Strong, consistent winds continued throughout the week. Luckily, on Monday, these gales switched from the East to West. This transition brought forth a string of productive Waterbird counts.
Considerable dabbling ducks movements occurred daily this week. Single day high counts were recorded for most species, including Blue-winged Teal (31), Gadwall (16) and American Wigeon (34).
Flights of Sandhill Cranes continue to be a highlight. A modest total of 718 made their way South over McGulpin Point on 10/07/23.
Counts of scoters in the Straits will intensify as mid-late October approaches. Both White-winged Scoter and Surf Scoter flocks have already starting to push through.
Double-crested Cormorants numbers are finally starting to thin out. Daily totals fell below 100 this week, after 1,000+ were staging along the Mackinac Bridge supports in early fall.
Other notable sightings this week include the second immature Parasitic Jaeger of the count! This individual was spotted from McGulpin Point on 10/02/2023, offering nice scope views as it briefly landed on the open water. The second Yellow-billed Cuckoo for this fall was a fun surprise as it flew in off the lake at Graham Point on 10/05/2023.
