Bird Studies Canada

Banding Totals
Fall - 2010	Old Cut	Breakwater	Tip
Number banded for the period	560	147	362
2010 Season total	1349	147	703
2009 Season total	738	350	409

Current Weather at Long Point

The start of the period was marked with cool nights, north winds, and corresponding good migration, while later in the week the weather turned hot and muggy with south winds. The result has been a slower pace to migration. Even with the poor migrating conditions it is becoming apparent that 2010 has been a good breeding year for many birds. All stations caught good numbers of birds this week despite the weather.

Ducks are slowly beginning to materialize at Long Point as the fall progresses. Certainly a season highlight will be the nine whistling-ducks seen flying over the Old Cut dike at dusk on August 28. Unfortunately the birds were not seen well enough to identify them to species. A single Green-winged Teal was at Bluff Bar on September 1 and a flock of four Gadwall were at the Tip on September 2. Two Black-crowned Night-Herons were seen on August 31 flying over Old Cut at dusk.

Hawks are also slowly beginning to move through Long Point with most of the expected species now seen at least once in low numbers at the Tip; included in these was the season's first Peregrine Falcon on August 31. The Tip also continues to be excellent for shorebirds, with up to 10 species seen daily. Highlights so far have been almost daily sightings of up to 12 Baird's Sandpipers (September 2); one lucky bander at the Tip managed to even band LPBO's 13th on September 1. A single Whimbrel was also seen at the Tip on September 1 and 2. A high count of four Red-necked Phalaropes were seen at the Tip on August 27. Gull numbers have continued to be impressive at the Tip with about 5000 Ring-billed and 750 Herring gulls present on most days. There has been no sign of the Laughing Gull seen earlier this month but careful searching revealed a 2nd year Lesser Black-backed Gull there on September 1. Likely the same bird was seen earlier in the day at Bluff Bar along with a 3rd year and adult and 40 Great Black-backeds. Up to 2000 Common Terns have also been observed at Bluff Bar.

Common Nighthawks have been seen most evenings at both Old Cut and the Tip, including a high count of 50 on September 1 at the Tip. Both cuckoos were reported this week, including a banded Yellow-billed at the Tip on August 31. Flycatchers continued to move through this week with daily counts of over 20 Leasts, while Yellow-bellieds and Traill's were not uncommon at the stations. Eastern Wood-Pewees have increased this week and were accompanied by the bird of the year, a Western Wood-Pewee, that was heard and studied well for most of the day at the Tip on August 27. This rare bird was again present on August 28. Eastern Kingbirds have almost finished passing through with only ones and twos now being seen at the stations.

A single Marsh Wren banded at Old Cut on September 2 was certainly a highlight among the few wrens counted. Up to 6 Marsh Wrens have been present daily at the Tip. Swainson's Thrushes increased this week while Veerys have become more regular at the stations. Warbling and Red-eyed vireos were the main vireos seen this week with a high of nine Red-eyeds banded at Old Cut on August 27. A single Yellow-throated present at Old Cut on September 2 was also a highlight.

Warbler diversity this week was great. On several days, particularly at the start of the period, the stations were reporting around 20 species. Magnolia, Wilson's, Blackpoll, and American Redstart were the most abundant species with close to 20 individuals each banded at least once this week at one of the stations. The first Palm Warblers arrived at the Tip on August 27 with almost daily sightings there since. An early Pine Warbler was also present this week with a young female banded at Old Cut on August 28. Northern Parulas were seen at Old Cut on August 29 and 31 and one was banded at the Tip on August 28. Always a rare treat in the nets was a young male Prairie Warbler at the Tip on August 30. Connecticut Warblers really arrived at the Tip this week, despite the nice weather, with 1 bird banded on September 1 and two banded on September 2. A fourth individual narrowly escaped capture at the Tip on August 31. Breakwater added to the mix with a banded Blue-winged Warbler on August 28.

It was a quiet week for sparrows. A Clay-colored Sparrow was seen at the Tip on August 30 and a different individual was caught and banded there on September 1. As is usual for this time of year, Bobolinks have been moving overhead first thing most mornings and targeted efforts to capture them have netted 54 birds at Old Cut so far this fall. Orioles have pretty much finished moving through Long Point though the odd straggler may yet be found. Finally, in the finch department, a male White-winged Crossbill made a quick stop at Old Cut on August 27.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the strong westerlies predicted over the upcoming weekend and whether the strong start to the fall 2010 banding season keeps up.

The bird of the fall so far is a Western Wood-Pewee discovered at the Tip August 27. The bird was giving its distinctive call when first discovered and was seen well by several observers and was photographed. If accepted by the OBRC this will be the first record for Long Point.

As is usual, August was a busy month a LPBO. It started with our annual Dark Tarry Young Ornithologist's Workshop (YOW) which ran from July 30 to August 8. Since then Old Cut opened for the fall season on August 12, the Tip followed shortly after, opening on August 14. Breakwater has just opened, on August 26, due to persistent strong easterly winds. All stations are up and running just in time as fall migration has really picked up.

Waterfowl certainly haven't been a draw at Long Point, but numbers of dabbling ducks are beginning to increase in the Inner Bay and at Big Creek Marsh. A few Red-breasted Mergansers have been seen at the Tip, likely all birds that over-summered on the lake. A handful of Common Loons have also been seen so far this season, with flyovers at both Old Cut and the Tip. Hawks have also just begun their fall migration with small numbers passing by, especially at the Tip. The 25th was the best raptor day so far with eight species seen at the Tip alone including the first few Broad-winged Hawks. The fall has already been better for shorebirds than the spring was at LPBO. A good mix of shorebird species has been regular at the Tip with a high of 10 species on August 18th, including the first Baird's Sandpiper of the fall. On the 26th Old Cut had a Whimbrel fly over right at sunrise and the Tip had one arrive about 45 minutes later and spend the morning at the Tip. Red-necked Phalaropes have also made an appearance this month with 1 near the Tip on August 12, 1 off of Breakwater on August 26, and 4 at the Tip on August 27.

The Tip has been a great spot for gulls this month with up to 5000 Ring-billed Gulls present there. Mixed in were the odd adult Bonaparte's Gulls and on August 16 and 22 a juvenile Laughing Gull was found there. Another rare gull for this time of year at Long Point was a 2nd year Iceland Gull, seen at Port Ryerse on August 6 during the YOW's big day. During that single day the group of YOWs and their leaders found an impressive 112 species in the Long Point birding area. Common Nighthawks began moving through on August 17 with one at dusk seen at Old Cut. Subsequently, small numbers have been seen regularly first thing in the morning and at dusk. The annual fall hummingbird migration is well underway with numbers beginning to build at all stations.

August is always a great month for flycatchers and this year is no different. The regular three Empidonax (Traill's, Least, Yellow-bellied) have been seen daily all month, especially since banding begun. Kingbirds have already peaked around the 24th of August and are beginning to be hard to find. A highlight in the nets at Old Cut this month was a Yellow-throated Vireo on August 26. The first Philadelphia Vireo of the fall was a rather early individual seen in a mixed flock at Old Cut on August 20- since then both the Tip and Old Cut have observed and captured more. Swallows also appear to be on the decline for the fall, with Bank Swallows peaking at the Tip on August 18 and at Old Cut on August 19. Red-breasted Nuthatches appear to be staging a fall flight, with increasing numbers being seen at all three stations.

Veerys arrived at Old Cut on August 18 and have been seen almost daily in the last few days. Swainson's Thrushes arrived much earlier with a couple molting adults showing up as early as July 31 at Old Cut. Young birds have since arrived. A very early Hermit Thrush also showed up at Old Cut, on August 7. The only Wood Thrush of the fall so far was a bird banded at Old Cut on August 26. Most of the warblers have now arrived with 21 species being seen so far at the stations. The highlight so far was a Connecticut Warbler captured on August 23 at Old Cut. A couple of very early Yellow-rumped Warblers were also seen at Old Cut; an adult on July 31 and a very young bird on August 26. August 26th was the first big day for birds banded with about 100 banded at both the Tip and Old Cut, included in this total was almost 20 warbler species banded at the Tip alone. Yellow Warblers, very abundant in early August, have now almost completely disappeared.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings have begun moving through both stations in very low numbers. Bobolinks have also begun moving over in small numbers and targeted banding efforts at Old Cut have yielded about 30 birds banded so far. Baltimore Orioles were abundant earlier in August but have appeared to peak, with dwindling numbers being seen in the last few days at the stations.

Stayed tuned for next week's report, with all three stations opened and September arriving the fall is sure to heat up and bring some more birds to Long Point!

3 September 2010