The first hour yielded nothing but intermediate numbers of mostly Red-breasted Mergansers, but by the second hour, both the birds and the sun were starting to come out. Today yielded the highest count of White-winged Scoters this year with a total of thirty-one individuals. To add to the suspense, nearly half of them were seen within a quarter mile of the shore. Additionally, four Mute Swans were seen flying west at the edge of the ice bordering the shore at around 11:00 AM. Since they were flying so close I could hear them noisily making their way by before they were even in view. There was also a pair of adult male Northern Pintails resting with the mergansers and Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. The winds were consistent for the first four hours, but had doubled in speed by midday, which also coincided with the drop in bird movement. This was also the time where large concentrations of darker clouds could be seen overhead the Upper Peninsula. However, by 3:00 PM they had moved northeast.
Canada Goose – 4
Mute Swan – 4
Northern Pintail – 2
Redhead – 3
White-winged Scoter – 31
Long-tailed Duck – 12
Common Goldeneye – 11
Common Merganser – 17
Red-breasted Merganser – 199
duck sp. – 24
Other Species:
Turkey Vulture – 2
Bald Eagle – 7
Red-tailed Hawk – 5
Buteo sp. – 2
Sandhill Crane – 4
Killdeer – 2
