November Lakewatch Highlights

In November, I spent 15 days monitoring the waterbird flight over Lake Michigan. Like September and October, each session typically lasted one hour. Observations were made at Hoffmaster State Park, Lake Harbor Park, and Kruse Park. Compared to recent years, the weather this November was colder, wetter, and more windy.

As is customary, the most common November transient was Red-breasted Merganser. This month, 734 passed my observation points, and a peak of 174 was noted on 11/8. Although males do not acquire breeding plumage until the middle of November, birds can still be sexed by the amount of white in the wing coverts. This month, 65% were males. Common Mergansers were, typically, much less numerous (31 seen), and several of those were migrating eastward from far over the lake. Only two Hooded Mergansers were encountered.

A total of 639 Common Goldeneye were seen this month, with a peak of 147 on 11/21. Unlike Red-breasted Mergansers, most were foraging birds. However, the sex ratio was similar: 66% were males. Buffleheads peaked on 11/5 when 23 were observed.

Like goldeneye, most Long-tailed Ducks are seen foraging on Lake Michigan, but they are considerably more abundant and the vast majority feed much further in the lake. However, fairly accurate counts can be made since masses regularly fly (in their characteristically erratic fashion) short distances to their next feeding site. Numbers steadily built all this November, and the 11/27 count yielded 4,783 individuals. Peak winter concentrations are generally achieved by the end of the month, and in recent years, densities have exceeded 2,000 per mile of Muskegon County shoreline. Although some large estimates have been wildly inaccurate, huge local tallies occur during multi-hour watches or when birds are abnormally concentrated due to ice conditions, eagle predation, boat traffic, or pressure from duck hunters. Long-tailed Duck rafts tend to be quite pure (likely due to their frenetic activity and deep-water foraging), although other duck species join them for short periods.

I only saw four Surf Scoter in November, but I counted 92 White-winged Scoters (27 on 11/8) and 17 Black Scoters (6 on 11/8). I recorded 8 Red-throated Loons this month, but Common Loons were again scarce; a total of only 19 were seen. November gulls included 119 Bonaparte's Gull (77 on 11/3), 1 Glaucous Gull on 11/12, and 2 Great Black-backed Gull on 11/29.

- Brian Johnson