The first half of November has been a real mood. We bounced from heavy lake effect snow to cold blasts to a few quiet bluebird mornings. Through all of it the lake kept pushing birds past Marquette Park, although some days made the counters question their life choices. Here is the rundown from about the last week to ten days.
The Big Wind Day
November 9 had textbook winds with steady northwest flow around 25 to 30 knots. Of course, the lake answered by burying the beach in whiteout conditions for hours. Visibility came and went, but when it cleared the movement was impressive. Aythya ducks were stacked high with more than 700 scaup between Lesser and Greater Scaups. Redheads were strong at 157 birds and loons were steady with 13 Red throated and 126 Common. Three Parasitic Jaegers were spotted cruising the surf zone which is always a November gift, and a Black legged Kittiwake made a close pass east. That one unfortunately slipped past before most folks got on it. Snow Buntings put on a smaller show with six birds tumbling along the beach. Check out the snowy day report here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S284155304
Sunny Skies and Redpolls
November 13 flipped the script with clear skies, light west southwest winds, and temps climbing into the forties. The lake held a modest mix of dabblers and divers. White-winged Scoters continued in small numbers and a lone Common Goldeneye dropped in. The real spark came from landbirds with a small pulse of redpolls working the shoreline and a nice mix of waxwings, jays, and finches rounding out the flight. This was a lighter waterbird morning, one of those days when you enjoy the sunrise and take what the lake gives you. Explore the full day’s report here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S284318112
Southwind Grebe
By November 15, we saw cloudy skies and temps into the upper sixties with southwest winds around 10 to 25 mph made it feel like early October. Waterbird numbers dipped but quality was solid. The standout was a Red necked Grebe with the expected yellowish bill and white flash in the wings. Horned Grebes continued in small groups and the gull lineup was typical for mid November. Overhead, Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and a flyby redpoll added some seasonal flavor. A quick recap can be found here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S284657417
A Return to Real November
November 16 brought a more honest late fall feel. The lake produced strong counts again with nearly two thousand waterbirds tallied. Aythya continued to dominate with more than 700 scaup and 450 unidentified Aythya blazing past. Red breasted Mergansers went full November with a hefty 872 birds. Loons held steady and even a Short eared Owl buzzed the beach in classic migration fashion. Buntings were back too with more than 140 Snow Buntings bouncing along the shore. It felt like the season getting back on track. Here’s the full checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S284932277
In short, the weather has been messy but the birds have kept the show running. Scoters have been regular in singles and small groups. Jaegers popped in during the first big blow. Mergansers and loons are settling into their peak window. And the beach is getting its usual frosting of Snow Buntings and the occasional longspur. If the winds finally settle into a more consistent northwest pattern we could have a strong push of late season ducks, gulls, and whatever else the lake wants to toss at us. It is November after all. Anything goes.
Here’s our full November eBird Trip Report.
Tags: fall waterbird survey
