Strong winds from the north and unfavorable weather seem to have halted migration during the past several days. I’m seeing loons move in decent numbers at McGulpin, but I expect that the biggest push is yet to come. The dominant species at this point in the season is (unsurprisingly) Red-breasted Merganser, while numbers of Long-tailed Duck seem to hover around a consistent amount. I’m surprised to be this far into April without a Bonaparte’s Gull, or any infrequent gull for that matter!
At Graham, resting Red-necked Grebes continue to outnumber Horned Grebes, though both species have increased in abundance lately. A few mixed flocks of dabbling ducks have also been migrating, primarily consisting of Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, and Northern Shoveler.
