Due to a surprising absence of Bonaparte’s Gulls on the straits- and the desire to make up for lost time- today marks the first evening waterbird count. Jason Newton and I performed a waterbird survey from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and despite not finding anything unusual, the count was still fairly successful. The counts for the White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, and both merganser species were higher than recorded earlier today, presumably due to the calm weather. With no heat shimmer, and slow winds from the southwest, the water was like glass, and the atmosphere of the shoreline was deathly quiet. The species diversity was low, but there were no expectations set in stone before undertaking this observation, making any knowledge gained worthwhile.
Canada Goose – 2
swan sp. – 2
White-winged Scoter – 8
Long-tailed Duck – 750
Common Merganser – 13
Red-breasted Merganser – 365
Common Loon – 2
Double-crested Cormorant – 52
Other Species:
Bald Eagle – 1
