INDIANA DUNES AREA BIRD REPORT: FALL 2014

Kenneth J. Brock- Chesterton, IN

The autumn of 2014 brought a rather unusual migration to the Indiana lakefront. One disappointing aspect of the season was the untimely arrival of the dreaded “Polar Vortex,” in mid-November. This resulted in mediocre longshore flights throughout this normally prime lakewatch period. The top November flight was well below flights earlier in the season (see Longshore Flight table). On the positive side Michigan City Harbor was a birding hotspot throughout the season.

Temperature & Precipitation at Chicago:Departure from Normal

Temperature & Precipitation at Chicago:Departure from Normal

Temperature & Precipitation at Chicago:Departure from NormalTemp (ºF) Rainfall (in.)

Aug +1.3 +2.4Sep -0.7 -0.5Oct -0.5 -0.67Nov -6.7 -1.74

Rejuvenation of Michigan City Harbor Following several years of mediocre (or worse) fall birds at the Harbor, this autumn’s tally was quite impressive. Season highlights included: Black Vulture, Piping Plovers, 26 American Avocets (all at one time), a maximum count of 16 Willets, a Marbled Godwit, multiple Red Knots, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, an adult Parasitic Jaeger, a Long-tailed Jaeger, and a Sabine’s Gull that posed for photos on the beach.

The fifth of August was also an interesting day at Michigan City Harbor. On that day four birder groups visited the site and each observed different birds. Brendan J. Grube birded the harbor in late morning and logged a Parasitic Jaeger and three Willets. John K. Cassady and KJB visited the site in early afternoon and observed nothing more interesting than a juvenile Bonaparte’s Gull. Lynea S. Hinchman and Lori Stoneman arrived in late afternoon and found six Avocets plus a Great Black-backed Gull. John and Karen Lindsey reached the harbor in early evening and found a juvenile Piping Plover on the parking lot beach. This eight- hour turnover at the Harbor is astonishing.

The table below summarizes the fall migration by bird groups using a parameter known as the

Migration Index (MI, definition appended). Numbers in the table reveal exceptionally strong flights for raptors, gulls, and Herons. In contrast Wrens, ducks, and swallow staged weak flights. The unweighted mean of these MI values is +0.021, suggesting a very fine fall flight.

Group MI/species Group MI/species Ducks -0.042 Flycatchers +0.016Loons/Grebes +0.059 Vireos +0.009Herons +0.095 Swallows -0.034Raptors +0.122 Wrens -0.063Shorebirds +0.014 Thrushes +0.035Gulls +0.118 Warblers +0.059Terns -0.088 Sparrows -0.012

Longshore FlightsIn 2010 Randy J. Pals formulated a brilliant plan for the quantifying longshore flights based on a parameter called “Flight Magnitude” (FM), which takes into account both the number of individuals in the flight and quality (rarity) of the observed species. The 2014 season’s top longshore flights are tabulated below.

Top Longshore FlightsTop Longshore FlightsTop Longshore FlightsDate Location Pals FM18-Oct Miller Beach 86.513-Sep Miller Beach 74.231-Oct Miller Beach 73.36-Nov Miller Beach 36.426-Aug Mich. City Harb. 19.231-Oct Dunes S.P. 14.527-Nov Miller Beach 13.228-Oct Miller Beach 11.029-Oct Miller Beach 5.7811-Nov Miller Beach 5.00

The Season’s Log August Edward M. Hopkins discovered the season’s first Piping Plover on 2 August; it was a year-old adult male that hatched at Grand Marais, Michigan in 2013. On that same day John K. Cassady spotted a juvenile Lark Sparrow at Miller Beach near the USX breakwall. Brad Bumgardner logged a Prothonotary Warbler at the Dunes State Park Nature Center on 9 August. Autumn’s first cold front arrived on 12 August and brought a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Brendan J. Grube) and a nice flock of ten Avocets to Michigan City Harbor (John K. Cassady). On this same day a cloud of (105)

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Sanderlings migrated past Dunes State Park (Brad Bumgardner). On 17 August Matt Kalwasinski discovered two banded juvenile Piping Plovers at Miller Beach. Brendan J. Grube logged the season’s first Red Knot at Michigan City Harbor on the 20th and later that day John Lindsey found two Knots at that location. Heavy rains on the 21st and 22nd flooded McCool Basin, causing it to overflow onto McCool Road. A feeble mid-day cold front on the 26th yielded several excellent birds. At Michigan City Harbor Brendan J. Grube logged the season’s first Buff-breasted Sandpiper on the outer breakwater and John C. Lindsey counted 26 American Avocets, a Marbled Godwit, and a Red Knot on the harbor’s beaches. Miller Beach was also productive with a calling flyby White-rumped Sandpiper, 17 Willets, and a dark juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger that John C. Kendall saw harassing terns at 2:30PM. Jeff McCoy joined Miller Beach birders on the 30th and enjoyed 26 Willets and a Red Knot.

September (first half)A Miller Beach lakewatch on the day after Labor Day (2 September), yielded American Golden-Plovers, 7 Avocets, 10 Willets, a Whimbrel, one Marbled Godwit and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. The godwit and gull were photographed by John C. Kendall and Peter B. Grube obtained fine shots of the Willets. During the watch John C. Kendall estimated that approximately 100 migrant warblers flew in off Lake Michigan between 9:00 and 11:00AM. A front passed through at 4:30PM on the 5th. Ahead of the front Aaron Boone identified a Marbled Godwit and a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger at the concession stand. The following morning some 35 birders scrambled atop the Lake Street lot sand pile. They were not disappointed as there was a fine movement that included Whimbrel, Sabine’s Gull, and Long-tailed Jaeger. Another front on the 11th brought a 15-degree temperature drop, but only 10-knot winds. That front did deliver some fine birds to Michigan City Harbor where Brendan J. Grube found a Sabine’s Gull; additionally, a Red Knot and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper were seen by many on the Washington Park beach. On the 12th Michael Topp and Landon Neumann logged the following at Miller Beach: Whimbrel, Red Knot, and Sabine’s Gull. North winds continued through 13 September, which proved to be an even more productive day with a Red-necked

Phalarope, 51 Sabine’s Gulls, and 16 Jaegers at Miller Beach.

September (second half) A nice warbler flight introduced this segment on the 16th. During that day John C. Kendall and Michael Topp found 17 warbler species in the Hammond Sanctuary; highlights included 54 Blackpolls and the season’s first Junco. Saturday the 20th was also a fine warbler day with 22 species, including Orange-crowned, Black-throated Blue, Connecticut, and Mourning, reported in the traps. The season’s strongest front (to date) passed late on the 20th. The following day Jeffrey J. McCoy, Amar Ayyash, and John C. Kendall manned the concession stand and logged a single juvenile Parasitic, one juvenile Pomarine (thanks to Amar’s superb photos), and a flock of three westward bound adult Long-tailed Jaegers, that Jeffrey J. McCoy saw fly by 250 yards offshore. Also on the 21st Steve Lima saw another juvenile Parasitic at Michigan City Harbor. Highlights on a bright sunny Saturday the 27th, included two Merlin’s that John K. Cassady spotted south of the power plant at Michigan City Harbor, a Connecticut Warbler that Lynea S. Hinchman dug out at the Hammond Sanctuary, and the season’s first Nelson’s Sparrow at McCool Basin.

October (first half) A major storm passed through the Dunes on the 3rd bringing a soaking rain. Weather during a 4 October outing was dreadful (strong west wind, light rain, and even a few snow flakes), but it did ground a throng of migrants in the traps. Highlights included a Whip-poor-will that Jeffrey J. McCoy found in the Hammond Sanctuary, John K. Cassady kicked out an unusually cooperative Le Conte’s Sparrow at Whiting Park, and the group logged 17 warbler species, including an exceptionally tardy Yellow that Jeffrey J. McCoy found at Forsythe Park. On the 7th a flock of 40 White Pelicans were seen on Wolf Lake. Kim Ehn found a late Veery in Beverly Shores on the 8th and Carolyn A. Marsh had Clay-colored, Le Conte’s, and Fox sparrows at the Hammond Sanctuary on that day. A bright and sunny Saturday the 11th yielded seven warbler and a dozen sparrow species; highlights included a late Wilson’s Warbler plus Nelson’s and Lark Sparrows. That day’s biggest surprises included two American Bitterns and a record late Great Crested Flycatcher that Jeffrey J. McCoy

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found in the Forsythe treetops. On the 13th M. Penny Starin found a juvenile Black-bellied Plover eating earthworms on the lawns at Hitchcock Road Pond.

October (second half) On the 16th Brendan J. Grube had a Blue-headed Vireo at the Dunes State Park Birder’s Platform and 18 Pine Siskins descended on the Brock feeders. M. Penny Starin and Susan Cohan saw an adult tundra Peregrine at Hitchcock Road Pond on this same day. The following morning Brendan J. Grube counted 153 Siskins in flocks flying along the Dunes State Park beach. An unusually productive front passed over the Dunes bringing stiff north winds, rain, and fine birds on the 18th. A group of 30+ birders at the concession stand enjoyed a wonderful flight, highlighted by one Red-necked Grebe, three White Pelicans, four Franklin’s Gulls, a Laughing Gull, a Pomarine Jaeger, and four Parasitic Jaegers. During the evening of the 19th Brad Bumgardner’s banding crew captured the season’s first Saw-whet Owl, a young female. The season’s most powerful front (winds 30-40 knots with gusts to 70 at Gary) arrived on the 31st. This storm blew over the lifeguard shack at Michigan City Harbor. A lakewatch at the Miller Beach concession stand on that day yielded three Red-necked Phalaropes, two Sabine’s Gulls, and 14 jaegers (4 Pomarine, 5 Parasitics, and 5 unidentified). At Dunes State Park Brendan J. Grube also logged 5 Red Phalaropes, 2 Little Gulls, and a Pomarine Jaeger off Dunes State Park on the 31st.

November (first third) Remnants of the 31 October storm generated little movement on the lake, but did yield three Red Phalaropes at West Beach. Additionally, on the 1st Vern W. Wilkins photographed a Red-necked and Red Phalarope together at Miller Beach. On the 4th Matt Beatty discovered a flock of (16) tardy American Avocets on the Michigan City Harbor beach and Michael Topp logged two more at Miller Beach. On the 6th a moderately strong front passed in late morning yielding a Black-legged Kittiwake at Miller Beach (John K. Cassady) and a Pomarine Jaeger at Dunes State Park (Brendan J. Grube). A weak front on the 8th allowed Michael Topp to photograph a Red Phalarope at Miller Beach on the 10th.

During big storms birders have regularly taken refuge in the lee of this lifeguard shack at Michigan City Harbor. However, during the big 31 October blow the shack was overturned. Let us hope no birders were present as the structure reclined.

November (second third) Unexpectedly, the leading edge of a Polar Vortex arrived on the 11th, bringing an extended period with temperatures 20-30º below normal. This Arctic airmass froze inland waterways and ponds well before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, most of the following winds were westerly and produced little movement of the lake. One of the few “good” bird delivered by the Vortex was a flyby Harlequin Duck that John K. Cassady saw at Miller Beach on the 13th. Brendan J. Grube logged two Red-necked Grebes off Dunes State Park and the lakefront’s first Redpoll of the season on the 15th. On the 16th Mike Timmons discovered another Red-necked Grebe at Marina Shores, which is just west of the Portage Marina. The Marina Shores grebe subsequently moved to the Portage Marina (several hundred yards eastward) where it remained through the 18th. Matt Kalwasinski spotted a Whooping Crane flying with Sandhills over Munster on the 18th. Michael Topp closed this segment on the 20th with a Red-necked Grebe at Miller Beach.

November (final third) Brendan J. Grube initiated the season’s final segment with a Western Grebe at Michigan City Harbor on the 21st. That bird was not present the following day; however, Mike Becker found one at Portage Lakefront Park on the 23rd. On that day Mike also discovered a Northern Shrike at the Port of Indiana (the first at that location since 1996). Braving stiff NW winds and 20 degree temperatures on the 27th Don Gorney and other lakewatchers logged 34 White-winged Scoters at Miller Beach. A highlight on the 29th was two Short-eared Owls that John C. Lindsey found at

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Michigan City Harbor. On the eleventh hour (30 November) Brendan J. Grube found the season’s only Purple Sandpiper on the outer breakwater at Michigan City Harbor and Randy J. Pals found a Short-eared Owl at Reynolds Creek GHA.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author is indebted to Susan R. Bagby for reviewing an early draft and for making numerous wonderful suggestions.

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

DUCKS The fall of 2014 did not bring a strong duck flight. Indeed, the average MI/species was a feeble -0.042. Dabbler and diver numbers were moderately below normal, but sea ducks were uniformly down. The weakest flights were executed by Black Scoter, Lesser Scaup, and American Black Duck. In contrast, the Ruddy Duck flight was unusually strong.

American Black Duck:- Numbers of this large dabbler continue to decline. This autumn only 31 were reported (TYM=69.5), which is the lowest fall total in five years.

Harlequin Duck:- The year’s first report consisted of a flyby immature male or female that John K. Cassady observed at Miller Beach on 13 November.

Surf Scoter:- Steve Lima counted (5) at Michigan City Harbor on 21 September to tie Indiana’s earliest autumn date.

Black Scoter:- The fall Black Scoter flight was the lowest in three years with 50 birds reported (TYM=142).

Ruddy Duck:- This small duck staged a record autumn flight with 219 individuals reported (TYM=42.5). The peak daily count was (53) that John C. Kendall logged off Miller Beach on 28 October. The latter tally constitutes the lakefront’s second largest fall count.

LOONS & GREBES Overall, the fall of 2014 was a very fine season for this group with an average MI/species of +0.059. Indeed only Common Loon and Horned Grebe were tallied in below normal numbers.

Red-throated Loon:- As of 20 November only 20 Red-throated Loons had been reported; however, a season saving armada arrived in the last five days of the month creating a respectable total of 150 for the fall flight (TYM=87.1).

Common Loon:- In contrast to the Red-throated, an end-of season surge of Common Loons did not occur, resulting in a below par total of 541, which is the lowest in a decade (TYM=1896).

Red-necked Grebe:- The 11 September bird at Miller Beach (John C. Kendall & Michael Topp) provided the lakefront’s first ever record for the ninth month and proved to be the vanguard of a fine autumn flight. See table (Season total=13; TYM=5.35).

Red-necked Grebe RecordsRed-necked Grebe RecordsRed-necked Grebe RecordsRed-necked Grebe RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 11-Sep Miller Beach J.C. Kendall1 18-Oct Miller Beach R.D. Hughes1 25-Oct Bev. Shores J.K. Cassady1 26-Oct Dunes S.P. B.J. Grube3 13-Nov Miller Beach J.K. Cassady2 15-Nov Dunes S.P. B.J. Grube1 15-Nov Dunes S.P. J.J. McCoy1 15-Nov Marina Shores M. Timmons1 10-Nov Miller Beach M. Topp1 29-Nov Port of Indiana T. Beeke

Western Grebe:- See table (Season total=3; TYM=2.85).

Western Grebe RecordsWestern Grebe RecordsWestern Grebe RecordsWestern Grebe RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 1-Nov Mich. City Harb. Ed Powers1 21-Nov Mich. City Harb. B.J. Grube1 23-Nov Portage L. Park M. Becker

American White Pelican:- The two young birds that summered at Striebel Pond were joined by an adult on 8 August (Douglas Hinchman). The new arrival departed on 14 August, but the two youngsters remained through 18 September (M. Penny Starin). Carolyn A. Marsh found a singleton on Wolf Lake on 3 October and a flock of 40 was observed there four days later.

BITTERNS, HERONS & EGRETS It was an excellent autumn for this group. Little Blue Heron and Cattle Egret were unreported,

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otherwise all species were recorded in above normal numbers. The average MI/species was an impressive +0.095.

American Bittern:- Two were seen on 11 October. The first was found at the 129th Street mitigation site (Leland Shaum et al.) and the second was on Wolf Lake adjacent to Forsythe Park (Jeffrey J. McCoy et al.).

Least Bittern:- The (6) that Michael Topp recorded at Grant Street wetland on 1 August was the lakefront’s largest fall count, by four birds (TYM=0.65)

Snowy Egret:- The summering pair on Wolf Lake remained until 3 October (Carolyn Marsh), providing the lakefront’s second latest record.

DIURNAL RAPTORS Fall of 2014 was a spectacular season for the hawks. The average MI/species was an unprecedented +0.122 and except for the Northern Harrier, the numbers of every species was near or above normal. In addition to a record number of Bald Eagles the exceedingly rare (in the Dunes) Black Vulture was reported.

Black Vulture:- On 15 September Steve Sass watched (1) circle over Trail Creek at Michigan City Harbor, thereby providing the lakefront’s fifth, and first fall, record.

Bald Eagle:- The 21 reported this fall is the largest autumn total ever recorded on the lakefront (TYM=5.5).

Northern Goshawk:- John K. Cassady & KJB observed a juvenile fly past the Dunes State Park Birders Platform on 27 October.

Golden Eagle:- A juvenile was seen from the Dunes State Park Birders Platform on 27 October (John K. Cassady & KJB). This is the lakefront’s 9th October report.

Merlin:- Following the late July bird at the Grant Street wetland another appeared at Miller Beach on 5 August (Neal Miller & Thaddeaus Shaum). This is the lakefront’s first August record, but a second record was added on 17 August when John C. Kendall logged a taiga Merlin also at Miller Beach.

Common Gallinule:- Following a successful breeding season at Grant Street wetland an impressive 82 were recorded at that location during the fall season. This is the largest lakefront fall total in 30 years.

SHOREBIRDS It was a fascinating season for shorebirds, as many of the common species were unexpectedly scarce, but several normally rare species were surprisingly plentiful. The average MI/species of +0.014, included 16 species that were reported in below normal numbers. At bottom of this list was the Long-billed Dowitcher (not reported). In the reported but scarce category, were Baird’s Sandpiper and Greater Yellowlegs. American Avocet, Red Phalarope, Piping Plover, and Red Knot topped the “surprisingly plentiful” list.

Black-bellied Plover:- Once again this plover was rather scarce on the lakefront with only 34 reported (TYM=58.9).

Birders rarely have an opportunity to savor the ambiance of juvenile shorebirds. In this case, however, Peter B. Grube’s shot of this young American Golden-Plover perfectly captures the bird’s elegant lines and pristine plumage. Pete’s superb photo was taken on the Dunes State Park beach on 23 September.

Piping Plover:- For the season eight “pipers” were reported on the lakefront, which is the largest fall total since 1919, when when Piping Plovers nested locally (TYM=2.75). A banded

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male, seen at Miller Beach on 2 August, was hatched in 2013 at Grand Marais, MI (fide Alice Van Zoeren). A juvenile at Michigan City Harbor on 5 August (John & Karen Lindsey) was one of four that hatched and fledged in Manistee, MI this summer. Matt Kalwasinski found (2) juveniles at Miller Beach on 17 August; both had hatched on North Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Greater Yellowlegs:- This large shorebird was shockingly scarce with only 4 reported for the season. This is less that one-tenth of last fall’s total (TYM=15.5).

American Avocet:- See table (Season total = 70; TYM=13.0). This is a record fall total for the lakefront. John C. Lindsey’s (26) on 26 Aug is also a lakefront single party record and ties Indiana’s sixth largest daily count. Matt Beatty ended the Avocet season in spectacular style with Indiana’s first double-digit November count.

Avocet RecordsAvocet RecordsAvocet RecordsAvocet RecordsNo Date Location Observer

6 5-Aug Mich. City Harb. L.S. Hinchman2 11-Aug Miller Beach J.C. Kendall10 12-Aug Mich. City Harb. J.K. Cassady26 26-Aug Mich. City Harb. J.C. Lindsey1 27-Aug Miller Beach L. Shaum 7 2-Sep Miller Beach J.C. Kendall2 4-Nov Miller Beach M. Topp16 4-Nov Mich. City Harb. Matt Beatty

Red Knot:- Most encouragingly, the autumn flight was the best in 23 years with 20 birds reported (TYM=7.2). The peak count consisted of a spectacular flock of (9) that Brendan J. Grube saw migrating past Miller Beach on 8 September; this is Indiana’s third largest count and the state’s highest since 1984. Sanderling:- Encouragingly, this species appeared in the best numbers since 2011, with 1019 reported (TYM=790). The season’s maximum count was 107 that John C. Kendall tallied at Miller Beach 11 September, but Brad Bumgardner also logged 105 migrating past Dunes State Park on 12 August.

Willet:- See table (Season total = 169;

TYM=77.7). This is the lakefront’s best flight since 2005, when 170 Willets were tallied.

Willet RecordsWillet RecordsWillet RecordsWillet RecordsNo Date Location Observer3 5-Aug Mich. City Harb. B.J. Grube2 5-Aug Dunes S.P. J. Lindsey1 6-Aug Miller Beach P.B. Grube8 8-Aug Miller Beach D. Gorney16 8-Aug Mich. City Harb. D. Gorney3 8-Aug Miller Beach M. Topp1 9-Aug Miller Beach M. Topp3 11-Aug Mich. City Harb. J. Lindsey13 26-Aug Mich. City Harb. B.J. Grube17 26-Aug Miller Beach KJB57 26-Aug Dunes S.P. B. Bumgardner32 30-Aug Miller Beach J. McCoy1 31-Aug Mich. City Harb. M. Maxwell10 2-Sep Miller Beach M. Topp1 7-Sep Miller Beach M. Topp1 8-Sep Miller Beach B.J. Grube

Whimbrel:- The fall flight was below average. See table (Season total=3; TYM=7.1).

Whimbrel RecordsWhimbrel RecordsWhimbrel RecordsWhimbrel RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 2-Sep Miller Beach J. Kendall1 6-Sep Miller Beach J. McCoy1 12-Sep Miller Beach M. Topp

Marbled Godwit:- See table (Season total=4; TYM=1.8).

Marbled Godwit RecordsMarbled Godwit RecordsMarbled Godwit RecordsMarbled Godwit RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 26-Aug Mich. City Harb. J. Lindsey1 2-Sep Miller Beach M. Topp1 5-Sep Miller Beach A. Boone1 7-Sep Miller Beach M. Topp

White-rumped Sandpiper:- This species is quite rare on the lakefront in fall; consequently, the calling bird that flew past the Lake Street lot at Miller Beach on 26 August was a most pleasant surprise (John C. Kendall, Edward M. Hopkins, & KJB).

Baird’s Sandpiper:- Only 11 were reported this fall (TYM=19.3).

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Red-necked Phalarope:- The season’s first record occurred 13 September during a Miller Beach lakewatch at the concession stand. John K. Cassady and Jeffrey J. McCoy spotted a single dark-backed shorebird land on the lake’s surface just beyond the breakers. During the powerful 31 October blow, John K. Cassady, Jeffrey J. McCoy, Michael Topp, et al. counted (3) flying in the breakers at Miller Beach. This constituted

This extraordinary photo captures both Red-necked (left) and Red Phalarope (right) in the same shot. Vern W. Wilkins took this picture at Miller Beach on 1 November. This date ties Indiana’s all-time latest Red-necked Phalarope record.

Indiana’s second latest record. However, the following day (1 November) Vern W. Wilkins photographed one with a Red Phalarope that tied Indiana’s latest record.

Red Phalarope:- The (5) that Brendan J. Grube logged at Dunes State Park on 31 October constitutes Indiana’s largest daily count since Virginia Reuter-skiold counted (15) at Miller Beach on 27 October 1959.

GULLS Ten of the 14 gull species reported this fall were reported in numbers well above normal; consequently, the average MI/species was a phenomenal +0.118. Only two species were down significantly: Franklin’s Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake. In contrast, five species had MI values above 0.400.

Black-legged Kittiwake:- The season’s only bird consisted of a juvenile that flew past Miller Beach on 6 November (John K. Cassady et al.).

Laughing Gull:- A juvenile flew past the Miller Beach lakewatch group on 18 October (John K.

Cassady et al.), providing Indiana’s latest record for this plumage.

Little Gull:- See table (Season total=3; TYM=2.45).

Little Gull RecordsLittle Gull RecordsLittle Gull RecordsLittle Gull RecordsNo Date Location Observer2 31-Oct Dunes S.P. B.J. Grube1 8-Nov Miller Beach R. Hughes

Sabine’s Gull:- It was a wondrous autumn for this pert gull. See table (Season total=57; TYM=11.9). A spectacular flight occurred at Miller Beach on 13 September where 50 were counted during a lakewatch (many observers). This flight included one adult and 49 juveniles.

Sabine’s Gull RecordsSabine’s Gull RecordsSabine’s Gull RecordsSabine’s Gull RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 6-Sep Miller Beach A. Ayyash1 11-Sep Mich City Harb B.J. Grube1 12-Sep Miller Beach M. Topp50 13-Sep Miller Beach J. Cassady1 13-Sep Mich City Harb J. Cassady1 21-Oct Dunes S.P. B.J. Grube2 31-Oct Miller Beach A. Ayyash

This very accommodating and photogenic juvenile Sabine’s Gull spent several hours wading in a shallow pool on the beach at Michigan City Harbor. The afternoon sunlight provided excellent conditions for photographs and scores were taken. This marvelous flight shot was taken by John K. Cassady on 13 September.

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Franklin’s Gull:- Lakefront birders experienced a feeble flight with only 8 birds reported for the season (TYM=96.6).

Thayer’s Gull:- Record numbers of this Arctic gull were logged this fall. The season total of 16 is far above the TYM of 5.1. The best daily count occurred at Michigan City Harbor on 27 November when Amar Ayyash et al., chummed in (4) birds.

Lesser Black-backed Gull:- It was a record autumn for this European gull with 20 reported for the season (TYM=8.6). The peak count consisted of (4) at Miller Beach on 18 October (Amar Ayyash et al.).

Kelp X Herring Gull hybrid (the so called Chandeleur Gull):- An adult was at Michigan City Harbor on 13 September (John K. Cassady et al.), providing a new earliest fall arrival date. This individual was at least as dark mantled as a Great Black-backed and still showed a bright red orbital ring. Other than the grayish legs, it could have easily passed for a true Kelp Gull.

TERNSThe autumn of 2014 brought another weak tern migration with a mean MI/species of -0.088. This value was lowered significantly by the poorest Black Tern flight in five years.

Black Tern:- Only 244 Black Terns were reported this autumn (TYM=688), a total far below last fall’s 2101. The season’s peak tally of (69) was logged at Miller Beach on 26 August (Edward M. Hopkins et al.)

Common Tern:- Lakefront birders enjoyed the best flight in a decade with 2100 birds reported. The migration peaked on 13 September when (805) were counted at Miller Beach during the spectacular Sabine’s Gull flight (Jeffrey J. McCoy et al.).

JAEGERS Saturday, 21 September, proved to be a “Three Jaeger Day” at Miller Beach. On that day Jeffrey J. McCoy, Amar Ayyash, Edward M. Hopkins, and John C. Kendall logged a juvenile Parasitic at 1:20PM, a juvenile Pomarine at 1:35PM, and Jeffrey J. McCoy observed a remarkable flock of

three adult Long-taileds at 3:45PM to complete the trifecta.

A dozen birders enjoyed another fine Jaeger Day at Miller Beach on 31 October. A powerful front, sporting 45 knot winds with 60+ knot gusts, delivered four Pomarine and five Parasitic Jaegers. These were accompanied by five unidentified birds, giving 14 jaegers for the day.

Annual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger CountsAnnual Jaeger Counts04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Aug 6 11 3* 9 4 12 1 2 3 9 3*Sep 30 33 16 14 34 2 17 50 36 20 37Oct 14 4 8 15 3 2 3 7 3 13 32Nov 6 6 24 2 12 1 10 10 0 1 2

56 54 51 40 53 17 31 69 42 43 74*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird*Includes one July bird

Pomarine Jaeger:- It was the best fall for “Poms” since 1999. A slightly early juvenile was photographed at Miller Beach on 21 September (Amar Ayyash, Jeffrey J. McCoy, John C. Kendall, & Michael Topp). See the below table all reports (Season total= 8; TYM=2.1).

Juvenile Pomarine Jaeger at Miller Beach on the unusually early date of 21 September. Amar Ayyash took this remarkable photo, but this bird was also seen by John C. Kendall, Jeffrey J. McCoy, and Michael Topp.

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Fall Pomarine JaegersFall Pomarine JaegersFall Pomarine JaegersFall Pomarine JaegersFall Pomarine JaegersDate # loc obs age

21-Sep 1 MB A. Ayyash juv18-Oct 1 MB J.J. McCoy juv31-Oct 1 DSP B.J. Grube -31-Oct 4 MB J.K, Cassady juvs6-Nov 1 DSP B.J. Grube -

MB=Miller Beach DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach DSP=Dunes S.P.

Parasitic Jaeger:- See table (Season total=26; TYM=19.7).

Fall Parasitic JaegersFall Parasitic JaegersFall Parasitic JaegersFall Parasitic JaegersFall Parasitic JaegersDate # loc obs age

24-Jul 1 MCH B.J. Grube adu5-Aug 1 MCH B.J. Grube adu5-Sep 1 MB A. Boone juv6-Sep 4 MB J.J. McCoy juvs8-Sep 1 MB B.J. Grube juv13-Sep 3 MB J.K. Cassady adu13-Sep 1 MB J.K. Cassady dark13-Sep 2 MB J.J. McCoy juvs21-Sep 1 MCH S. Lima juv21-Sep 1 MB J.J. McCoy juv18-Oct 4 MB R.D. Hughes juv18-Oct 1 MB J.K. Cassady adu31-Oct 2 MB J.K. Cassady adu31-Oct 3 MB KJB sub

MB=Miller Beach MCH=Michigan City HarborBS=Beverly Shores DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach MCH=Michigan City HarborBS=Beverly Shores DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach MCH=Michigan City HarborBS=Beverly Shores DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach MCH=Michigan City HarborBS=Beverly Shores DSP=Dunes S.P.MB=Miller Beach MCH=Michigan City HarborBS=Beverly Shores DSP=Dunes S.P.

Long-tailed Jaeger:- Once again the fall season yielded this rarely seen species on the Indiana lakefront. Of special interest was a subadult that was observed performing acrobatics with a juvenile Parasitic at Miller Beach on 6 September (many observers). The bird was superficially similar to an adult, but had faint underwing primary flashes, white in the tail, a dusky bib, and lacked the sooty undertail wash of an adult. Also Peter E. Scott’s juvenile at Michigan City Harbor on 6 September provided a first record for LaPorte County.

Long-tailed Jaeger RecordsLong-tailed Jaeger RecordsLong-tailed Jaeger RecordsLong-tailed Jaeger RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 26-Aug Miller Beach J.C. Kendall1 6-Sep Miller Beach Many obs.1 13-Sep Miller Beach Many obs.1 13-Sep Mich. City Harb. P.E. Scott3 21-Sep Miller Beach J.J. McCoy

These remarkable flight shots of a subadult Long-tailed Jaeger were taken by young Aidan Rominger at Miller Beach on 6 September from a distance of a quarter mile. The upper photo shows what appears to be an adult lacking the long central tail feathers that has just nabbed a migrant passerine. But when the bird wheeled upward, revealing its underparts (lower photo), the almost Ring-billed Gull like tail pattern immediately revealed that it was not a full adult. This individual was sparring with a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger for the rights to this tasty morsel.

Black-billed Cuckoo:- Single September birds were seen on the 3rd in the Hammond Sanctuary (Michael Topp) and on the 26th at the Dunes State Park birder platform (Brendan J. Grube). This constitutes a better than average season for the lakefront, as the TYM is only 1.5.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo:- This cuckoo did not fare as well as its cousin; 6 were reported (TYM=7.75).

Ruby-throated Hummingbird:- Although the 157 individuals reported this fall is the lowest in six years, it is still well above the TYM of 120.

Fall 2014, page 9

Snowy Owl:- The season’s only report was photographed by a federal employee in East Chicago on 14 November.

Short-eared Owl:- See table (Season total=4; TYM=4.65).

Short-eared Owl ReportsShort-eared Owl ReportsShort-eared Owl ReportsShort-eared Owl ReportsNo Date Location Observer

1 17-Oct Dunes S.P. B.J. Grube2 29-Nov Mich. C. Harb. J.C. Lindsey1 30-Nov Reynolds Crk R.J. Pals

Northern Saw-whet Owl:- Brad Bumgardner’s intrepid crew had a far more productive season than last year. Their banding operation captured 29 Saw-whets during the interval 19 October to 14 November.

Common Nighthawk:- The season’s only report consisted of (5) that Matt Kalwasinski saw in Highland on 5 September (TYM=56.2).

Merlin:- Following July’s unprecedented report, another Merlin was found at Miller Beach by Neal Miller and Thaddaeus Shaum on 5 August. In the presence of extremely poor lighting young Thaddaeus obtained marginally identifiable photos of the bird.

FLYCATCHERS Strong showings by Willow and Least Flycatcher elevated the autumn flight to above average, with a mean MI/species of +0.016. Half of the ten reported species appeared in below normal numbers with Great Crested Flycatcher at the bottom and Willow Flycatcher at the top of the MI list.

Alder Flycatcher:- Kimberly Ehn’s singing bird at Dunes State Park on 18 August, provided the lakefront’s only fall report.

Willow Flycatcher:- Lynea S. Hinchman logged the season’s largest count of (3) on 5 August (all birds vocalized). The 16 reported this season was an unusually robust total as the TYM is only 3.55.

Great Crested Flycatcher:- The 5 birds reported this season constitute the poorest autumn total since 1990, when 2 were reported (TYM=10.5).

Interestingly, the tardy bird that Jeffrey J. McCoy found in Forsythe Park on 11 October, provided the lakefront’s latest fall record (previous latest was logged 6 October 1951 in Dunes S.P.)

VIREOS The vireo migration was slightly above average with a mean MI/species of +0.009. The only species reported in below average numbers was the Blue-headed.

Blue-headed Vireo:- Surprisingly scarce. The 7 birds reported this autumn constitutes the lowest fall total since 1999 (TYM=14.6).

SWALLOWS A dreadful Purple Martin flight pulled the mean MI/species (-0.034) down below average.

Purple Martin:- This autumn’s flight was extremely feeble with only 11 birds reported (TYM=52.4). This is the lakefront’s lowest fall total since 1999.

Red-breasted Nuthatch:- Strikingly scarce on the lakefront. Indeed the 20 reported this fall is far below the TYM of 68.0.

Golden-crowned Kinglet:- It was a down autumn for this tiny passerine with only 113 reported (TYM=235). This is the lakefront’s lowest fall total since 1997.

WRENS It was a below average season for wrens. The mean MI/species was -0.063, with three of the five species reported below average numbers. Carolina Wren was at the bottom of the list and Marsh Wren was at the top.

Carolina Wren:- Only 10 were reported this fall (TYM=18.4), which is the lowest autumn total in 17 years.

Marsh Wren:- Excellent numbers of this dapper wren were counted this season with 30 reported (TYM=15.9). The peak tally was (10), logged by Brian Johnson at the Grant Street wetland on 6 September. This count is the lakefront’s second highest for the autumn season.

Fall 2014, page 10

THRUSHES This group staged an above average flight, with only two species below normal: Hermit Thrush and Eastern Bluebird (the latter only down slightly). The overall mean MI/species was +0.035.

Veery:- On 8 October Kim Ehn found (1) in Beverly Shores, which tied the lakefront’s latest record.

Hermit Thrush:- Surprisingly scarce this fall. Indeed the season total of 74 was the lowest in 15 years (TYM=157). Carolyn A. Marsh logged the season’s highest tally with (12) at the Hammond Sanctuary on 8 October.

Lapland Longspur:- Early singletons were reported at Miller Beach on 10 October (Michael Topp) and at Michigan City Harbor the following day (John and Karen Lindsey). The lakefront’s average arrival date is 20 October.

Snow Bunting:- Rather scarce throughout the fall. Only 571 were reported, which is far below the TYM of 1316.

WARBLERSAn impressive 33 species were recorded and the autumn warbler flight was well above average. The mean MI/species was +0.059. The Cerulean was missed this fall and the Mourning Warbler continues to be quite scarce. Big contributors on the positive side included Yellow-breasted Chat and Pine Warbler.

!0.20%

!0.15%

!0.10%

!0.05%

0.00%

0.05%

0.10%

0.15%

0.20%

0.25%

1997% 1999% 2001% 2003% 2005% 2007% 2009% 2011% 2013% 2015%

Mean%MI/species%

Fall%Lakefront%Warblers%

Blue-winged Warbler:- This warbler is rarely seen in the traps; consequently, the three reported

in the Hammond Sanctuary this autumn (Michael Topp & Carolyn A. Marsh) was quite surprising (TYM=2.95).

Yellow Warbler:- A well studied bird at Forsythe Park on 4 October (Jeffrey J. McCoy), provided the lakefront’s third latest fall record.

Pine Warbler:- A spectacular record flight yielded 20 birds on the lakefront (TYM=5.45). The previous best fall total was 10 in 2010. The season’s peak count was (4) that Brendan J. Grube observed at Dunes State Park on 16 September.

Bay-breasted Warbler:- The singleton that Kim Ehn found at Long Lake on 6 August, provided Indiana’s second earliest autumn record.

Blackpoll Warbler:- This warbler staged an unusually strong flight with 286 birds reported (our second best flight). The peak tally was (54) that John C. Kendall logged at the Hammond Sanctuary on 16 September.

Prothonotary Warbler:- This stunning warbler, which is quite rare in fall (TYM=0.6), was seen at the Dunes State Park Nature Center feeding area on 9 August (Brad Bumgardner).

Skulking Connecticut Warblers are almost impossible to photograph; however, Michael Topp nailed this one at the Hammond Sanctuary on 6 September. The buffy throat suggests that this individual might be a first-cycle bird.

Fall 2014, page 11

Mourning Warbler:- A dismally low 4 birds were reported for the season (TYM=9.0). This warbler has declined significantly over the past decades, as evidenced by the below chart.

0"

5"

10"

15"

20"

25"

1995" 1997" 1999" 2001" 2003" 2005" 2007" 2009" 2011" 2013"

Lakefront*Autumn*Mourning*Warbler*Totals*

Wilson’s Warbler:- An unusually bright male, seen in the Hammond Sanctuary on 11 October (KJB, John K. Cassady, Lynea S. Hinchman, & Jeffrey J. McCoy), provided the lakefront’s fourth latest autumn record. Otherwise, this pert warbler was rather scarce with only 35 reported on the lakefront (TYM=45.6)

Yellow-breasted Chat:- The season’s only report consisted of (1) that Don Gorney observed in a gulls mouth at Miller Beach on 6 Sep (TYM=0.15).

SPARROWS The sparrow flight was a bit below normal with an average MI/species of -0.012. Among the expected species Harris’ Sparrow was not reported and other “down” species included Savannah and American Tree Sparrows. In contrast four Lark Sparrows provided a pleasant surprise.

American Tree Sparrow:- Lakefront birders experienced the poorest flight since 2002 with only 80 reported (TYM=184).

Lark Sparrow:- A record four birds were reported this autumn (TYM=0.4). A juv near the USX breakwall at Miller Beach on 2 August (John K. Cassady et al.) and another was seen there on 16 August (John C. Lindsey). Interestingly, the

lakefront’s first fall record occurred in 2010, and now autumn reports have been made in four of the last five years.

Nelson’s Sparrow:- High water at McCool Basin limited available habitat. Only 4 were reported, compared to 18 last year.

Harris’s Sparrow:- Not reported this fall (TYM=1.45).

Blue Grosbeak:- The Miller Beach birds were last reported 9 August when John K. Cassady observed (2) males near the USX impoundment.

Dickcissel:- M. Penny Starin found (1) at Mnoke Prairie on 2 August.

Orchard Oriole:- A female that Peter E. Scott found 14 September at Marquette Park (Gary), provided a first September record and a new late date for the lakefront. The previous latest date was 10 August 1994.

Baltimore Oriole:- An autumn lakefront record of 37 were reported this year (TYM=15.6).

WINTER FINCHES The fall of 2014 was clearly not a winter finch autumn.

Purple Finch:- The fall total of 18 was the lowest in eight years (TYM=57.0).

Red Crossbill:- John C. Kendall photographed two at the West Beach pinery on 12 November (TYM=12.1).

Common Redpoll:- The season’s only Redpolls (3) flew past Brendan J. Grube at Dunes State Park on 15 November (TYM=41.9).

Pine Siskin:- A fine flight of 761 Siskins was recorded during the autumn flight (TYM=217). The peak count consisted of (217) migrating birds that flew over Dunes State Park on 27 October (Brendan J. Grube).

Fall 2014, page 12

Convention with numbers To add clarity to the numerical chaos, bird numbers observed on a single day are contained within parentheses, (10). Season totals are written in numerals without parentheses.

Explanation of abbreviations Season totals are frequently compared to average seasonal counts in the "Dunes area" (Calumet Region or lakefront) over the past 20 years, including the present year. This value is abbreviated "TYM" for Twenty Year Mean. The term “STYM” refers to the twenty-year mean for the entire state.

The item “MI” is the Migration Index, a parameter calculated by the following relation: MI = (Total -TYM)/(Total + TYM). Here “Total” refers to the total number of individuals, of a given species, reported during the season. If Total = 0, MI is assigned a value of -ln(1+TYM) with a minimum value of –1.00. MI values provide an assessment of the current Migration compared to counts over the past 20 years; positive values indicate a better than average flight, whereas, negative MI’s reflect a below normal Migration.

In considering the TYM and MI parameters keep in mind that observer effort has not been constant over the twenty-year interval, indeed observer effort has surely increased over the past decade. This means that negative MI’s should be examined closely as they may reflect significant declines.

Fall 2014, page 13