Though the cover of rain clouds continue to keep the sun off the straits, it is of no hindrance to the waterbird migration, and today had some record-breakers despite the bad weather. It rained for nearly the entire day, and although the rain in tandem with the wind felt like shards of glass to me, it did nothing to slow down the aerial traffic. At approximately 7:13 AM, a flock of cormorants numbering forty-two individuals landed right in front of the gazebo, making it perhaps the largest single group to be seen loafing together in the water. The first hour also got the highest count for Red-necked Grebes this spring, with three seen loafing together on the water, and five separate individuals seen migrating west. The second hour yielded the first Spotted Sandpiper of the season- it landed on the boulder that the beavers seem to enjoy lounging on. The second hour also produced a total of fifty-six Common Loons migrating west, with many more peppered throughout the day. However, by 10:00 AM, the rain and fog had thickened, and it was not until approximately 11:40 that the visibility was good enough to see to the other side. The activity showed no signs of waning after this interruption, so it’s very possible there were even more birds- loons in particular- that were not counted. After holding a record of 180 Common Loons in a single day for only a week, the record was shattered again today with a grand total of 214 Common Loons. The final hour also had a Caspian Tern heading northwest from McGulpin Point at approximately 2:10 PM. With only two weeks to go before the official end to the spring season for waterbird counting, I’m anxious to continue tallying up more birds to make up for the delayed start.
Canada Goose – 5
Gadwall – 2
Mallard – 1
Redhead – 1
Lesser Scaup – 2
White-winged Scoter – 18
Long-tailed Duck – 597
Bufflehead – 4
Common Goldeneye – 1
Common Merganser – 5
Red-breasted Merganser – 185
Common Loon – 214
Horned Grebe – 7
Red-necked Grebe – 8
Double-crested Cormorant – 74
duck sp. – 4
Caspian Tern – 1
Other Species:
Osprey – 1
Bald Eagle – 2
Spotted Sandpiper – 1
