The first few hours today were the roughest; temperatures were in the high thirties, winds hailing from the north, along with waves tall enough to conceal the Long-tailed Ducks. There was also moderate cloud cover for the entirety of the day, but it never became overcast at McGulpin Point. By 10:00 AM, the winds started shifting direction, and the waves began to shrink, revealing a lake peppered with Long-tailed Ducks and Red-breasted Mergansers. Though today was a far cry from the previous day, it was not terrible, but most of the birds were observed loafing rather than in flight- with the exception of the cormorants and the mergansers. As the weather has continued to improve, more and more people are beginning to visit McGulpin Point- which I hope will also be true for the birds.
Canada Goose – 1
swan sp. – 5
White-winged Scoter – 8
Long-tailed Duck – 542
Common Goldeneye – 2
Common Merganser – 4
Red-breasted Merganser – 243
Common Loon – 4
Horned Grebe – 1
Red-necked Grebe – 2
Double-crested Cormorant – 102
duck sp. – 11
Other Species:
Great Blue Heron – 1
Turkey Vulture – 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1
Accipiter sp. – 1
Northern Harrier – 1
Bald Eagle – 1
Broad-winged Hawk – 1
Spotted Sandpiper – 1
