The West's waterbirds are on the move this week, with terns and shorebirds proliferating across multiple states. Inland surprises include a Mississippi Kite cluster in Colorado and Lewis's Woodpecker activity spanning three states.
Up to 2000 Elegant Terns reported at Fort Stevens State Park parking area in Oregon on September 6. This exceptional concentration represents the week's largest single-species aggregation across the West.
Fort Stevens SP--Parking Area D · September 6, 2026 · 1 bird
Flockline species illustration · Not the reported individual.Across the region
Common Tern Dispersal Across Seven States
Common Terns reported in seven western states with 36 total reports and counts reaching 25 birds. The latest sighting came from Baskett Slough NWR's Morgan Lake in Oregon on September 6.
Baskett Slough NWR--Morgan Lake · September 6, 2026 · 1 bird
Sabine's Gull detected at Point Defiance Park near Dune Peninsula in Washington on September 6. This species appeared in only four states with twelve reports across the monitoring period.
Point Defiance Park--Dune Peninsula & Wilson Way · September 6, 2026 · 1 bird
Flockline species illustration · Not the reported individual.Rare report
Mississippi Kite Cluster in Fort Collins
Up to six Mississippi Kites concentrated at a residential address in Fort Collins, Colorado on September 6. This inland gathering represents unusual congregational behavior for the species in the region.
1110 West Mulberry Street, Fort Collins, Colorado, US (40.582, -105.095) · September 6, 2026 · 1 bird
Lewis's Woodpecker reported across three states with fourteen total records through September 7. The latest report came from Cherry Creek State Park's Lake Loop in Colorado.
Cherry Creek SP--Lake Loop · September 7, 2026 · 1 bird
Tennessee Warbler appeared at the former Anchorage Regional Compost Facility in Alaska on September 6. This far-north detection joins just nine other reports across two states this week.
Municipality of Anchorage--former Anchorage Regional Compost Facility · September 6, 2026 · 1 bird
