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Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park
Date: December 1, 2015 Time: 0720 to 0920 Weather: cloudy, temp. 48 F, S wind to 10 mph, waves less than a foot.. Comments: Best single day count of Red-throated loons, so far this season, with one individual still sporting a red throat. This is more than twice as many Red-throats as Common Loons seen this morning. Waterbirds recorded: Canada Goose 28 American Black Duck 15 Mallard 11 Lesser Scaup 59 Surf Scoter 2 White-winged Scoter 19 Long-tailed Duck 2 Bufflehead 3 Common Goldeneye 15 Red-breasted Merganser 264 Red-throated Loon 18 Common Loon 8 Horned Grebe 21 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 2, 2015 Time: 0715 to 0915 Weather: cloudy, temp. 42 F, light SW wind then calm, waves one foot. Comments: Exceptionally slow with only a few Lesser Scaup and Red-breasted Mergansers moving, and then only short distances before returning to the water. Roger Donn assisted for a short period. Waterbirds recorded: Gadwall 1 Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 69 White-winged Scoter 10 Red-breasted Merganser 317 Red-throated Loon 2 Common Loon 3 Horned Grebe 4 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 3, 2015 Time: 0710 to 0940 Weather: mostly cloudy, temp. 40 F, W wind to 15 mph, waves to two feet. Comments: Scaup and Red-breasted Merganser numbers picked up today, but the real movement was Long-tailed Duck. Flocks of an estimated 100 to 500 birds were seen twisting and turning in unison, like backbirds, far out on the lake. All Long-tailed Ducks were moving ESE and most of everything else were moving west. Waterbirds recorded: Canada Goose 4 Tundra Swan 35 American Wigeon 3 American Black Duck 1 Lesser Scaup 391 Common Goldeneye 12 Long-tailed Duck 2600+ Common Mergnaser 1 Red-breasted Merganser 852 Red-throated Loon 2 Common Loon 13 Horned Grebe 1 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 4, 2015 Time: 0715 to 0915 Weather: cloudy, temp. 40 F, SW wind to 15 mph, waves three to four feet. Comments: More Lesser Scaup and Red-breasted Mergansers, but light on everything else. Nearly all birds were moving west. Roger Donn assisted with the count for a short while. Waterbirds recorded: Canvasback 9 Redhead 4 Lesser Scaup 528 Surf Scoter 3 White-winged Scoter 12 Long-tailed Duck 30 (all in one flock) Bufflehead 10 Common Goldeneye 7 Red-breasted Merganser 1560 Ruddy Duck 2 Common Loon 5 Horned Grebe 4 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 5, 2015 Time: 0710 to 0840 Weather: cloudy, temp. 37 F, SSW wind to 5 mph, waves less than a foot. Comments: The few ducks moving were going east. There was a bit of a Horned Grebe movement with all birds going east. Waterbirds recorded: Lesser Scaup 167 Surf Scoter 4 White-winged Scoter 26 Bufflehead 10 Common Goldeneye 12 Red-breasted Merganser 474 Common Loon 4 Horned Grebe 47 Location: mouth of Walnut Creek, Millcreek Twp. Date: December 6, 2015 Time: 0715 to 0845 Weather: variably cloudy, temp. 29 F, light S wind, calm onshore. Comments: For some reason the entrance gates at Presque Isle S.P. were closed, so I conducted my count at the mouth of Walnut Creek. Thousands of scaup were on the water several miles offshore, but several hundred flew in from the east and landed among them. Red-breasted Mergansers were moving nonstop to the west. Highlight was an immature male King Eider flying with a group of about 9 Red-breasted Mergansers about 1/2 mile offshore. Waterbirds recorded: Mallard 4 Lesser Scaup 735 KING EIDER 1 imm. male White-winged Scoter 7 Bufflehead 1 Common Goldeneye 13 Red-breasted Merganser 700 Red-throated Loon 1 Common Loon 4 Unidentified loon 1 Horned Grebe 11 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 7, 2015 Time: 0715 to 0845 Weather: variably cloudy, temp. 29 F, wind calm, less than a foot Comments: Nothing happening on the lake this morning. Waterbirds recorded: Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 101 White-winged Scoter 3 Bufflehead 3 Red-breasted Merganser 28 Common Loon 1 Horned Grebe 2 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 8, 2015 Time: 0720 to 0850 Weather: cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with some patches of fog over the lake, temp. 35 F, wind calm, lake calm. Comments: Except for more Red-breasted Mergansers, today was much like yesterday. Waterbirds recorded: Greater Scaup 4 Lesser Scaup 93 Surf Scoter 2 White-winged Scoter 3 Black Scoter 2 Long-tailed Duck 1 Common Goldeneye 2 Red-breasted Merganser 667 Red-throated Loon 1 Common Loon 1 Horned Grebe 1 Location: mouth of Walnut Creek, Millcreek Twp. Date: December 9, 2015 Time: 0715 to 0845 Weather: mostly clear, wind SE to 15 mph, temp. 42 F, waves less than a foot. Comments: Lesser Scaup continue to gather off the mouth of Walnut Creek as flocks of hundreds were seen flying around. Red-breasted Mergansers were flying eat and west. Little else moving. Waterbirds recorded: Lesser Scaup 2800 Surf Scoter 5 White-winged Scoter 10 Black Scoter 2 Common Goldeneye 4 Hooded Merganser 3 Common Merganser 1 Red-breasted Merganser 478 Common Loon 3 Location: mouth of Walnut Creek, Millcreek Twp. Date: December 10, 2015 Time: 0720 to 0920 Weather: clear becoming variably cloudy, wind SE to 15 mph, temp. 42 F, waves one foot. Comments: There was more activity on the water than expected since weather conditions had not changed from yesterday. A fair movement of red-breasted Mergansers were moving mostly to the east. Scaup continue to stage a couple of miles offshore and most if not all are believed to be Lesser. Horned Grebes were moving east and scoters and Hooded Mergansers were flying in from all directions and landing within the scaup flock. Waterbirds recorded: Mallard 2 Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 1224 White-winged Scoter 34 Surf Scoter 5 Surf/Black scoter 1 Common Goldeneye 9 Hooded Merganser 51 Red-breasted Merganser 4196 Red-throated Loon 2 Common Loon 6 Horned Grebe 46 Other bird moving over the lake: Snow Bunting 1 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 11, 2015 Time: 0720 to 0850 Weather: variably cloudy, temp. 48 F, SW wind to 10 mph, waves one to two feet. Comments: A few Red-breasted Mergansers moving west. Nothing else happening. Waterbirds recorded: Redhead 1 Lesser Scaup 1 White-winged Scoter 1 Common Goldeneye 3 Red-breasted Merganser 1247 Red-throated Loon 1 Common Loon 8 Horned Grebe 5 Location: mouth of Walnut Creek, Millcreek Twp. Date: December 12, 2015 Time: 0725 to 0855 Weather: Cloudy with occasional fog banks moving in and out a mile or two offshore, E wind to 10 mph, temp. 51 F, nearly calm water. Comments: Little happening this morning. Not a single scaup! The staging flock offshore a few days ago appear to have moved on. Waterbirds recorded: American Black Duck 5 Mallard 2 Bufflehead 1 Common Goldeneye 7 Common Merganser 3 Red-breasted Merganser 408 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 13, 2015 Time: 0730 to 0830 Weather: cloudy with fog, temp. 48 F, NE wind to 10 mph, waves one foot. Comments: No movement. Fog limited visibility to less than 1/2 mile. Waterbirds recorded: Red-breasted Merganser 48 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 14, 2015 Time: 0725 to 0825 Weather: variably cloudy, temp. 59 F, S wind to 20 mph, onshore lake calm. Comments: Another quiet day on the lake. Waterbirds recorded: Lesser Scaup 4 Red-breasted Merganser 111 Horned Grebe 3 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 15, 2015 Time: 0720 to 0920 Weather: mostly clear becoming cloudy, temp. 46 F, W wind to 25 mph, waves four to five feet. Comments: The passing cold front moved a few birds, but numbers still low. Most birds were moving west. Roger Donn assisted for a short while. Waterbirds recorded: Canvasback 2 Redhead 9 Lesser Scaup 82 Surf Scoter 1 White-winged Scoter 3 Black Scoter 1 Surf/Black scoter 3 Long-tailed Duck 4 Bufflehead 1 Common Goldeneye 10 Common Merganser 1 Red-breasted Merganser 265 Ruddy Duck 2 Common Loon 14 Horned Grebe 2 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 16, 2015 Time: 0725 to 0955 Weather: cloudy, temp. 43 F, S wind to 5 mph, waves less than a foot. Comments: Some Lesser Scaup and Red-breasted Mergansers had arrived overnight with hundreds sitting on the water well offshore. Most lifted off within the first hour and headed west. Highlight was two flocks of Long-tailed Ducks moving east, with many males among them. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 5 Lesser Scaup 1063 Surf Scoter 2 White-winged Scoter 9 Black Scoter 6 Surf/Black scoter 1 Long-tailed Duck 75 Bufflehead 11 Common Goldeneye 19 Hooded Merganser 4 Red-breasted Merganser 1316 Ruddy Duck 3 Red-throated Loon 8 Common Loon 20 Unidentified loon 2 Horned Grebe 60 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 17, 2015 Time: 0730 to 0900 Weather: cloudy, temp. 49 F, SSW wind to 5 mph becoming W to 10 mph, calm early then becoming choppy. Comments: Quite a contrast from yesterday. Except for about 200 Lesser Scaup that a boat kicked up that flew west, there was little else moving. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 3 Mallard 1 Canvasback 15 Redhead 1 Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 246 Surf Scoter 2 White-winged Scoter 1 Bufflehead 2 Common Goldeneye 9 Hooded Merganser 1 Red-breasted Merganser 71 Red-throated Loon 1 Common Loon 4 Horned Grebe 9 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 18, 2015 Time: 0730 to 0930 Weather: cloudy with an occasional snow flurry, temp. 37 F, W wind to 10 mph, waves two feet. Comments: Lesser Scaup and Red-breasted Merganser numbers picked up from yesterday, but other species numbers still lower than expected. Roger Donn assisted for a short while. Waterbirds recorded: Canvasback 21 Greater Scaup 3 Lesser Scaup 496 Surf Scoter 5 White-winged Scoter 3 Surf/Black scoter 2 Bufflehead 5 Common Goldeneye 6 Red-breasted Merganser 1580 Red-throated loon 3 Common Loon 30 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 19, 2015 Time: 0735 to 0835 Weather: cloudy with about 2” of snow cover, temp. 32 F, W wind to 30 mph, waves four to five feet. Comments: Waterfowl numbers still light despite the strong cold front. There was a good flight of Common Loons flying across the lake from Canada. Roger Donn assisted with the count. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 17 Canvasback 18 Redhead 23 Greater Scaup 4 Lesser Scaup 610 White-winged Scoter 6 Long-tailed Duck 6 Common Goldeneye 5 Red-breasted Merganser 123 Red-throated Loon 1 Common Loon 151 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 20, 2015 Time: 0725 to 0955 Weather: mostly clear, temp. 27 F, S wind to 10 mph, waves two to three feet. Comments; One of the better waterfowl days this season. There was a steady movement of mostly scaup and Red-breasted Mergansers moving west, though still not the mega numbers of previous seasons. Scaup were moving far out on the lake and most were believed to be Lessers. Highlight was an immature male King Eider with a flock of about 150 Red-breasted Mergansers. Brief, but nice views of the bird with sun on it. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 5 American Black Duck 1 Mallard 4 Canvasback 1 Redhead 9 Ring-necked Duck 1 Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 325 Unidentified scaup 2280 KING EIDER 1 imm. male at 9:20 AM Surf Scoter 2 White-winged Scoter 3 Black Scoter 1 Bufflehead 1 Common Goldeneye 21 Hooded Merganser 4 Common Merganser 1 Red-breasted Merganser 2640 Ruddy Duck 8 Red-throated Loon 3 Common Loon 3 Horned Grebe 1 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 21, 2015 Time: 0740 to 0910 Weather: cloudy with light rain showers, temp. 46 F, S wind to 20 mph, waves two feet. Comments: Except for a flock of scaup that a boat kicked up, there was almost no movement. Waterbirds recorded: Gadwall 2 Redhead 25 Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 6 Unidentified scaup 300 White-winged Scoter 1 Surf/Black scoter 1 Common Goldeneye 2 Red-breasted Merganser 33 Red-throated Loon 1 Common Loon 1 Horned Grebe 1 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 22, 2015 Time: 0740 to 840 Weather: cloudy with moderate rain showers, temp. 51 F, light south wind, waves less than a foot Comments: Even fewer birds than yesterday minus the large group of scaup. Waterbirds recorded: Lesser Scaup 15 Unidentified scaup 35 Long-tailed Duck 1 Common Goldeneye 1 Red-breasted Merganser 150 Horned Grebe 2 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 23, 2015 Time: 0730 to 830 Weather: mostly cloudy, temp. 53 F, south wind to 20 mph, calm onshore. Comments: A light ten minute scaup movement at first light, and not much after that. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 3 Lesser Scaup 103 Unidentified scaup 220 Surf/Black scoter 2 Common Goldeneye 4 Red-breasted Merganser 7 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 24, 2015 Time: 0735 to 905 Weather: mostly cloudy, temp. 59 F falling to 56 F, SW wind switching to W wind to 20 mph, choppy then three foot waves. Comments: There were a few Red-breasted Mergansers moving, mainly to the east. Little else. Jim Flynn assisted with the count. Waterbirds counted: Redhead 1 Greater Scaup 1 Lesser Scaup 9 Unidentified scaup 60 Common Goldeneye 7 Red-breasted Merganser 750 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 29, 2015 Time: 0745 to 845 Weather: cloudy with misty rain, temp. 45 F, SW wind to 10 mph, waves less than a foot. Comments: Not much happening. Waterbirds recorded: Mallard 30 Lesser Scaup 9 Unidentified scaup 25 White-winged Scoter 14 Bufflehead 1 Common Goldeneye 2 Red-breasted Merganser 89 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 30, 2015 Time: 0740 to 0910 Weather: cloudy, temp. 38 F, light W wind, waves two feet. Light movement with birds flying east and west. Waterbirds recorded: Mallard 13 Canvasback 29 Greater Scaup 42 Lesser Scaup 19 Unidentified scaup 96 White-winged Scoter 6 Common Goldeneye 14 Red-breasted Merganser 148 Common Loon 1 Horned Grebe 1 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: December 31, 2015 Time: 0740 to 0910 Weather: cloudy with a mix of rain, sleet, and snow, temp. 34 F, SW to 10 mph, waves three feet. Comments: Light movement with birds flying west. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 5 Canvasback 20 Lesser Scaup 16 Unidentified scaup 109 Long-tailed Duck 3 Common Goldeneye 5 Red-breasted Merganser 71 Location: Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park Date: January 1, 2016 Time: 0740 to 0840 Weather: cloudy with snow showers, temp. 32 F, SW to 20 mph, waves five feet. Comments: Frequent white-out conditions prevented me from seeing only birds moving close to shore. This is the final morning of the waterbird count for this season. A summary of the season will follow soon. Waterbirds recorded: Tundra Swan 10 Unidentified scaup 150 Surf Scoter 1 Common Goldeneye 1 Red-breasted Merganser 295 Comments are closed.
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