifting to the North late in the morning.

WATERFOWL: A decent movement of RN Grebes today, with 809 being recorded during the count period (This evening we counted 770 more heading south). Other waterbirds included; WW Scoter, BW & GW Teal, and Am. Wigeon. Loon numbers are still low, but we did have the first RT Loons of the season today.

SHOREBIRDS: The highlight of the day where 2 calling Whimbrels that flew south, past the point in the third and fitfh hours of the count. Shorebird numbers were down from earlier in the week, with only 7 Sanderlings, 2 Semipalmated, 2 Baird's, and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper (after the count), and 2 Black-bellied Plovers. Sadly, for the first day in over a week, I did not have a Buff-breasted Sandpiper today.

Jaegers, Terns; Two Jaegers where seen today, one Juvenal flew south in the fifth hour, and one distant Jaeger flying north in the sixth hour. The first Black Terns of the season came by today, with 1 in the first hour, and 3 in the second hour.

Other birds around the point today, included a juvenal Northern Goshawk, fly over Crossbills, and a Merlin. Overall it was a nice day to be at the Point!

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Friday, August 29, 2008

August 29, 2008

WEATHER: The day started of bleakly, with fog so dense I couldnt see the end of the point from the Shack, eventually it cleared off and became a nice sunny day with light NW winds.

WATERFOWL:It wasn't too bad of a day for waterfowl. 1327 RN Grebes went past today, including 600 in the fifth hour! Ducks moving included Mallards, Blue and Green-winged Teal, Am. Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, and Northern Shoveler.

SHOREBIRDS: 1 Buff-breasted, 4 Baird's, and 13 Sanderlings continue to be present around the point.

OTHER BIRDS; Chris found a Black-backed Woodpecker in the woods that made a brief flight by the Shack in the morning, as well as a young Northern Goshawk that spent much of the afternoon hunting along the tree line.

The forecast is calling for NW winds tomorrow, so the migration should be nice.

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Thursday, August 28, 2008

August 28,2008

WEATHER: Another slow day due to strong south winds. Gray skies throughout the day, and rain after the count made for somewhat of a dreary day.

WATERFOWL: Not much was moving, 5 RN Grebes, 5 Common Loons, and 5 Mallards were it.

SHOREBIRDS: 1 Buff-breasted, 2 Baird's, 1 Pectoral, 2 Semipalmated Sandipipers, and 19 Sanderlings.

OTHER BIRDS; The highlight of the day was a young Parasitic Jaeger that buzzed the shack in pursuit of a Ring-billed Gull just after 9:00 this morning. After hitting the gulls for a bit, it went offshore and we lost track of it. Check the sightings blog for Chris's picture of it.

The winds are supposed to shift around tonight and be out of the Northwest tomorrow. If that happens things should really start moving!

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

August 27, 2008

WEATHER: Another nice day here. Sunny, with a steady south wind, and temps in the mid 70's.

WATERFOWL: Nonexistent, 1 Common Loon, 1 RN Grebe, 1 Mallard.

SHOREBIRDS: Lower numbers today compared to earlier in the week. 1 Buff-breasted, 1 Baird's, 3 Semipalmated, 1 Least, and the first Pectoral Sandpiper of the season.

Terns: 2 Caspian Terns made an appearance at the point in the last hour of the count.


Winds are supposed to hold steady out of the South for the next 24 hours or so...

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

August 26, 2008

WEATHER: A pleasent day at the point, very light South winds throughout the day, mid 70's, and lots of sun.

WATERFOWL: 139 Red-necked Grebes, 2 Horned Grebes, 10 Common Loons and 2 GW Teal, a little better then expected considering the winds.

SHOREBIRDS: More of the same, 1 Buff-breasted, 6 Baird's, Semipalmated, and Least Sandipipers, 1 Ruddy Turnstone, and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs.

OTHER BIRDS; The highlight of the day was a WESTERN KINGBIRD that spent about a hour flycatching at the tip this morning, we last saw it around 10:00 a.m. as it worked north along the beach. I also had Nashville, Palm, and YR Warblers, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Chimney Swifts around the point today.

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Monday, August 25, 2008

August 25, 2008

WEATHER: A very bright sunny day, warm, with very light NW breezes.

WATERBIRDS: Despite the tail wind, only a trickle of birds moved through today. Diversity was good though, with eight species of ducks, including Gadwall, WW Scoter, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and the first Lesser Scaup of the season.

SHOREBIRDS: 2 Black-bellied Plovers where briefly at the tip at dawn. 1 Buff-breasted, 6 Baird's, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 2 Ruddy Turnstone where around at some point in the day.

Southwinds are forecasted for the next day or so...

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Sunday, August 24, 2008

August 24, 2008

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, cool, and steady NW winds 15-20 m.p.h.

WATERBIRDS: Due to the winds out of the NW, Red-necked Grebes made a good push today, with 1,508 heading south, along with 7 WW Scoters, and a handful of Teal.

SHOREBIRDS: Not much around the point at the start of the day. But by the last hour, 2 Buff-breasted, 10 Baird's, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 1 Ruddy Turnstone had appeared at the tip.

The NW winds are supposed to continue through tomorrow, which will hopefully keep things moving!

Good Birding,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Saturday, August 23, 2008

August 23, 2008

WEATHER: The day started off with South winds and gray skies, then the front hit with West winds, and thunderstorms. by early afternoon the winds had shifted to the NW and the sun had come out.

WATERBIRDS: Slow early on, but in the last couple hours of the count things picked up, and I ended the day with 118 RN Grebes, 84 BW Teal, 8 GW Teal, and 1 Black Duck.

SHOREBIRDS: once agian shorebirds where the highlight for today, for with Buff-breasted, Baird's, Semipalmated, Least, Spotted, Solitary Sandpipers, and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs. The Piping Plover was once again hanging around the tip.

Other birds around the Waterbird Shack included a Northern Goshawk, 3 Bald Eagles, Nashville, BTG, and Tennessee Warblers.

Northwinds tomorrow!

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Friday, August 22, 2008

August 22, 2008

WEATHER: Cloudy, with rain off and on for most of the count, and a steady south wind.

WATERFOWL:1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Common Goldeneye, 3 Common Loons where the only migrants.

SHOREBIRDS: The highlight for today was a Buff-breasted Sandpiper seen around the tip early in the count. The Piping Plover from the past couple days was still around, and spent most of the day on the south side of the tip. Numbers have grown slightly for the rest of the peeps, with 11 Least, and 4 Baird's Sandpipers now at the tip.


Winds are forcasted to shift around tomorrow and end the day out of the Northwest. If that actually happens, then tomorrow afternoon, and Sunday could be really good.

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Thursday, August 21, 2008

August 21, 2008

WEATHER: Pretty much like yesterday, steady South winds throughout the day, low 70's, and lots of sun.

WATERFOWL: 1 Horned Grebe, 17 Red-necked Grebes, and 5 Common Loons where the only migrants.

SHOREBIRDS: The Piping Plover is still around, along with the Sanderlings, Semipalmated, Least and, Baird's Sandpiper's from yesterday.

RAPTORS: I had 7 species of raptors around the shack today; 6 Bald Eagles, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Broad-winged Hawk, 1 Merlin, 2 Am. Kestrels, 1 Northern Harrier, and 2 Northern Goshawks. It was a rough day to be a songbird.

Enjoy the sun,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

August 20, 2008

WEATHER: Today was another nice day, with highs in the mid 70's, sunny and a steady 10mph wind out of the south.

WATERBIRDS: Despite the south winds 52 Red-necked Grebes flew south today, along with the first Blue-winged Teal, and Bufflehead of the season.

SHOREBIRDS: A relatively good day for shorebirds, with 6 Sanderling, 3 Baird's, 20 Semipalmated, 1 Least, 2 Semipalmated, and 1 Piping Plover working the south side of the tip. And 3 flyby Solitary Sandpipers


It seemed like a decent day for non-waterbirds too, with 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Am. Kestrel, and 8 Broad-winged Hawks, 4 Cliff, and 1 Bank Swallow, and 3 Nashville Warblers.

Hopefully we can get some Northwinds soon,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

August 19, 2008

WEATHER: Today was a pleasant day, with highs in the upper 60's, sunny and a light breeze out of the ESE.

WATERBIRDS: Exceptionally slow. 5 Northern Shovelers, 2 RB Mergansers, 1 Common Merganser, and 5 Common Loons were it for the day.

SHOREBIRDS: It was a decent day for shorebirds, with 2 Baird's, 15 Semipalmated, and 1 Least Sandpiper. 1 Ruddy Turnstone, 5 Semipalmated Plovers, and 1 Piping Plover in the 8th hour of the count.

Other birds around the Waterbird Shack included a Northern Harrier, 2 WW Crossbills, 2 Cliff Swallows, 5 Broad-winged, and 2 Bald Eagles.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better,

Tim Baerwald
Waterbird Counter