Jaeger sp, Hudsonian Godwit LB Dowitchers this weekend

[cccta@aol.com]

Listers,
 
Sunday evening I had an unidentified JAEGER along with several White-winged Scoters and a few too-far-out-to-tell dark-winged Scoters in the howling wind at Tawas Point State Park in Iosco County. All of these were visible only with a scope on the Lake Huron side of the peninsula and were seen from about halfway to the point from the lighthouse. The young JAEGER was a very active dark morph that chased Bonaparte's Gulls with abandon during the few minutes it was visible. Lots of other birds were moving down the coast a little too far to ID. The kite-boarders were flying pretty high and fast in the inshore area and there were only a couple of Black-bellied Plovers and Sanderlings on the shoreline. Small numbers of the expected migrant passerines were visible in the low vegetation on the lee side of the park on the walk back.
 
Monday afternoon I was at the South end of Santiago Road (South off US-23) just West of Au Gres and once again found the expansive shoreline to abound with shorebirds. There is a boardwalk about halfway to the water and a soggy walk to the edge of the vegetation gives much better scope views of the birds. The best birds were a single HUDSONIAN GODWIT and 5 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. Also in the mix of at least 150 birds were 40+ each of Pectorals, Sanderlings and Dunlin. Skittish flocks were moving back and forth, appearing and disappearing for a reason unknown until a ten step shift of position revealed a PEREGRINE FALCON eating one of said shorebirds behind one of the little islands. 
 
This is the same location that I had Hudsonian Godwit last fall and where Karl Overman spotted a Willet last year.
 
enjoy!
 
Scott Jennex
Ferndale
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