The fall season has progressed towards its final two weeks. Counts are starting to pick up significantly, dominated by movements of Long-tailed ducks and Redhead. As we enter what will likely be the busiest week of the count, here are some current tallies of commonly observed species:
Redhead: 15,214 // Long-tailed Duck: 10,736 // White-winged Scoter: 1,625 // Common Loon: 1,297
Over 10k Long-tailed Ducks have already been counted, but the final tally will be much higher as this species is only just reaching its peak flight. Common Mergansers have already pushed through, and flocks of Red-breasted Mergansers have quickly become the new norm. The masses of Cormorants roosting along the bridge have finally left the Straits, with daily sightings now in the single digits.
Highlights for this week include a flock of 6 Tundra Swans observed from McGulpin Point on October 23rd. A Brewers Blackbird and two Dickcissels were observed during the counts. Also, many late migrants, such as warblers, seem to be lingering with the unusually warm weather.
