The aftermath

Cave Swallow

What a storm, winds in excess of 55 MPH (I heard that the peak wind speed at Whitefish Point was 63!! MPH) while I was out there and the power is still out at the point with Paradise (my current home) just getting theirs back this afternoon.  The storm brought a couple big birds to the point, the best of which was a CAVE SWALLOW which made a couple passes of me on the point yesterday before hanging out around the buildings for the afternoon and evening when I was able to snap a couple pics for documentation purposes.

Other notable birds were as much for the date of arrival as for the species themselves with many of these species not having been recorded since mid-September or early October and in some cases the first week of September.  They include

-Turkey Vulture (27th and 28th)
-Tree Swallow (2 on the 27th and 28th)
-Barn Swallow (27th)
-American Pipit (28th)
-Savannah Sparrows (28th)
-Yellow-rumped Warbler (27th)
-Snow Buntings- hundreds arrived off the lake throughout the day on the 27th and 28th
-An Icterid flock composed of 2 Red-winged Blackbirds, 2-3 Rusty Blackbirds, 12 Common Grackles, and 3 Brown-headed Cowbirds which joined the two European Starlings that have been present for awhile to make a pretty diverse blackbird flock for the point
-Common Redpoll- at least 15-20 arrived on the 27th with a number still around on the 28th
-Evening Grosbeak- a female on the 27th

There is also the continuing Brown Thrasher, SPOTTED TOWHEE, and Indigo Bunting among others as of the 28th.

Scott