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 FALL
2006 JOURNALS ARCHIVE
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FALL 2006
STAFF
Waterbird Counter Tom Auer, August 15 to
November 22. Count is from August 15 to November 15
Field Ornithologist Liana May, September 1 to November
22. Census is from September 1 to November 15
Head Owl Bander Keith Bagnall, September 14 to November
7. Banding is from September 15 to October 31.
Assistant Owl Bander Erin Burke, September 14 to
November 7. Banding is from September 15 to October 31.
Fall Owl Update, November 15, 2006
The season finished up in
grand fashion and has amounted to quite a remarkable and memorable
experience. During the last week of banding, we saw a large influx of
owls that pushed us over the 300 mark! To be exact, we banded 324
Northern Saw-whet Owls, a low count of 4 Barred Owls, an unprecedented
high of 15 Long-Eared Owls, and not a single Boreal Owl. We also
caught an additional 7 Saw-whets that had been banded at sites not
affiliated with WPBO. One was banded at Cheboygan State Park in April
2004, another at the Yellowwood State Forest about 50 miles south of
Indianapolis in November 2004, and a third at Point LaBarbe, just west
of the Mackinac bridge, in October 2004. The other 4 are of unkown
origin at this time. We also netted 2 Saw-whet Owls that were banded
at Whitefish Point in previous seasons. We caught the first on
September 21st and it was originally banded during the first night of
this years experimental summer banding by Chris Neri on July 23rd. The
second was caught on October 26th and was initially banded by me,
Keith Bagnall, on September 23, 2005. This bird is unique because in
the three times it has been captured at Whitefish Point (twice in 2005
and once this year), it has never been caught in nets near the
audio-lure. In conclusion, Erin and I feel extremely lucky to have
been the owl banders at WPBO this year and to have witnessed such a
spectacle of migration. It truly was the year of the Saw-whet Owl!
Keith Bagnall , Head Owl Bander
Waterbird Update, November 14, 2006
The dam finally burst on the
more northerly gulls on Sunday. There was definately a "movement" of
gulls, as birds were constantly coming in off the lake, landing on the
tip for a brief while, before departing into the southeast wind. It
started with a first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL, which shortcut the tip and
cruised down the beach past the harbor. A first-winter ICELAND GULL
put in a brief stop at the tip not long after. Then, it slowed down
until the afternoon, when around 2:20, a different first-winter
ICELAND GULL was spotted on the tip and while watching this bird, I
saw an adult winter LITTLE GULL zip past the tip. It worked out into
the bay and made some zig-zags before dissapearing to the southeast.
As well, at least three first-winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS were
present as well. On Monday, a PURPLE SANDPIPER was seen briefly on the
tip before flying off into the continuing southeast wind. Then,
Tuesday, a THAYER'S GULL was seen flying along the beach early in the
count and an AMERICAN COOT was found at the harbor in the afternoon.
Tom Auer Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Field Ornithologist Update, November 5-November 11
Bird numbers and variety has been on a decline and we
have seen the same species consistently all week. American Goldfinches
are the dominant birds on the point, mixed with a few redpolls, Pine
Siskins, grosbeak, and Purple Finches. The White-winged doves are
still hanging around the feeders. There has been three Black-backed
Woodpeckers sighted. A flock or two of waxwings seems to pass by every
day, but rarely lingering. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher hangs out with
the chickadees in the woods, and sometimes there is an American Tree
Sparrow or Yellow-rumped Warbler to see.
Liana Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Field Ornithologist Update, October 29-November 4
This last week has been
dominated by finches; mostly Common Redpolls, Pine Siskins, American
Goldfinch, and a handful of Pine and Evening Grosbeaks. We have
been seeing some good birds show up at the point all week. On
Nov. 1st we had a White-winged Dove appear at the feeders, then on the
4th a second one showed up. Also on the 4th a Hoary Redpoll was
spotted behind the feeders. Spruce Grouse and Sharp-tailed
Grouse are around as well. The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is still here.
Flocks of Bohemian Waxwings were present on the 30th.
A Black-legged Kittiwake (29th) and a Great
Black-backed Gull (31st) were see at the tip this week, as well as an
Ancient Murrelet, which was flying south on the 3rd.
We have been seeing roosting Long-eared Owls in the
woods and on the 4th there was a Great Gray Owl perched along the
roadside. The banders finshed up with 39 more Northern Saw-whets
this week, and setting the record for number of Saw-whets banded for a
fall season (over 300).
Liana Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Field Ornithologist Update, October 22-28
Purple Finches and Pine Siskins have been in high numbers
throughout the week, with the first large flocks of goldfinches
arriving on the 23rd. Evening Grosbeaks have been seen
throughout the week in smaller numbers. The first Pine Grosbeak of
the season was seen on the 28th, as well as the first
Boreal Chickadee of the season. A Spruce Grouse has around the point
since the 25th.
The Gnatcatcher is still on the point, and at least three
Northern Shrikes have been hanging around all week. An Orange-crowned
Warbler was seen on the 27th behind the museum. Six
Rough-legged Hawks were seen on the 25th, including one
dark-morph. Sparrow numbers have been declining as finches have been
taking over the feeder area.
Liana Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Field Ornithologist Update, October 15-21
The first of the Common Redpolls of the season came in on the 15th,
and the Purple Finches arrived on the 21st. On the 18th
we had an Eastern Meadowlark and a Red-winged Blackbird. A Northern
Shrike flew past the point on the 20th. Black-backed
Woodpeckers were seen on the 15th and the 19th.
The feeder area has been the center of action this week, mostly
full of Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows. Also seen is has
been Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows, and relatively large numbers
of Fox Sparrows. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher has still been seen around
the point up till the 20th.
Liana Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Fall Owl Update, October 22, 2006
The Fall owl season has been going extremely well this
year. As of October 22nd, we have banded 219 Northern Saw-whet Owls.
This is only the second year in the history of the project that over
200 Saw-whets have been banded. We are currently 25 owls behind the
all time high of 244, set in 1999. In addition, we have already set
the season high for Long-eared Owls with 9 banded. They were first
detected on the point on October 5th and we continued to observe and
catch them through the night of October 7th. The previous Fall record
for Long-Eareds, set in 1998, was 7 - yet we were fortunate enough to
catch 6 in one night! All of the Long-eared owls banded this year
have been birds that fledged this summer. Because the sample size of
these birds is so low each Fall, it may not be safe to assume that our
record high capture has been due to an exceptional breeding year for
Long-eared owls. This could be true, but the unprecedented influx of
them over such a short period o! f time may just be a reflection of
weather patterns that "funneled" dispersal or migration through the
area. Only 2 Barred owls have been banded so far and there has been
no sign of Boreal Owl activity at the point. The lack of Boreal Owls
is not a surprising statistic given their irruptive nature in the
region. We are on a downward swing of their well-documented pattern
of appearing in numbers every four or five years. Also of note is the
sighting of a Great Grey Owl that was around for the nights of October
5th and 6th. At one point we saw this bird perch on top of one of our
mist net poles! This is surely as close as a bander can come without
actually catching this magnificent bird.
Although our total number of captures is high this
year, we must wait until the season's end to determine an overall
"capture rate" based on the amount of time the nets were open and the
number of owls that were caught. The amount of time spent banding
varies greatly year to year because of local weather conditions (rain
and wind), so the capture rate gives us a much better baseline for
comparisons.
We still have 10 nights of banding left this season and
we are hoping for a few more surprises and good weather. Wish us
luck!
Keith Bagnall , Head Owl Bander
Waterbird Update, October 22, 2006
After mid-week doldrums, migration picked up this
weekend and was nicely capped by a last-minute-of-the-count juvenile
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, today. Jaegers are still around, including
PARASITIC JAEGERS on Monday (2) and Tuesday. As well, Jaeger species
on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and today.
A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER has been hanging around the
parking lot. Tuesday, four BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS worked the point. On
Wednesday (10/18) a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER cruised by and a GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULL was spotted on the tip.
Friday (10/20) saw the arrival of NORTHERN SHRIKE,
however the bird did not stay long. Away from the point, a GREAT GRAY
OWL was seen 7 miles west of Paradise on M-123 yesterday.
Tom Auer Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Field Ornithologist Update, October 8-14, 2006
The first Rough-legged Hawk of the season was seen on
the 8th. Two more Long-eared Owls were banded early in the
week along with 16 Northern Saw-whets, but numbers have been low from
the snow and sleet that moved in on Wednesday.
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher showed up on the 9th
and has been seen daily since. American Tree Sparrow numbers have
been increasing, along with Fox Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. The
first Snow Buntings of the season have arrived and are now on the
point in flocks of about 30.
Liana
Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Field Ornithologist Update, October 1-7, 2006
This week’s highlight was the amazing nights we had for
owls on the days surrounding the full moon. On two consecutive
nights, a Great Gray Owl was seen perched on a snag between the beach
and the gift shop. The season’s record was broken for number of
Long-eared Owls banded (eight in two days). One more Barred and 120
Northern Saw-whet Owls were banded as well.
Throughout the week the numbers of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers were
up, and a Black-backed was sighted twice. The first Bohemian Waxwings
of the season showed up on the 6th.
The kinglets numbers dropped off midweek, as did Palm
Warblers. The 3rd showed a good variety of sparrows,
including the first American Tree of the season, Fox, Song, Lincoln’s,
Swamp, Harris’, White-throated, and White-crowned. Dark-eyed Junco
numbers have been increasing throughout the week, and as White-crowned
and White-throated numbers have dropped, they are now the dominant
bird at the feeders.
Pine Siskin numbers peaked this week, seeing up to 300
a day. House Sparrows were seen at the feeder at the later end of the
week.
Liana
Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Field Ornithologist Update, October 4, 2006
The season has started with low numbers of Red-necked
Grebes, currently at about 5000 this far. Early highlights have
included nearly daily jaeger sightings, which included Long-tailed,
Parasitic, and Pomarine. September warblers included Magnolias,
Mourning, Cape May, Nashville, Black-and-white, Connecticut, and
Tennessee. Waterbird sightings of late include two Foresters Terns on
September 17th and on the 20th a Red Phalarope flew past the point.
This was followed up with a Red-necked Phalarope on the 23rd, along
with Long-tailed and Parasitic Jaegers. On the 18th a Red-headed
Woodpecker was sighted. Harris’ Sparrows arrived on the 27th along
with many White-crowned and a couple Fox. October 3rd brought American
Tree, Song, and Swamp Sparrows to the point, and the White-crowned and
Harris’ moved on. Thrushes and Cedar Waxwings were here in high
numbers the days surrounding September 25th. The owl banders have
started with wet, cold weather and band 98 Northern Saw-whet Owls of
October 4rd. One Barred Owl was banded and one moose was also caught
in the nets October 3rd
Liana
Nicole, Field Ornithologist
Waterbird Update, October 3,2006
Migration has been on and off for the last week, but the past couple
of days have been great. Yesterday, warm winds apparently brought an
intermediate juvenile POMARINE JAEGER close over the point just
minutes after the Waterfowl Count ended. It reappeared briefly today.
A PHALAROPE species was seen at the end of the count today, flying up
the shore, but was not relocated for full identification. Today also
saw the highest count of RED-THROATED LOON that the count has seen so
far. Scoters, Diving Ducks and Grebes are moving strong. BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKER was quite visible amongst large flocks (that's right,
flocks) of Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers abundant on the property today.
Yesterday, a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO moonlighted near Memory Lane for the
afternoon. A very pale first winter THAYER'S GULL was seen on the
breakwall last thursda).
Tom Auer Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, September 23, 2006
Today was exceptional in many ways. The biggest highlight was a pale
juvenile LONG-TAILED JAEGER that was joined by a dark juvenile
PARASITIC JAEGER in the morning. The bird was first spotted flying low
over the water past the tip; it then landed on the water offshore
(unfortunately out of camera range) and in a little fog. Not long
after it lit, the Parasitic joined it, creating a delightful contrast
in size, shape and coloration. Two other times in the day, the
Parasitic made a pass right over the point, heading the wrong way. In
the afternoon, close to the end of the waterbird count, a winter
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was seen feeding on the water just off the tip. A
poor photo will be posted to my blog later. Migration was stagnated
today by Southeast winds, but tomorrow they are switching to North and
Northwest for the next two days, so we're anticipating a great flight
(fingers crossed). Congratulations to Don Jennette for finally
enjoying the pleasures of a long sought life bird (LTJA)!
Tom Auer Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, September 20, 2006
A winter plumage RED PHALAROPE was seen at the point tonight, first
around 5:45, then again at 6:10. The bird was seen flying 30-40 feet
offshore with a Bonaparte's Gull and a Ring-billed Gull. It would sit
on the water occasionally, but got up and moved westward frequently.
Attempts to relocate the bird from 6:30 through dusk were
unsuccessful. If the bird is relocated tomorrow morning, I'll have
someone get a post up. There was also a stellar flight today,
including 500+ Canada Geese, 600+ Red-necked Grebe, ~100 Common Loon,
and 100+ American Wigeon.
Tom Auer, Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, September 19, 2006
Today (9/19) and the days up to it have been better for
birding at Whitefish Point. When the cold front passed today, there
was a decent flight of Common Loons. Today, three CACKLING GEESE were
seen with a flock of Canadas. Yesterday (9/18), a RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER came in and lit briefly with a flock of Blue Jays. Thrush
numbers are at a peak right now, with many Swainson's, Gray-cheeked
and Hermit. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO has been seen a couple of times in
the past three days at various places on the point. Horned Lark,
American Pipit and Lapland Longspur numbers are building on the beach
and in the grasses. Raptor diversity has been high, including three
PEREGRINE FALCONS at the point today. Likely a returning individual, a
light juvenile POMARINE JAEGER was seen last Tuesday (9/12) at very
close range. Meanwhile, unidentified JAEGERS have been seen on five
days of the past week. Two days ago (9/17), two FORSTER'S TERNS were
seen during the count. On 9/13, a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen near
the Gift shop. the count. On 9/13, a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen
near the Gift shop.
Tom Auer, Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, September 6, 2006
The point has been productive for Jaegers in the past few
days. We've had six Jaegers in the past three days. Monday had a dark
juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER that cruised right down the beach, as well
as pair of distant individuals. Yesterday, we had another bird fly
right down the beach during mid-morning, but as an intermediate
juvenile it was too difficult to determine exact species. Finally,
today saw a pair of Jaegers, one distant, while the other caught us
quite by surprise, coming the wrong way up the beach. This bird was a
small light-morph individual, but the views were too quick to make any
claims as to species. Monday had a fair movement of RED-NECKED GREBES,
with over 500. However, we're still behind for the year and there are
many more to come. Yesterday, one BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER showed up on
the beach in the afternoon and today two appeared around the same time
of the day. Today, a juvenile SORA was working the second pond
throughout the day.
Tom Auer, Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, September 2, 2006
Well, the worst of a Waterbird Counter's nightmares came true
today. Skye Haas was giving me the first of two days off and he had a
great flight. Among the birds that I missed today included a juvenile
FRANKLIN'S GULL at 1:45, a Jaeger sp. at 12:48, 400+ Blue-winged Teal,
and 400+ Common Terns. Skye also had a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the
Merlin Pole. However, I was around to witness a handful of
RED-THROATED LOONS come by during night flight. As well, we saw a
beautiful adult PARASITIC JAEGER spend some time off the point this
evening. Great bird. We also added 12 BLACK TERN to the season's
total. Other new arrivals included
American Golden-Plover,
Gadwall and
Ring-necked Tern.
Tom Auer, Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, August 25, 2006
The migration today was exceptionally slow in the face of howling east
winds, but a few decent birds popped up. A single nonbreeding adult
BLACK TERN was flying around the tip at first light, but was not seen
after that. Around 1:40, a juvenile RED KNOT sailed in along the beach
with a Sanderling, but was not relocated in a later search attempt.
Finally, a juvenile PEREGRINE FALCON was seen both early in the
morning and mid-afternoon hunting on the beach.
Tom Auer, Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
Waterbird Update, August 23, 2006
Today marked the arrival of the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at
Whitefish Point. A total of 12 flew past the point during the count.
The first was around 10:30, with a flock of three amongst Sanderlings.
While the other nine came along closer to 1:30, again joined by
Sanderlings. All of these birds continued on, except for a single one
that broke from the latter flock and hung around. As well, today, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER flew by in the wrong
direction.
The major Red-necked Grebe movements have yet to come, as all
but one day of the count have had well under 100 birds.
Tom Auer, Fall WPBO Waterbird Counter
WPBO
Weekly Counts, Fall 2006
These counts are compiled and prepared by Liana
Nicole, Field Ornithologist and are updated weekly.
FALL 2006 COUNTS
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