Dove update

Yep its still here, didn't leave on last night's calm weather but it was a little less reliable today with the increased crowds at the point.  Looks like it might be sticking around for the long haul.

Scott

Dove update

The bird was still present as of 4:15 this afternoon.  Its still being seen on the lawn next to the gift shop starting about 9:30 or 10 in the morning and then regularly through the rest of the day.

Also present at the feeders this afternoon was a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, and Fox Sparrow.

Scott

Dove update

The Common Ground-Dove continues today through at least 3 p.m. and with the current weather (35 degrees and snowing as of 5 p.m.) it is unlikely that it is going anywhere soon.  Also present at the feeders today were the continuing Brown Thrasher and Indigo Bunting but there were very few other birds present on the point today.  

Scott

Quick update

The dove was seen up until 7 or so and was starting to go to roost at that time in the alders behind the gift shop which means it should be here tomorrow morning as long as the weather doesn't get 'em.

Other birds present today included a White-breasted Nuthatch, a Hermit Thrush, a continuing Brown Thrasher, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a female-type Indigo Bunting, 3 House Sparrows (fairly rare at the point if not all that interesting as a rule), and an increase in Pine Siskin and Snow Bunting numbers with 150+ and 20+ respectively.

The only other notable bird seen in recent days but not today was a Winter Wren on the 18th.

Scott

COMMON GROUND-DOVE!!!

Common Ground-Dove next to gift shop

This little beauty was found near the gift shop by Hank Veldman around 11:30 this morning.  It eventually settled in nicely around the lawn and feeders adjacent to the gift shop for the latter half of the afternoon and was still there as of 5 p.m. or so.  As is typical with this species he stays on (or very close to) the ground at all times and flies it short bursts, heading for cover when he gets spooked.  They typically feed in short grass and/or sandy soils which makes the area around the gift shop and the banding trail ideal conditions for this species, at least as ideal as a bird which is normally found no closer than southern Alabama could find in the UP.

Scott

Reasons to walk the trails

Landbird migration was strong on the point today with many birds already present this morning and large numbers arriving well after sunrise. Most common were Swainson's Thrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler but other common species were present in good numbers including Blue Jay, Cedar Waxwing, and White-throated Sparrow.

New birds for the fall arriving today included 3 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Gray Catbird, and 2 Rusty Blackbirds while other notables included 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers, 2 Least Flycatchers, 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Veery, 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush, 9 warbler species (including 1 Pine, small numbers of both Blackpoll and Bay-breasted, and a Northern Waterthrush), a couple Clay-colored Sparrows, a new Field Sparrow, and a few additional Lapland Longspurs.

The weather is suppose to more of the same for Monday and Tuesday so hopefully all the birds that were staged to the north of us didn't come through today and there will be more to enjoy in the near future.

Scott

WARBLERS!!!

From the walk out to the shack this morning it was clear that there were a lot of birds on the point. But the true number wasn't revealed until the birds began to move with first light and the trees began to drip. Huge numbers of passerines had piled up on the point through the night and even as waves continued to arrive in the early morning hours there were birds taking advantage of western winds and departing the point. Standing at the shack I watched hundreds, upon, hundreds of warblers moving south and east with the storms and yet the woods still dripped with birds.

All of the 25 regular occurring fall warblers were found this morning and afternoon and while most birds evaded our eyes the ones that could be found included

Tennessee 150

Orange-crowned 4

Nashville 40

Northern Parula 5

Yellow Warbler 3

Chestnut-sided 2

Magnolia 75

Cape May 75

Black-throated Blue 4

Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) 100

Black-throated Green 8

Blackburnian 8

Pine 2

Palm 30

Bay-breasted 15

Blackpoll 115

Black-and-white 5

American Redstart 25

Ovenbird 9

Northern Waterthrush 2

Connecticut 1 (along the south side of the "Fog Horn" Pond)

Mourning 2

Common Yellowthroat 4

Wilson's 5

Canada 3

Other migrant numbers included:

Black-backed Woodpecker 1

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1

Alder Flycatcher 1

Least Flycatcher 2

Philadelphia Vireo 4

Red-eyed Vireo 2

Brown Creeper 6

House Wren 1

Golden-crowned Kinglet 10

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6

Veery 1

Gray-cheeked Thrush 5

Swainson's Thrush 150

Hermit Thrush 5

Cedar Waxwing 125

Lincoln's Sparrow 6

Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1

I know not every day in September can be this good but this sure was one heck of a way to ring in the new month at the point.

Scott

Ovenbird

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Blackpoll Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Cape May Warbler