Erie County Waterbird count for October

Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle S.P.

Date: October 1, 2014
Time: 0705-0835
Weather: High level fog early becoming mostly clear later, temp. about 55 F, NE wind to 10 mph, waves 2 to 3 feet.
Comments: The birds staging any kind of movement were Double-crested Cormoarants that were moving west close to shore.

Waterbirds recorded:
Mallard  5
Green-winged Teal  2
Horned Grebe  2
Double-crested Cormorant  3500
Sanderling  4
Common Tern  7
Others flying along or across the lake:
Bald Eagle  1 adult
Peregrine Falcon  1
Monarch 1

Date: October 4, 2014
Time: 0715-0915
Weather: Cloudy early with light to moderate rain showers, then becoming variably.  West wind to 15 mph, waves about four feet, temp. about 48 F 
Comments: Surprisingly few birds, but some quality ones.  Two adult Little Gulls and a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger were the highlights of the morning. There was a light movement of Bonaparte's Gulls moving west, but not much else.  Randy Stringer assisted with the count.

Waterbirds counted:
Wood Duck  2
Mallard  6
Blue-winged Teal  10
Northern Pintail  1
Green-winged Teal  3
Lesser Scaup  12
Common Loon  11
Horned Grebe  1
Double-crested Cormorant   2
Dunlin  3
LITTLE GULL  2 adults (one moving east and one moving west)
PARASITIC JAEGER  1 juvenile (moving west)
Other bird moving across the lake:
unidentified Passerine  1

Date: October 5, 2014
Time: 0715-0915
Weather: Cloudy with light to moderate rain showers with brief breaks in the rain.  WSW wind to 20 mph, waves five feet falling to about three feet, temp. 45 F.
Comments: A few birds were moving when it stopped raining with American Wigeon being the most frequently seen waterfowl.  An exhausted Belted Kingfisher that flew across the lake immediately landed on the beach when it reached the peninsula.  Highlight was a White-rumped Sandpiper that flew east past the watch.

Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  3
American Wigeon  33
Mallard  13
Northern Shoveler  4
Northern Pintail  1
Green-winged Teal  11
unidentified teal  3
Lesser Scaup  19
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Sanderling  7
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER  1
Pectoral Sandpiper  2
Common Tern  10
Other birds moving over or along the lake:
Bald Eagle  1 adult
Belted Kingfisher  1
Northern Flicker  1
unidentified Passerine  2

Date: October 6, 2014
Time: 0720-0850
Weather: Mostly cloudy, SW wind to 20 mph, waves one to two feet, temp. to 45 F.
Comments: Rather slow as expected, but there was a nice flock of Dunlin moving east.  Highlight was a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger taking its time moving east.

Waterbirds counted:
Green-winged Teal  1
Ring-necked Duck  3
Lesser Scaup  19
Common Loon  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Black-bellied Plover  1
Sanderling  2
Dunlin  20
Common Tern  4
PARASITIC JAEGER  1 juvenile
Other bird moving over the lake:
Bald Eagle  1 immature

Date: October 7, 2014
Time: 0715-0845
Weather: Mostly clear, SW wind to 15 mph, waves two feet, temp. to 54 F.
Comments: There was a light movement of cormorants, but not much else.

Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  1
Mallard  1
Northern Shoveler  12
Ring-necked Duck  13
Lesser Scaup  21
Common Loon  1
Horned Grebe  6
Double-crested Cormorant  560
Black-bellied Plover  2
unidentified Passerine  1

Date: October 8, 2014
Time: 0720-0950
Weather: Variably cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with a quick sprinkle, W wind to 10 mph, waves two to three feet, temp. to 52 F.
Comments: Waterfowl movement was light but there were a few interesting events.  Passerines were moving across the lake with kinglets making up the majority of the birds.  I watched a Peregrine Falcon knock an Eastern Phoebe down on the water when it was only a few feet from shore.  The falcon kept diving at it as it struggled to take off, but eventually the falcon plucked it out of the water.  While scanning the lake I watched a couple of waterspouts form starting with a dark funnel cloud reaching down towards the water and then drawing water from the lake up to the funnel.  Highlight was a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger that came fairly close to shore about 15 or 20 minutes before sunrise.

Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  2
American Wigeon  4
Northern Pintail  5
Redhead  1
Lesser Scaup  15
Red-breasted Merganser  4
Common Loon  16
Horned Grebe  16
Double-crested Cormorant  13
Common Tern  6
PARASITIC JAEGER  1 juv.
Other non-water related flying across the lake:
Northern Flicker  2
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  2
Eastern Phoebe  2
unidentified kinglet  13
unidentified warbler  3
unidentified Passerine  1
unidentified bat  2

Date: October 9, 2014
Time: 0715-0915
Weather: Variably cloudy, SW wind to 5 mph, temp. about 55 F, waves one to two feet.
Comments:  Except for cormorants there was a light movement, but a nice species diversity.  Cormorants were moving across the lake from Canada in flocks of around 100 birds.  Today was the first White-winged Scoters and Red-throated Loons I have recorded for the season.  A Green Heron crossed the lake from Canada, which was only the second one I have ever seen cross the lake on the waterbird count.

Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  22
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  2
Northern Shoveler  6
Redhead  2
Lesser Scaup  38
White-winged Scoter  2
Red-breasted Merganser  5
Ruddy Duck  6
Red-throated Loon  3
Common Loon  16
Horned Grebe  5
Double-crested Cormorant  795
GREEN HERON  1
Common Tern  1
Other birds moving across the lake:
Merlin  5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1

Date: October 12, 2014
Time: 0720-0850
Weather: Clear, light SW wind, emp. about 45 F, waves less than a foot
Comments: Some movement of Horned grebes moving east and cormorants flying across the lake from Canada.  Otherwise rather quiet on the lake.  The first of the seaosn Surf and Black Scoters recorded today.  An American Woodcock made landfall after crossing Lake Erie before sunrise.

Waterbirds recored:
Canada Goose  23
Lesser Scaup  6
Surf Scoter  4
White-winged Scoter  1
Black Scoter  1
Red-breasted Merganser  9
Ruddy Duck  5
Common Loon  5
Double-crested Cormorant  128
American Woodcock  1
Other birds moving across the lake:
unidentified Passerine  2

Date: October 15, 2014
Time: 0730-0900
Weather: Cloudy, light north wind, waves less than a foot, temp. about 62 F
Comments: A few Horned Grebes moving, but not much else.

Waterbirds recorded:
Lesser Scaup  7
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  12
Horned Grebe  37
Double-crested Cormorant  3
Black-bellied Plover  1


Date: October 18, 2014
Time: 0740-0940
Weather: Cloudy, west wind to 20 mph, temp. about 45 F, rain showers occasionally mixed with slush.
Comments: There was a light west movement of waterfowl, many Lesser Scaup.  Highlight was a westbound Red-necked Grebe.

Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  2
American Wigeon  4
American Black Duck  7
Mallard  2
Ring-necked Duck  1
Lesser Scaup  83
Surf Scoter  3
White-winged Scoter  4
Red-breasted Merganser  7
Common Loon  3
Horned Grebe  18
RED-NECKED GREBE  1
Double-crested Cormorant  150
Sanderling  11
Dunlin  1
Other birds moving over or along the lake:
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  2

Date: October 19, 2014
Time: 0740-0940
Weather: Variably cloudy, NW wind to 15 mph, temp. about 42 F, waves a obut three feet.
Comments: There was a modest west movement of waterfowl, mainly during the first 50 minutes after sunrise, mostly American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoter, & Red-breasted Merganser. 

Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  14
American Wigeon  23
American Black Duck  2
Mallard  17
Northern Pintail  40
Green-winged Teal  28
Lessers caup  68
Surf Scoter  11
White-winged Scoter  19
Long-tailed Duck  3
Red-breasted Merganser  52
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  7
Horned Grebe  5
Double-crested Cormorant  55
Sanderling  1
Common Tern  2
Other birds moving along the lake:
Bald Eagle  1 imm.
Red-winged Blackbird  2

Date: October 20, 2014
Time: 0730-0930
Weather: Variably cloudy becoming cloudy, SSW wind to 5 mph, temp. about 45 F, waves a about two feet.  One brief rain shower.
Comments:  There was light movement over the lake with a fair number of Common Loons flying around..

Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  8
Gadwall  4
American Black Duck  3
Mallard  5
Green-winged Teal  3
Lesser Scaup  21
Surf Scoter  17
White-winged Scoter  1
Long-tailed Duck  3
Red-breasted Merganser  8
Red-throated Loon  2
Common Loon  50
Horned Grebe  28
Double-crested Cormorant  3
Black-bellied Plover  4
Sanderling  13
Other bird moving over the lake:
Bald Eagle  1 adult

Date: October 21, 2014
Time: 0740-0940
Weather: Cloudy, NW wind to 10 mph, temp. 48 F, waves about two feet.  Light rain showers.
Comments: Very little movement, but the highlight of the morning was the group of Red-necked Grebes that flew east past the watch.

Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  1
American Wigeon  1
American Black Duck  1
Lesser Scaup  21
Surf Scoter  2
White-winged Scoter  11
Red-breasted Merganser  12
Ruddy Duck  6
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  10
unidentified loon  1
RED-NECKED GREBE  5
Horned Grebe 31
Common Tern  2

Date: October 22, 2014
Time: 0745-1015
Weather: Cloudy, NNE wind to 15 mph, temp. 45 F, waves about four to five feet.
Comments: Only a few waterfowl moving with American Black Duck and Northern Pintail the predominant species.  A very large flock of Red-winged Blackbirds flew across the lake from Canada.

Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  8
Gadwall  10
American Wigeon  3
American Black Duck  45
Mallard  14
Northern Pintail  40
Green-winged Teal  1
Lesser Scaup  10
Surf Scoter  5
White-winged Scoter  9
Long-tailed Duck  1
Common Merganser  3
Red-breasted Merganser  16
Common Loon  17
Horned Grebe  20
Double-crested Cormorant  110
Black-bellied Plover  2
Other birds moving across or along the lake:
Bald Eagle  3 (2 subadults, 1 imm.)
Red-winged Blackbird  2000+-

Date: October 23, 2014
Time: 0730-0930
Weather: Clear, N wind to 10 mph, temp. 45 F, waves about two to three feet.
Comments: There was an eastern movement of Red-breasted Mergansers and Horned Grebes.  A few cormorants were crossing the lake from Canada.

Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  1
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  2
Northern Pintail  9
Lesser Scaup  20
Surf Scoter  21
White-winged Scoter  5
Common Goldeneye  3
Common Merganser  1
Red-breasted Merganser  81
Common Loon  21
Horned Grebe  106
Double-crested Cormorant  105
Sanderling  5
Other bird crossing the lake from Canada:
Brown Creeper  1

Date: October 24, 2014
Time: 0730-1000
Weather: Clear, NNW wind to 10 mph, temp. 41 to 45 F, waves about one to two feet.
Comments: There was a western movement of scaup this morning as well as a few Red-breasted Mergansers, otherwise there was little movement.  However slow, there were moments of excitement when a female Harlequin Duck flew west past the watch a couple of hundred yards offshore and later a Red-necked Grebe.  Also there was an immature Parasitic Jaeger chasing Bonaparte's Gulls for several minutes before heading west.  Joao Taveres stopped for a short visit.

Waterbirds counted:
American Wigeon  1
American Black Duck  1
Redhead  5
Lesser Scaup  315
HARLEQUIN DUCK  1 female
Surf Scoter  11
White-winged Scoter  2
Red-breasted Merganser  111
Red-throated Loon  6
Common Loon  4
unidentified loon  1
Horned Grebe  10
RED-NECKED GREBE  1
Double-crested Cormorant  127
PARASITIC JAEGER  1 imm.
Other birds flying across or along the lake:
Bald Eagle  1 imm. (appeared to have flown across the lake)
European Starling  12

Date: October 25, 2014
Time: 0735-0935
Weather: Mostly cloudy becoming variably cloudy, SW wind to 5 mph, temp. 53 F, waves about one foot.
Comments: Very little movment with birds flying in both directions.  Unusual was seeing three Mute Swans that appeared to be crossing the lake from Canada.  Randy Stringer assisted with the count.
 
Waterbirds counted:
MUTE SWAN  3
American Wigeon  2
American Black Duck  2
Mallard  7
Northern Shoveler  1
Northern Pintail  1
Lesser Scaup  32
White-winged Scoter  1
Bufflehead  5
Red-breasted Merganser  32
Red-throated Loon  2
Common Loon  15
unidentified loon  1
Horned Grebe  29
Other birds moving over the lake:
unidentified kinglet  1
unidentified Passerine  12 (may have been Lapland Longspurs)

Date: October 26, 2014
Time: 0730-1000
Weather: Partly to mostly cloudy, NW wind to 30 mph, temp. 49 F, waves about three to four feet.
Comments: Over 150 ducks moved past Sunset Point well before sunrise, so it was still too dark to make a positive ID on them, but they were believed to be Lesser Scaup or Ring-necked Ducks.  There was a light movement of Lesser Scaup and Red-breasted Mergansers.  Nearly all waterfowl were moving west.  A Red-necked Grebe flying with a Horned Grebe was the highlight of the morning.  Sam Stull and Roger Donn assisted with the count for a while.
 
Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  8
American Wigeon  10
American Black Duck  15
Redhead  3
Lesser Scaup  261
Surf Scoter  7
White-winged Scoter  3
Bufflehead  13
Red-breasted Merganser  221
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  17
Horned Grebe  13
RED-NECKED GREBE  1

Date: October 27 2014
Time: 0730-0900
Weather: Clear, light south wind, temp. 41 F, waves less than a foot. 
Comments: Rather light movement on the first day of the waterfowl hunting season on Presque Isle.
 
Waterbirds counted:
Canada Goose  4
Gadwall  3
American Black Duck  1
Lesser Scaup  112
Bufflehead  14
Common Goldeneye  2
Red-breasted Merganser  64
Ruddy Duck  30
Red-throated Loon  3
Common Loon  4
Horned Grebe  12
Dunlin  1
Common Tern  2
 
Other birds moving across the lake:
unidentified kinglet  1
unidentified Passerine  2

Date: October 29 2014
Time: 0745-0915
Weather: Mostly cloudy, west wind to 10 mph, temp. 47 F, waves two to three foot.
Comments: The heavy cloudy cover kept it from getting light enough to see well the entire time.  Just a few Lesser Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, and Common Loons, mostly moving west.  Very slow day.
 
Waterbirds counted:
Lesser Scaup  50
Bufflehead  3
Red-breasted Merganser  41
Red-throated Loon  4
Common Loon  40
Horned Grebe  4

Date: October 30, 2014
Time: 0745-1015
Weather: Mostly cloudy, NNW wind to 10 mph, temp. 43 F, waves two to three foot.
Comments: There was a modest movement of Red-breasted Mergansers.  It was also a decent day for species diversity.  Most birds were moving west.  Highlight was an adult Little Gull flying west with a loose group of about five or six Bonaparte's Gulls.
 
Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  3
American Wigeon  31
American Black Duck  2
Mallard  1
Northern Pintail  6
Green-winged Teal  1
Lesser Scaup  103
Surf Scoter  7
White-winged Scoter  14
Black Scoter  4
Long-tailed Duck  2
Bufflehead  8
Common Goldeneye  5
Red-breasted Merganser  583
Red-throated Loon  11
Common Loon  15
unidentified loon  3
Horned Grebe  43
Double-crested Cormorant  26
Sanderling  1
Dunlin  3
LITTLE GULL  1 adult

Date: October 31, 2014
Time: 0740-0940
Weather: Cloudy, calm wind, temp. 40 F, onshore waves less than a foot. Light sprinkle later in the survey.
Comments: About half as many birds today as yesterday.  There were at least 150 to 200 Horned Grebes on the water just in front of us.  Later they drifted away.  Highlight was a Red-necked Grebe that sat with the Horned Grebes briefly.  Most birds were moving west.  Roger Donn assisted with the count part of the time.
 
Waterbirds counted:
Gadwall  37
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  8
Green-winged Teal  4
Lesser Scaup  55
Surf Scoter  7
White-winged Scoter 10
Black/Surf Scoter  2
Long-tailed Duck  1
Bufflehead  5
Red-breasted Merganser  272
Red-throated Loon  3
Common Loon  28
Horned Grebe  17  (all in flight)
RED-NECKED GREBE  1
Double-crested Cormorant  6
 
Other bird moving across the lake:
unidentified kinglet  1