When the weather got really bad, they’d often head inside a tiny wooden shack at the tip of the Point.
It's a little bigger than a phone booth – just big enough to fit two people.
But last November, a powerful storm destroyed the shack.
The habitats surrounding Whitefish Point are ideal for many birds. They use the area to replenish energy reserves before venturing across Lake Superior during spring and fall migrations.
Over 340 different species have been sighted there.
Whitefish Point can get some of the worst weather in the Great Lakes.
"You can barely use your scope cause the wind's shaking your tripod so bad," said Alison Világ. She’s counted birds at Whitefish Point for years and used the shack to take shelter from wind and storms. "The ducks are still flying in that sort of weather. It just — it blows my mind sometimes. Waterbirds, man — they’re pretty tough."
But last year’s November storm claimed the shack and washed away nearly two acres of beach.
A new waterbird shack was installed this summer, and carefully rebuilt, just in time for this fall’s migration.
It's a bit shinier now, and hopefully, will weather all that Lake Superior can throw at it.
Check out the Point’s North episode “Birds of Paradise” to learn more about counting birds at Whitefish Point.
