10/16-10/31

10/31/2016

The migration during this period was steady, but slightly below the three-year average.

Loons & Grebes: Pied-billed, Horned, and Red-necked Grebes were seen in average numbers though this period. Red-necked had a high of 4 on the 20th. Common Loon had season high of 70 on the 20th. Red-throated Loons are trickling in and being seen most days (albeit distantly).

Geese & Ducks: Greater White-fronted Geese had a record flight into the state during this period with flocks in the hundreds reported across the lower peninsula. Tiscornia got its share of the flight with 489 between the 16-18th including a high count of 361 on the 17th! These are the first GWFG for Tiscornia since 1998 and easily set a new high count for the county (I believe the previous high count was 37 set back in 2006).

   The first good numbers of Scaup pushed through during this period with over 6,000 counted and a high count of 1,791 on the 16th.

   All three scoters species were recorded during this period, although as expected Surf Scoter numbers have declined from the first half of the month.

    The first Common Goldeneye of the season were recorded on the 31st,

    Forty-nine Ruddy Ducks on the 17th represented a new high count for the waterbird count.

Herons: A Green Heron on the 19th was rather late.

Shorebirds: Black-bellied and American Golden Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanderling, and Dunlin continued to trickle through in low numbers. New for the fall was an American Woodcock on the 21st.

Gull Types: Three Parasitic Jaegers (including the first adult of the fall) were recorded during this period which is slightly below average for the end of October.

   Five Little Gulls (all adult types) were recorded between the 21-28th, including two on the 26th. This is a surprising push considering the low numbers so far this fall and that the average for this period is two.

   Bonaparte's Gull had a nice push during this period with over a fourteen hundred counted, including a high of 668 on the 28th. Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were the only other gulls of note during this period.

    Non-waterbird highlights were few, but notable was presumably the first record of Eastern Screech Owl for Tiscornia on the 19th, Snow Buntings on the 24, and a Eastern Meadowlark on the 19th.