Species totals from this week are included in parentheses ().
We have entered the final two weeks of the count! Duck migration has dropped off significantly. Movements of late season migrants are increasingly productive, including loons, gulls, terns, and cruise ships.
The focal point of this week was a massive push of Common Loons (995)! Daily counts have been in triple digits most of this week. Loons will move in a variety of weather conditions. Migrants occur in pairs, but small groups up to 10 are not uncommon. This spring count also records small numbers of Red-throated Loons (8). Red-throated Loon movements through the Straits are far more prevalent during fall migration.
A flock of 6 American White Pelicans (6) was a cool surprise at midday on 05/05. In recent years, sightings have become more regular on the upper Great Lakes. American White Pelicans migrate in the early afternoon and frequently use thermals, similar to raptors and cranes. Both sexes sport a knobby growth, or horn, on the upper mandible in the breeding season.
The bulk of ducks have already moved north for early spring nesting. A variety of mated pairs can be spotted roaming the shoreline in search of suitable nesting habitat, including Common Goldeneye and American Wigeon.
Some notable sightings from this week include two groups of migrating Trumpeter Swan (5), 2+3. A flyover Solitary Sandpiper (1) was recorded from McGulpin Point on 05/02, heading north.