Whitefish Point Waterbird Survey

Eric writes:  Today marked the first day of the fall waterbird count at Whitefish Point, Michigan.  The count runs each spring and fall for 1.5 months and 3 months, respectively.  This is my second time conducting the count; I was also the counter last fall.  It's a spectacular place where almost any species is possible.  Birds such as Short-tailed Hawk, Lucy's Warbler, and Northern Wheatear are just a few of the unbelievable records.

The first couple weeks are usually dominated by Red-necked Grebe flights with a possibility of jaegers, Sabine's Gull, and 20+ shorebird species.  Keep checking back to see how the season goes.  And if you want near-daily updates, you can follow along on the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory Waterbird blog.

Here are a few of the early season birds:

The typical view of Red-necked Grebes at Whitefish Point

Buff-breasted Sandpiper-definitely one of my favorite shorebird species

Sabine's Gull-hopefully at least a few of these will come by the point this fall