About 27 of us gathered at South Shore Yacht Club on the morning of January 11, eager to renew old friendships and begin new ones—and to see what birds we might find for 2026! Compared to many years, the temperature was fairly moderate, sitting around 25 degrees. There was a fairly strong NW wind blowing, but we were somewhat protected from that by the buildings of the city. The skies were partly to mostly cloudy.
One of the first birds to catch our eye was a MUTE SWAN that was swimming along the rocky breakwall. There were some other waterfowl present, but fewer that we had seen other years. Included were MALLARD, GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. A BALD EAGLE passed overhead, and a number of AMERICAN HERRING GULLS were present, but no unusual gulls were spotted.
Our next stop was at the Lake Express Ferry, where we found a variety of ducks, including GREATER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, although the numbers were pretty low. About 3 dozen AMERICAN HERRING GULLS were present, but that was the only gull species we could spot. Also observed was a BALD EAGLE that flew past our group.
From there we drove northward over the Hoan Bridge and made a stop in the parking lot near the North Point Snack Bar. As we arrived, we spotted a nice number of AMERICAN ROBINS in the trees, but then a COOPER’S HAWK made an appearance, and they all scattered. HOUSE FINCHES and DARK-EYED JUNCOS were also observed, along with another BALD EAGLE.
On Lake Michigan, a large raft of COMMON GOLDENEYES was present. Carefully scanning the flock, we soon spotted a LONG-TAILED DUCK, followed by a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER – and a moment later four others were also found! They were distant, and diving periodically, but eventually everyone was able to get scope views. Also present were AMERICAN HERRING GULLS, and a few RING-BILLS flew right over the parking area.
Driving a little further north, we parked near the Linnwood Water Treatment Plant to scan the lake again. Once again, good numbers of COMMON GOLDENEYE were present, along with GREATER SCAUP, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and BUFFLEHEAD. A flock of CANADA GEESE was swimming just offshore, along with a dozen MALLARDS.
We continued north to Port Washington, and arrived at Coal Dock Park, where we walked around to explore the area. A variety of ducks were present in the pond, including a group of GREATER SCAUP along with a single LESSER SCAUP and a lone REDHEAD. Several BUFFLEHEAD were also swimming about, and nearby we found MALLARDS and several AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS along the rocky shore.
Just beyond the outer breakwater a couple of RED-THROATED LOONS were observed, followed by a 3rd individual at the lighthouse opening. Those provided fairly distant scope views for the group, but fortunately one was later spotted swimming in the marina – giving us much better looks. Unfortunately, some of the trip participants had left just prior to finding the closer bird.
When we wrapped up the field trip around 12:15 PM, the skies were mostly clear, and the temperature was 30 degrees. The bird total for the day was 25 species, which seemed to be fairly average. We were disappointed in not having found any unusual gulls, and we missed getting Snowy Owl and Peregrine Falcon. All in all, however, it had been a fun day to be out – especially with the moderate weather we’d had. Thanks to Jeff Baughman and Wendy Schultz for co-leading this field trip, and to everyone who participated.
Our eBird Trip Report can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/463160
Tom Schultz – WSO Field Trips Committee
