INDIANA DUNES AREA BIRD REPORT: FALL 2017 Kenneth J. Brock- Chesterton, IN

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Autumn2017wascharacterizedbynumerouswarm,drydays(seeTemperature&Precipitationtable),thebestKittiwakeBlightinelevenyears,arecordLong-tailedJaegercount,alateseasonSnowyOwlinvasionandanincredibleRedCrossbillirruption.Among scores of good finds, the following stood out: an adult female Magnificent Frigatebird, one Western Sandpiper, several Little Gulls, a Barn Owl, and two Harris’s Sparrows.

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

Aug -0.9 -2.39Sep +4.8 -2.89Oct +5.1 +5.55Nov -0.6 -1.40

This season lakefront birders were treated to an unprecedented irruption of Red Crossbills. Most of these wanderers gathered in the tall white pines near the Dunes State Park gate, where this photo was taken. In addition to multiple daily counts that exceeded the former lakefront record, at least three flight call types were identified within the flocks. This sparkling photo was taken by Peter B. Grube on 29 October 2017.

Longshore Flights The season’s top ten lakewatches, based on Pals Magnitude, are listed in the adjacent table. Randy Pals formulated this parameter to quantify lakewatch quality. It takes into account both bird numbers and flight quality. The Lake Michigan lakewatch season got off to a fabulous start on 31 August, indeed John Kendall coined the term “Miller JaegerFest,” to celebrate that day. More than 13 birders enjoyed 23 jaegers (13 Parasitic, 4 Long-tailed, and 6 unidentified birds). Although the flight quality was marvelous, small numbers of individual birds reduced that day’s Pals Magnitude to 43.65. The all-time best longshore flight occurred at Miller Beach on 23 November 2013 and had a Pals Magnitude of 172.81.

The table below summarizes the 2016 fall migration by bird groups using a parameter known as the Migration Index (MI, definition appended).

The Season’s Log August On the first day of autumn Matthew Beatty inaugurated the season with a singing male Blue Grosbeak at DuPont Preserve. The juvenile Piping Plover that John Cassady found at Miller Beach on the 3rd, was born at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI. The following day Carolyn Marsh logged a record early Northern Parula in the Hammond Sanctuary. Highlights of Michael Topp’s 10 August hike to the Miller Beach breakwater included two American Avocets and two Willets (all flybys). Saturday the 12th brought Brad Bumgardner’s field trip group, and others, to Miller Beach where 30 birders enjoyed the likes of Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover, and Baird’s Sandpiper. Kimberly Ehn dug out a late Prairie Warbler and a male Summer Tanager at the Kemil Road lot on 15 August. John K. Cassady had a fine day on the 17th with a flock of 18 Hudsonian Godwits off Miller Beach and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Michigan City Harbor. A spectacular find occurred at Miller Beach on 22 August when John

Kendall spotted a very high flying frigatebird. Brad Bumgardner found a Hudsonian Godwit perched on Michigan City Harbor’s outer breakwall on the 27th. August ended with a spectacular finish on the 31st. On that day more than a dozen birders gathered at Miller Beach to enjoy the season’s first cold front. They were not disappointed as the day yielded 23 jaegers, including four Long-taileds, a flyby Whimbrel, one Sabine’s Gull, and a Red-necked Phalarope.

September (first half) September birding on the lakefront began on the 3rd when Brendan Grube logged an Olive-sided Flycatcher in eastern Beverly Shores. The 96 Common Nighthawks that Matt Kalwasinski counted over Munster (also on the 3rd) constitute the lakefront’s second largest fall count in the last 20 years. A nice front passed on the 5th, but following winds were more westerly and little movement occurred on the lake. Brad Bumgardner logged an early Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the Hammond Sanctuary and Frederick Ruckersfeldt found a Parasitic Jaeger at MillerBeach on 6 September. The following day an astonishing 120 Swainson’s Thrushes were tallied in Dunes S.P. (Brad Bumgardner). Activity accelerated on the 8th with a Sabine’s Gull at Miller (John Kendall) plus adult (John Kendall) and juvenile (Jeff McCoy) Little Gulls at Michigan City Harbor. A juvenile Little Gull

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Top-10 Longshore FlightsDate Location Pals FM19-Nov Miller Beach 116.96-Nov Miller Beach 110.618-Nov Miller Beach 69.731-Aug Miller Beach 43.716-Nov Miller Beach 42.615-Oct Miller Beach 36.23-Nov Miller Beach 21.829-Sep Miller Beach 21.428-Oct Miller Beach 20.831-Oct Miller Beach 17.2

Group MI/species Group MI/species Ducks 0.046 Flycatchers 0.068Loons/Grebes -0.108 Vireos 0.037Herons 0.058 Swallows 0.157Raptors 0.170 Wrens -0.124Shorebirds -0.015 Thrushes 0.065Gulls -0.062 Warblers 0.018Terns 0.315 Sparrows 0.083

spent the following day at nearby Central Ave Beach (Allee Forsberg & Kevin Cornell). On the 11th Alan Bruner and Peter Scott found a Western Sandpiper on one of the Wolf Lake islands. John Kendall logged an impressive 950 Common Terns off Michigan City Harbor on the 12th, providing the season’s largest daily count.

September (second half) On 16 September John Cassady dug out an autumn record five adult White-rumped Sandpipers from the weeds along margins of the Wolf Lake islands. The lakefront’s first Least Tern in a decade was observed perched on Michigan City Harbor’s outer breakwall on 18 September (John Kendall) and was photographed by Pete Grube the following day. The next few days brought a late summer hot spell with daily highs in the 90s. Highlights during this period included a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope on the Michigan City Harbor outer breakwall (Matthew Beatty). The best bird seen on Saturday the 23rd was a Red-necked Grebe that Brendan Grube found swimming just off the Michigan City Harbor lighthouse. John Kendall observed a Parasitic Jaeger at Michigan City Harbor on the 26th. Another Parasitic, along with a Greater White-fronted Goose and Baird’s Sandpipers, were logged on McCoy’s Miller Beach lakewatch on the 27th. On this same day Loyce Fandrei found a late Olive-sided Flycatcher at Gibson Woods. Matthew Beatty identified a tardy Summer Tanager in Dunes S.P. on the 28th. A Miller Beach lakewatch on the 29th, headed by Jeff McCoy, yielded the following highlights: Surf Scoters, Red-necked Phalarope, Sabine’s Gull, and Parasitic Jaegers. Brendan Grube also saw an American Avocet off the Dunes S.P. beach on the 29th.

October (first half) Kimberly Ehn initiated October’s lakefront birding with a tardy Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Beverly Shores on the 2nd. On the 4th Ryne Rutherford found a late Connecticut Warbler in the Hammond Sanctuary. The following day Brendan Grube spotted two American Avocets swimming in Lake Michigan 100 meters off Dunes S.P. and Michael Topp identified this autumn’s first Pine Siskins at the Hammond Sanctuary. Highlights on Saturday 7 October included Clay-colored Sparrow (Jeff McCoy & Matthew Beatty at the Hammond Sanctuary), a

Surf Scoter flight (Jeff McCoy et al. at Michigan City Harbor and Michael Topp at Miller Beach), a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull at Michigan City Harbor (Jeff McCoy et al.), and six Orange-crowned Warblers at Burns Ditch (Brendan Grube). An 11 October lakewatch at the Green Tower site (Brad Bumgardner) netted 49 immature or female Surf Scoters. A moderately strong front passed through at mid-morning of 15 October. A dozen or so lake watchers gathered at the Miller Beach concession stand and were rewarded with the following species: Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Ruddy Duck (rarely migrate in daytime), Red-necked Phalarope, Franklin’s Gull, and Common Tern (late).

October (second half) On the 16th Brad Bumgardner discovered a vocalizing Western Meadowlark at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. The season’s first Rough-legged Hawk was logged at Reynolds Creek on the 18th

by Brendan Grube. Michael Topp had a fine day during his 19 October Miller Beach hike; highlights included Little Gull, Black Tern, Sedge Wren, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Nelson’s Sparrow. Brendan Grube identified a flyby male Red Crossbill at the Green Tower site and three LeConte’s Sparrows at Reynolds Creek on the 20th. The morning of 21 October proved quite incredible in the Hammond Sanctuary area. Clouds of sparrows and copious Orange-crowned Warblers greeted early arriving birders. Randy Pals quickly spotted a first-cycle Harris’s Sparrow. In contrast to most Harris’s this bird lingered long enough for everyone present to obtain a look. Then Matt Kalwasinski dug a Nelson’s Sparrow out of a tiny cattail stand. While we ogled this unusually obliging Nelson’s, Matt Beatty found a LeConte’s Sparrow on the other side of the cattails. It was indeed a most memorable experience. A front passed on the 24th but the following winds were from the west; despite this shortcoming Don Gorney bagged a Little Gull that passed in a flock of “Bonys.” At West Beach on the 25th Ed Hopkins found another Harris’s Sparrow and Brad Bumgardner logged the season’s first Common Redpolls. Brendan Grube saw a flock if (27) Red Crossbills land in the Dunes S.P. pinery on the 26th. Brendan’s impressive count was surpassed on the 29th when Jeffrey McCoy tallied 57 in the Dunes State Park white pines near the gatehouse. On this same day Brendan also logged an impressive six LeConte’s Sparrows at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. October was

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closed with a Black-legged Kittiwake that John Cassady spotted during a Miller Beach lakewatch on the 31st.

November (first third) The eleventh month began with continued Red Crossbill reports in the white pines at the Dunes S.P. On the 1st Allee Forsberg and Kevin Cornell counted 26 and the following day Leland and Thaddaeus Shaum bagged 35. On the 2nd Brad Bumgardner logged a Red-necked Grebe at Miller Beach and Carolyn Marsh found a Barn Owl in the Hammond Sanctuary. Saturday 4 November proved to be a most interesting day. Matt Kalwasinski relocated the afore mentioned Barn Owl and it was enjoyed by many. Red Crossbills still frequented the Dunes S.P. white pines and scores of observers obtained excellent views; indeed John Cassady tallied 72 there on the 4th. At the Hammond Sanctuary John also discovered an “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler and members of the Stockbridge Audubon spotted a Parasitic Jaeger at Michigan City Harbor. On the 5th Carolyn Marsh observed an American Bittern at the 129th Street wetland. A moderate cold front passed on the 6th, bringing a fine longshore flight; highlights included 19 species of waterfowl and a “Thayer’s-type” Iceland Gull. Also on 6 N o v e m b e r , C a r o l y n M a r s h f o u n d a n exceptionally, tardy Wilson’s Warbler at the Hammond Sanctuary. On the final day of this segment Michael Topp flushed a Short-eared Owl from little blue stem in the Hammond Sanctuary and Kristin Stratton found three Rough-legged Hawks at Reynolds Creek.

November (second third) On the eleventh a Long-tailed Duck was found at Jeorse Park (Matt Kalwasinski) and the season’s only Red Phalarope flew past the Beverly Shores Lakefront (John Cassady). The following day Peter Scott logged a Snowy Owl on the breakwater at the west end of Miller Beach. Following a week of small counts, on the 16th Brendan Grube tallied 42 Red Crossbills along the Calumet Trail at Dunes S.P. A modest front passed on the 16th and, although the birding was slow, the following Miller Beach highlights were quite noteworthy: 31 Snow Geese, a Long-tailed

Duck, three Red-necked Grebes, and five Black-legged Kittiwakes. An 18 November lakewatch on a dank and windy day (John Kendall et al.) produced the following noteworthy birds: all three scoters, 2000 Red-breasted Mergansers, and 15 Black-legged Kittiwakes at Miller Beach. Favorable winds continued at Miller and on the 19th birders logged 83 Tundra Swans, six Long-tailed Ducks and four Black-legged Kittiwakes giving the season’s best lakewatch in terms of Pals Flight Magnitude. Also during the afternoon of 19 November Brendan Grube observed five Black-legged Kittiwakes flying eastward past Dunes S.P.

November (final third) This segment began with the light-morph Rough-legged Hawk and Short-eared Owl that Randy Pals found at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on the 21st. A big surprise occurred on the 22nd when Ben Cvengros photographed a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Dunes S.P. Don Gorney briefly observed the season’s first Harlequin Duck at Jeorse Park on the 23rd. An adult Red-necked Grebe was seen from the Hammond Sanctuary on the 24th (Michael Topp). Randy Pals found a Snowy Owl at Reynolds Creek and Jason Jablonski reported a Purple Sandpiper at Michigan City Harbor on the 25th. Matt Kalwasinski photographed an immature male/female Harlequin Duck at Whiting Park on the 26th. On this same day Pete and Josh Grube found the first ever Northern Shrike at Reynolds Creek. Single Snowy Owls were reported at Miller Beach (Michael Topp) and Michigan City Harbor (Jonathan Bauer & Julia Ferguson) on the 27th. Jeff Skrentny et al. logged some fine birds in Indiana waters off Steelworkers Park, IL on the 29th. Their observations included singletons of the following: Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe, and Black-legged Kittiwake. On this same day Tom Lally photographed a Snowy Owl at this site. Also, on the 29th John Kendall found two Harlequins at Whiting Park. The season’s last day yielded Snowy Owls at four different locations and Michael Topp had a flyby flock of three calling Red Crossbills over the Hammond Sanctuary.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Many thanks to Susan R. Bagby for reviewing an early draft and suggesting numerous improvements. Thanks also go to Matthew Beatty, Stephen D. Bell, John K. Cassady, Peter B. Grube, Matt S. Kalwasinski, and John C. Kendall, for sharing their excellent photos.

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SPECIES ACCOUNTS

WATERFOWLSnow Goose:- Interestingly, on 9 September two very early flyby flocks were seen on Lake Michigan: (2) light morph birds flew past Central Avenue Beach (Allee Forsberg and Kevin Cornell) and (7), two light and five dark, were seen at Michigan City Harbor (Ed Powers et al.). Although stragglers have been seen in July and August these reports constitute Indiana’s third earliest September records.

Greater White-fronted Goose:- The lakefront’s fifth earliest fall arrival date was logged 27 September when John C. Kendall watched a singleton fly in off Lake Michigan at Miller Beach.

Tundra Swan:- Lakefront birders enjoyed the best autumn flight in four years with 109 reported (TYM=52.2). The (83) reported during the 19 November Miller Beach lakewatch (John K. Cassady et al.), provided the lakefront’s fourth largest fall count.

DUCKS DABBLERS: Numbers of almost a third of the puddle ducks were “under water” (no pun intended). The American Black Duck, by far, made the poorest showing.

BAY DUCKS: It was a poor season for the divers. Every species was reported in below normal numbers. The Canvasback count was poorest of the lot.

SEA DUCKS: In contrast to the bay ducks, the sea ducks fared exceptionally well, with only the Black Scoter reported in below normal numbers.

American Black Duck:- It was another poor year for this diminishing species. Only 22 were reported for the season, which constitutes the lowest fall count since 1991 (TYM=67.9).

Canvasback:- The 13 “Cans” reported this autumn is the lowest fall total since 2009 (TYM=41.0).

Harlequin Duck:- It was a good season for this small duck with 5 reported (TYM=2.1). The peak tally was (2) at Whiting Park on 29 November (John C. Kendall).

Surf Scoter:- Several nice daily movements occurred on Lake Michigan during the first half of October. The largest consisted of (49) that Brad Bumgardner and Brendan J. Grube counted flying past the Green tower site on the 11th.

Black Scoter:- The 128 reported is a bit below the TYM of 150. The season’s peak count was (25) that Ed Powers and the Stockbridge Audubon members tallied at Michigan City Harbor on 4 November.

Long-tailed Duck:- Lakefront birders enjoyed the best fall flight since 1982 with 51 reported (TYM=12.4). One observed during the 15 October lakewatch at Miller Beach (John K. Cassady, Jeffrey J. McCoy, et al.), provided the lakefront’s fifth earliest fall record.

Common Goldeneye:- A female at Miller Beach on 6 August (Zeke Escobedo & Matt Beatty) provided Indiana’s fourth August record: all four of these records occurred on the lakefront.

Common Merganser:- The (51) that Edward M. Hopkins counted at Miller Beach on 20 November constitutes Indiana’s largest fall count since 1959.

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Matt S. Kalwasinski photographed this fetching Harlequin Duck just off the rocks at Whiting Park on 26 November 2017.

LOONS & GREBES It was not a good season for this group, as every species except Pied-billed and Red-necked were reported in below average numbers.

Common Loon:- Although still below the TYM, the season total of 1737 represents the best fall flight since 2009 (TYM=1928). The peak daily count was (411) that John K. Cassady logged during a 19-November lakewatch at Miller Beach.

Red-necked Grebe:- One that Brendan J. Grube found at Michigan City Harbor (23 September) provided the lakefront’s third record for the ninth month.

Western Grebe:- For the second consecutive autumn this grebe went unreported on the lakefront (TYM=1.9).

Magnificent Frigatebird:- John C. Kendall spotted a highflying adult female from the Miller Beach Lake Street lot on 22 August. The bird was some three-quarters of a mile out over Lake Michigan and perhaps 500 feet above the lake. Matthew Beatty, John K. Cassady, Andy Slager, and KJB also saw the bird. This is Indiana’s first frigatebird report in nine years.

BITTERNS, HERONS & EGRETS Both the Little Blue Heron and Cattle Egret went unreported this autumn. All other species appeared in well above average numbers.

American Bittern:- Stephanie Beilke discovered (2) in East Chicago on 29 September (TYM=0.85), tying the lakefront’s maximum fall count, which was set back in 1952. Another, seen by Carolyn A. Marsh and Julie Bonnema at the

129th Street wetland on 5 November, provided the lakefront’s second latest fall record.

Snowy Egret:- In addition to the reliable bird that frequented the Wolf Lake area, a juvenile was discovered at Carlson Oxbow Park on 26 August (John K. Cassady, Lynea S. Hinchman, Randy Pals, & Lynn H. Vernon). The Wolf Lake bird lingered until at least 23 September (Lynea S. Hinchman).

DIURNAL RAPTORS The lakefront’s second largest autumn flight occurred at Miller Beach on 26 August when John K. Cassady et al. counted 123 westbound raptors, including (9) Bald Eagles, flying along the lakefront.

Bald Eagle:- A lakefront record autumn count of (9) was logged at Miller Beach on 26 August when John K. Cassady, Jeffrey J. McCoy, Randy Pals, et al. tallied 123 raptors during a hawk flight.

SHOREBIRDS The overall shorebird flight was slightly below normal. Of the 32 species reported, 15 were reported in below average numbers: The poorest flights were logged by Red Knot, Whimbrel, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. In contrast it was a fine season for the Stilt Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope.

Most of the McCool Basin mudflat was overgrown with tall grass; consequently, that site yielded precious few shorebirds this season.

Semipalmated Plover:- It was a record autumn on the lakefront for this plover, with 208 reported (TYM=90.8). The peak count was (29), which John K. Cassady et al. logged at Wolf Lake on 16 September.

American Avocet:- See table (Season total=6; TYM= 15.4).

Red-necked Grebe RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 23-Sep Mich.CityHarb. BrendanGribe1 2-Nov MillerBeach BradBumgardner1 3-Nov PortofIndiana JohnKendall2 6-Nov PortofIndiana BobDecker3 16-Nov MillerBeach JohnCassady1 20-Nov PortofIndiana EdHopkins1 24-Nov HammondSanct. MichaelTopp1 29-Nov SteelworkersPark JeffSkrentny1 29-Nov PortofIndiana KimEhn

AmericanAvocet RecordsNo Date Location Observer

2 11-Aug Miller Beach Michael Topp1 4-Sep Miller Beach John Kendall1 29-Sep Dunes State Park Brendan Grube2 5-Oct Dunes State Park Brendan Grube

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Willet:- See table (Season total=87; TYM= 80.0).

Whimbrel:- See table (Season total=2; TYM=7.9).

Hudsonian Godwit:- On 17 August John K. Cassady and KJB logged a tight flock of (18) as they migrated past Miller Beach. Brad Bumgardner and Kristin Stratton found a singleton perched on the Michigan City Harbor outer breakwall on 27 August.

Red Knot:- A juvenile, found at Michigan City Harbor on 26 August (Eric Michael), lingered until the 29th (Brad Bumgardner). This individual provided Indiana’s only report for the season and constituted the lowest season total since 2006.

Stilt Sandpiper:- The 36 reported this season represents the lakefront’s best flight since 1978.

The peak tally was the (10) logged at Carlson Oxbow Park on 5 September (John K. Cassady).

Western Sandpiper:- The lakefront’s first record in two years was found on a Wolf Lake island on 11 September (Alan W. Bruner & Peter C. Scott).

Semipalmated Sandpiper:- Thanks in part to an excellent count of (52) at 129th Street wetland on 2 September (Jeffrey J. McCoy), lakefront birders enjoyed an all-time high autumn total this season.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper:- John K. Cassady logged the lakefront’s only report on 17 August when he discovered a singleton on the Michigan City Harbor outer breakwall (TYM=3.8).

Red-necked Phalarope:- It was a fine season for this tiny shorebird with 8 reported (TYM=2.20). The season’s high count was (3) at Miller Beach on 15 October (John K. Cassady et al.).

Red Phalarope:- The season’s only report consisted of a flyby at the Beverly Shores Lakefront on 11 November (John K. Cassady et al.).

GULLS Autumn of 2017 brought another below par gull flight. Half of the dozen species reported had below average numbers: Franklin’s Gull logged the poorest showing. On the positive side an excellent Kittiwake flight was recorded.

Black-legged Kittiwake:- See table (Season total=31; TYM=11.0). The 15 that Jeffrey J. McCoy et al. logged during an 18 November Miller Beach lakewatch, ties Indiana’s second largest count.

Willet RecordsNo Date Location Observer26 8-Aug Michigan City Harbor Peter Scott22 10-Aug Michigan City Harbor Matt Beatty2 11-Aug Miller Beach M.A. Topp4 14-Aug Hammond Sanctuary E. Gyllenhaal

14 17-Aug Michigan City Harbor John Cassady5 19-Aug Michigan City Harbor John Cassady2 21-Aug Michigan City Harbor Jeff McCoy5 27-Aug Michigan City Harbor Kristin Stratton5 27-Aug Miller Beach B. Bumgardner2 29-Aug Michigan City Harbor Eric Michael

Whimbrel RecordsNo Date Location Observer

1 19-Aug Miller Beach Don Gorney1 31-Aug Miller Beach John Cassady

Black-legged Kittiwake RecordsNo Date Location Observer

1 31-Oct Miller Beach John Cassady5 16-Nov Miller Beach John Cassady

15 18-Nov Miller Beach Jeff McCoy5 18-Nov Dunes S.P. Brendan Grube4 19-Nov Miller Beach John Cassady1 29-Nov Steelworkers Park, IL Jeff Skrentny

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The conspicuous underwing pattern of flying Willets is difficult to see. John K. Cassady captured this striking feature on these juveniles (part of a flock of five) at Michigan City Harbor on 19 August.

Sabine’s Gull:- See table (Season total=4; TYM=10.8).

Little Gull:- It was a fine season for this tiny larid. Two appeared at Michigan City Harbor on 9 September: an adult (John C. Kendall) and a juvenile (Jeffrey J. McCoy). Presumably, this same juvenile spent the following day off Central Avenue Beach (Allee Forsberg & Kevin Cornell). Michael A. Topp found a first-winter bird at Miller Beach on 19 October.

Laughing Gull:- John K. Cassady spotted a first-cycle bird, the season’s only record, during a 29 September lakewatch at Miller Beach.

Franklin’s Gull:- This small gull was quite scarce on the lakefront this fall. The 13 reported was far below the TYM of 116.

Kelp X Herring Gull hybrid The so-called Chandeleur Gull arrived on 26 August (Jeffrey J. McCoy & Eric Michael), providing Indiana’s first August record. This marks the eighth consecutive year in which the hybrid has been present at Michigan City Harbor.

TERNS In addition to the Least Tern (a casual species on the lakefront) all species except Common Tern were reported in above average numbers. Indeed this is the best flight since 2003.

Least Tern:- John C. Kendall found a juvenile resting on the Michigan City Harbor outer breakwater on 18 September, which provided the lakefront’s first record since 23 August 2007 and first immature since 5 October 1985. This individual was seen sporadically at the harbor through the 22nd (John C. Kendall).

Black Tern:- A major flight occurred at Miller Beach on 11 August with (1164) migrants counted during an eight-hour lakewatch (Matthew Beatty, John K. Cassady, John C. Kendall & KJB). This total constitutes Indiana’s second largest count. Subsequently, stragglers occurred at Miller Beach on 19 October (Michael A. Topp) and at Dunes

Sabine’sGullRecordsNo Date Location Observer

1 31-Aug Miller Beach Jeff McCoy1 8-Sep Miller Beach John Kendall1 29-Sep Miller Beach Don Gorney1 22-Oct Michigan City Harbor Eric Michael

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This juvenile Least Tern provided the lakefront’s first record in a decade. John Kendall discovered the bird at Michigan City Harbor on 18 September and it lingered in the area for several days. Photo by Peter B. Grube.

Franklin’s Gulls staged a weak flight on the lakefront this autumn. This crisply-plumed first-cycle bird was preparing for the long flight to the Peruvian coast. John K. Cassady’s excellent flight shot reveals details of the plumage, including the fact the the tail band fails to cross the outermost rectrices.

S.P. on 22 October (Brendan J. Grube). The latter is the lakefront’s second latest record.

Common Tern:- The season’s peak tally was (950) that John C. Kendall tallied off Michigan City Harbor on 12 September.

JAEGERS Indiana’s largest daily count in 18 years was logged 31 August when (23) were tallied at Miller Beach. John C. Kendall dubbed this exciting event the “JaegerFest.” The species breakdown was (14) Parasitic, (4) Long-tailed, and (6) unidentified Jaegers.

The “Miller JaegerFest” yielded a record total for the month of August; in contrast, for the first time in 15 years no jaegers were reported in October.

Parasitic Jaeger:- An excellent day occurred 31 August when Jeffrey J. McCoy et al. tallied (13), including one dark morph, at Miller Beach. This total constitutes Indiana’s second largest daily count (by one bird).

Long-tailed Jaeger:- For the 18th consecutive year this rare Arctic nester was logged on the Indiana lakefront. This year a record (4) birds, one adult and three Juveniles, were identified at Miller Beach on 31 August (Jeffrey J. McCoy and many observers).

Snowy Owl:- See table (Season total=7; TYM=1.50).

Short-eared Owl:- The first fall report consisted of (4) that Brendan J. Grube reported at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on 14 October.

Annual Jaeger Counts08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Aug 4 12 1 2 3 9 3* 0 17 23Sep 34 2 17 50 36 20 37 11 20 6Oct 3 2 3 7 3 13 32 4 15 0Nov 12 1 10 10 0 1 2 2 7 2

53 17 31 69 42 43 74 17 59 31* Includes one July record.

FallParasiticJaegers

Date No Location Observer Age

31-Aug 13 Miller Beach Jeff McCoy, et al. Juvs4-Sep 1 Michigan City Harbor John Kendall Juv6-Sep 1 Miller Beach Fred Ruckersfeldt Juv26-Sep 1 Michigan City Harbor John Kendall Juv27-Sep 1 Miller Beach Jeff McCoy, et al. Juv29-Sep 2 Miller Beach John Cassady, et al. Adu4-Nov 1 Michigan City Harbor Stockbridge Aud. ?6-Nov 1 Dunes S.P, Bob Decker ?

Snowy Owl RecordsNo Date Location Observer

1 12-Nov Miller Beach Peter Scott1 25-Nov Reynolds Creek Randy Pals1 27-Nov Miller Beach Michael Topp1 27-Nov Michigan City Harbor Julia Ferguson1 29-Nov Off Calumet Park, IL Tom Lally1 30-Nov Whiting Park Kristin Stratton1 30-Nov Portage Lakefront Park Michael Topp

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These are two of the 23 jaegers logged during the 31 August “Miller JaegerFest.” The bird on the left is an adult Long-tailed and the other is a juvenile Parasitic. Photo by Matthew Beatty.

Jaegers are a fall specialty on the Indiana lakefront and most are birds of the year. This juvenile passed in the wave trough between breakers at Miller Beach on 27 September. Stephen D. Bell snapped this excellent shot as the bird swept past.

Barn Owl:- Carolyn A. Marsh found (1) in the Hammond Sanctuary on 2 November. This constitutes the first lakefront record in six years. Matt Kalwasinski relocated the bird on Saturday the 4th and a score of birders enjoyed seeing it.

Merlin:- For the fourth consecutive year Merlin numbers were far above the TYM. This autumn 16 Merlins were reported and the TYM is 8.95.

FLYCATCHERS Despite the absence of Alder on the season’s flycatcher tally sheet, it was a fine autumn for this group. Among the other flycatchers only the Least was reported in below average numbers and that species was just slightly below normal.

Olive-sided Flycatcher:- Ten were reported for the season (TYM=6.05). A tardy migrant, found 27 September by Loyce Fandrei and Gail Beauchamp at Gibson Woods Preserve, tied the lakefront’s second latest record.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher:- Kimberly Ehn recorded the lakefront’s second latest fall record on 2 October. This bird was found in the western reaches of Beverly Shores.

Northern Shrike:- Allee Forsberg, Annie Aguirre, Kevin Cornell, and Tanner Troyer found (1) at West Beach on 28 October, providing the first sighting for that location in four years. Pete and

Josh Grube discovered another at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on 26 November. The latter constituted a first for that location.

VIREOS Overall, the vireo flight was near average, but local breeders fared better than the migrants, as both the Blue-headed and Philadelphia numbers were below normal.

Warbling Vireo:- A record flight was recorded on the lakefront with 37 reported (TYM=14.6). The peak daily count of (4) was logged 9 September when Michael A. Topp tallied (3) at the Hammond Sanctuary and a singleton at Miller Beach.

Philadelphia Vireo:- The season’s total of eleven, is the lakefront’s lowest fall count since seven were reported back in 2002 (TYM=14.8).

SWALLOWS Swallows staged a good flight with exceptional numbers of Bank Swallows. Only Purple Martin and Rough-winged Swallow numbers were below average.

Bank Swallow:- It was an unusually good season for this swallow with 102 reported (TYM=42.0). The peak daily count was (30) that John K. Cassady et al. tallied at Miller Beach on 3 August.

Red-breasted Nuthatch:- This species staged a near average migration with 76 reported (TYM=73.9). Beth Dixon logged (5), the season’s peak count, at Dunes S.P. on 31 October.

WRENS It was not a good autumn for wrens. Although House Wrens were plentiful, Winter and especially Sedge wrens were frightfully scarce.

Winter Wren:- The 27 counted this autumn constitutes the lowest fall total since 1997 (TYM=55.1). The season’s peak count was (4): seen by Michael A. Topp at the Hammond Sanctuary and Miller Beach on 27 October.

Sedge Wren:- The season’s only report involved a singleton that Michael A. Topp found at the Hammond Sanctuary on 19 October (TYM=7.25). Mercifully, the statewide count was far above

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Carolyn A. Marsh discovered this Barn Owl in the Hammond Sanctuary on 2 November, providing the lakefront’s first record is six years. It was photographed on the 4th by Matt S. Kalwasinski.

average, indicating that the lakefront’s dearth does not reflect a true population crash.

Golden-crowned Kinglet:- A new early arrival date was set 6 September when Frederick Ruckersfeldt identified (1) at Cowles Bog. The previous early date was 12 September.

THRUSHES The total thrush flight was somewhat above average, with only two species below normal.

Swainson’s Thrush:- The (120) that Brad Bumgardner and Kristin Stratton logged in Dunes S.P. on 7 September constitutes the lakefront’s third largest count and is the best tally in 56 years.

Northern Mockingbird:- On 7 October Brendan J. Grube tied the lakefront record when he counted (6) along Burns Ditch in Porter Co.

Snow Bunting: For the second consecutive autumn the reported numbers of this species were far below average. This season’s total was 519 (TYM=1330). The maximum season count was (140) that Ryan Sanderson recorded at the Green Tower site on 24 November.

WARBLERS Both the Louisiana Waterthrush (TYM=0.85) and Cerulean Warbler (TYM=8.85) went unreported

this autumn; otherwise the flight was above average (see graph). Of the 31 species reported the numbers of fourteen were below normal generating the overall poorest flight since 2013.

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Among the below average species the Cape May, Chestnut-sided, and Canada warblers made the poorest showing. In contrast, unusually strong flights were logged for Yellow-breasted Chat, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Bay-breasted Warbler.

Northern Waterthrush:- Refreshingly, autumn numbers rebounded from last fall’s dismal six birds, to the 18 reported this season (TYM=15.1).

-0.200

-0.150

-0.100

-0.050

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

MeanMI/species

FallLakefrontWarblers

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The furtive Northern Waterthrush is a regular fall migrant through Indiana, but is difficult to see well. This individual has the faint yellowish underpart wash shown by many individuals. It was photographed in east Beverly Shores on 19 September. KJB photo.

This pristine Snow Bunting arrived at Michigan City Harbor on 26 October, just after completing its fall molt. Interestingly, over the winter this colorful autumn plumage will gradually wear away revealing the black and white spring plumage. KJB photo.

Orange-crowned Warbler:- It was a record autumn for this warbler with 83 reported (TYM=30.5). The peak count was (17) that Jeffrey J. McCoy’s group logged at the Hammond Sanctuary on 21 October. The latter tally constitutes Indiana’s second highest daily count.

Connecticut Warbler:- The fall flight was above average with 7 birds reported (TYM=4.65). There were two late records. Ryne Rutherford found an adult male in the Hammond Sanctuary on 4 October, providing the lakefront’s third latest fall record. Brendan J. Grube logged Indiana’s all-time latest record at West Beach on 20 October. The state’s previous latest was 17 October 1997 in Knox Co.

Mourning Warbler:- It was another of those odd flights in which Connecticut Warblers out numbered Mournings. For this season only 5 (all singletons) were reported (TYM=7.2).

Cape May Warbler:- The 23 individuals reported this fall constitute the lowest autumn total since 1997 when 20 were tallied (TYM=65.6). The peak daily count was (3): logged by John K. Cassady on 9 September at Forsythe Park.

Northern Parula:- The male that Carolyn A. Marsh found at the Hammond Sanctuary on 5

August provided a new early arrival date for the fall season.

Magnolia Warbler:- One identified by Landon Neumann and Nick Kiehl in the Hammond Sanctuary on 21 October provided the lakefront’s third latest record.

Bay-breasted Warbler:- For the second consecutive year unusually large autumn numbers appeared on the lakefront, with 54 reported (TYM=29.4). The peak daily count was (6) that Loyce Fandrei logged at Gibson Woods on 6 September.

Chestnut-sided Warbler:- Only 17 were reported this season, which is the lowest fall total since 2008 (TYM=28.9). The peak tally was (2) that Michael A. Topp recorded at Miller Beach on 7 September.

Canada Warbler:- Only (4) were reported for the entire season, all of which occurred in the first third of September (TYM=6.00).

Wilson’s Warbler:- One that Carolyn A. Marsh found in the Hammond Sanctuary on 6 November tied Indiana’s fifth latest record.

Yellow-breasted Chat:- For the first time since 1992, more than one was reported during the fall season. This year’s count of 2 results from the presence of new habitat availability at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. (TYM=0.25).

SPARROWS Lakefront birders enjoyed a nice sparrow flight this fall. Of the 18 species reported only five were reported in below normal numbers.

Le Conte’s Sparrow:- The (6) that Brendan J. Grube found at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on 29 October tied the lakefront’s second largest daily count. For the season 14 were reported (TYM=4.55).

Nelson’s Sparrow:- The (3) that Landon Neumann and Nick Kiehl tallied at the Hammond Sanctuary on 21 October constitute the largest lakefront daily count since the heyday of McCool Basin. It also ties, along with eleven others, the lakefront’s fourth largest count.

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Autumn Connecticut Warblers are difficult to find and even harder to photograph. John C. Kendall obtained this fine photo in the Hammond Sanctuary on 8 September.

Fox Sparrow:- Bob Huguenard recorded Indiana’s fourth earliest arrival date at the Hammond Sanctuary on 9 August.

Harris’s Sparrow:- Randy Pals logged the season’s first record, a first-cycle bird, at the Hammond Sanctuary on 21 October. Another in this same plumage was discovered by Edward M. Hopkins at West Beach on 25 October (TYM=1.05).

Rose-breasted Grosbeak:- On 22 November Ben Cvengros photographed a male in Dunes S.P. This report constitutes the lakefront’s latest fall record.

Dickcissel:- Three birds, one of which was singing, were found at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on 1 August (KJB).

Bobolink:- Jeffrey J. McCoy’s group flushed (1) from tall grass at George Lake on 7 October. This species is seldom observed on the lakefront in autumn (TYM=2.45).

Western Meadowlark:- A singing (and calling) bird was found at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on 16 October (Brad Bumgardner & Kristin Stratton). This report constitutes the lakefront’s second October record and the first since 1953.

WINTER FINCHES The season’s winter finch highlight involved a spectacular Red Crossbill invasion, as the autumn record book was rewritten for this species.

Purple Finch:- This finch was surprisingly rare on the lakefront with only 9 reported (TYM=53.3). This is the lowest autumn total since 2006.

Red Crossbill:- Brendan J. Grube identified a flyby male at the Green Tower Site on 20 October, which proved to be the vanguard of an unprecedented flight. Hoards of birds took advantage of a bumper pinecone crop on the tall white pines near the Dunes S.P. gatehouse. Reports in the below table reveal the magnitude of the irruption. The lakefront’s previous maximum tally was (50), seen at Dune Acres on 15 May 1961. Additional Red Crossbills were reported at Miller Beach, Ogden Dunes, and West Beach. For the season some 468 were reported (TYM=35.3).

More that 20 years ago it was noted that Red Crossbills could be separated into groups based flight call. Matthew Beatty, and others, recorded calls of the State Park birds in an effort to determine which types were present. Matthew’s recordings were sent to Matt Young, an ornithologist studying crossbill calls at Cornell,

Noteworthy Red Crossbill Counts at Dunes S.P.

Each report exceeds every pre-2017 count except for the previous lakefront maximum of 50 birds.

No Date Observer27 26-Oct Brendan Grube & Michael Topp57 29-Oct Jeffrey McCoy64 30-Oct John Kendall59 31-Oct John Cassady26 1-Nov Allie Forsberg & Kevin Cornell35 2-Nov Leland & Thaddaeus Shaum62 3-Nov Don Gorney & Becky Heck72 4-Nov John Cassady & many observers36 5-Nov Brendan J. Grube42 16-Nov Brendan J. Grube

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This beautiful female Red Crossbill accompanied the hoards that invaded Dunes S. P. this autumn. Peter B. Grube captured this fine photograph on 28 November.

who confirmed that the calls included type 2 and type 4 birds. Type 2 is referred to as the Ponderosa Pine Crossbill, which is believed to consist mostly of subspecies Loxia curvirostra benti and L. c. benderei. Type 4, the Douglas-fir Crossbill, no subspecies has been assigned to this type. A recording that Don Gorney submitted to Matt Young also revealed a Type 3 bird. The only subspecies previously confirmed in the state is L. c. sitkensis, which is believed to be the subspecies that most likely gives the Type 10 flight call.

Common Redpoll:- The season’s first report occurred 25 October when Brad Bumgardner & Kristin Stratton logged (2) at West Beach. Indeed, this was Indiana’s first report since early April 2017. For the season 25 were logged on the lakefront (TYM=38.9).

Pine Siskin:- Following last fall’s disaster (only 5 reported all season) numbers rebounded to 177 this year, but still remained well below the TYM of 221. This year’s peak daily count was (30), which consisted of a single flock that Brendan J. Grube reported at Dunes S.P. on 22 October.

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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.

Pals Flight Magnitude provides a method of measuring the quality of longshore flights. It generates a number based on both the number of birds tallied and the quality of the birds. For additional information contact the author.