Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,
This month we've gone from spring to winter and back to spring! It's been a great start to the West Skyline Spring Count, which we hope you can come out and join us at now-May 31st. You can read the March summary highlights below and how to sign up for our Spring Migration Celebration Weekend April 26th-28th!
P.S. If you missed our last e-newsletter, you can view that and older versions by clicking HERE.
West Skyline Spring Count - March 2024 Summary
The first month of the 2024 spring hawk count season has drawn to an end! This is the 7th consecutive spring season counting birds in Duluth, and the 16th full count season. March can be variable in the western Great Lakes, and this month was no exception. The West Skyline Hawk Count was conducted on 28 days, with weather canceling the count on 3 days. 12 raptor species were observed in active migration.
Counts were near average across the board, with notable higher counts of Rough-legged Hawk and Merlin. The first week of the count was warm, with favorable SW winds that produced some fantastic early flights, particularly of Bald Eagles (105 on 3/1 and 168 on 3/4). A highlight was the earliest Turkey Vulture recorded in Duluth on March 4! The second week was nearly a carbon copy, with solid numbers of Bald Eagles and increasing presence of Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks and Golden Eagles. Highlights in the first two weeks included a Red-tailed hawk with color aberrations: this bird had white primary feathers as well as white mixed into the upperwing coverts. The third week of March was a general cool down, quite literally, as temperature returned closer to average. NW winds prevailed, and raptor flights were diminished.
Then, a late winter storm hammered the northland from March 24-26, and lingered into the 27th. This storm delivered nearly 20 fresh inches of snow in Duluth, but did not seem to hinder migration. Nearly all of Minnesota’s lakes are open and ice free, which means open season on fish for Bald Eagles! The last week of the month saw a rapid increase in the size of raptor flights, culminating on March 31st with 407 Bald Eagles and 72 Red-tailed hawks! Other highlights included the first arrival of Northern Harriers (3/14) and American Kestrels (3/30). The final raptor totals for the month of March are listed below. Turkey Vulture: 7 Bald Eagle: 2739 Northern Harrier: 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk: 3 Cooper’s Hawk: 3 American Goshawk: 1 Red-tailed Hawk: 171 Rough-legged Hawk: 51 Golden Eagle: 90 American Kestrel: 2 Merlin: 9 Peregrine Falcon: 1 Unknown Raptor: 5 TOTAL: 3085
In non-raptor news, it has been a great March! There was an above-average flight of waterfowl in the first two weeks of March; Geese species included Canada, Cackling, Snow, Ross’s and Greater White Fronted. White-fronts are unusual visitors to the western Great Lakes, as they usually stick to western Minnesota. The lack of snow this year likely contributed to their presence in Duluth. There were numerous swans, mostly Trumpeter (96) and a few Tundra (27). A huge highlight was a Sandhill Crane on March 6! This represents the earliest ever Sandhill Crane observed in the county. Common Raven were one of the most numerous non-raptors (210). Many Ravens move through in twos and even threes! These are mostly adults in March, and we will experience a dual peak of juvenile ravens in mid-May.
The other most numerous migrants were all primarily moving south, a common phenomenon at WSHC as birds navigate the North Shore, the ridge and the city of Duluth. These species were American Robin (365), Bohemian Waxwing (4272) and Common Redpoll (1138). April should bring ducks, flickers, more robins and blackbirds and finches, so get excited! As always, the WSHC could not operate without the continued support of Frank Nicoletti, who assists with count coverage and years of count experience and wisdom! I’d also like to thank the dozens of volunteers and visitors who come out to support Hawk Ridge and the spring count. The count continues every day through April and May, and we hope to see many of you at the watch!
Wanting minute to minute updates on what’s going on overhead? Click HERE or via the live count button at hawkridge.org. You can also still find our daily raptor counts and summary via HawkCount HERE. Thanks and hope to see you at the watch!
Sean McLaughlin
Spring Counter
UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring Migration Celebration Weekend
.jpg "Eagles Spring Count 2021 F Nicoletti (2)")
March 1 - May 31, 2024
2024 marks the 7th consecutive, full spring season of bird migration monitoring research at the West Skyline Spring Count in Duluth, MN! This is one of the premier spring bird migration sites in North America with record numbers of Bald and Golden Eagles, as well as other raptor species. Approximately 24,000 raptors and thousands of other birds are counted at the West Skyline Spring Count. Over 100 different bird species were recorded in 2023! Spring migration highlights include an amazing diversity of 15-20 different raptor species, as outlined:
Peak for each species (high counts listed)
- Eagles: around March 25 (Bald: 100-500/day; Golden: 10/day)
- Rough-legged Hawks: April 10-20 (up to 75/day)
- Red-tailed Hawks: April 10-20 (1,000-2,000/day)
- Broad-winged Hawks: May 1-10 (3,000-4,000/day)
- Sharp-shinned Hawks: April 10-20 (up to 450/day)
Sept. 20th-22nd, 2024
Come and celebrate the amazing fall bird migration with us! Hawk Weekend is the annual festival held by Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN. Bird migration research and education programs have been shared with visitors throughout the world each fall at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve for over 50 years! Join us for a fun weekend with a variety of birding field trips, nature hikes, programs, and activities for all ages! Registration and more info coming in late Spring HERE!
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and Holbrook Travel are off on another fascinating international birding adventure in the fall of 2024. Guatemala is a richly diverse cultural center and a lush and vibrant paradise for birders. Set in the heart of Central America, it sits within one of the Western Hemisphere’s prime migratory corridors. Join Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory’s Margie Menzies and an expert local guide to explore a variety of low and high altitude habitats and see firsthand many of the rare and endemic species that inhabit this biodiverse area. Learn about local conservation efforts, including the Panajachel-based Asociación Vivamos Mejor, which seeks to train nearby residents to become birding and nature guides.
Highlights include birding the lower and upper trails at Los Tarrales, a natural reserve with diverse forest types and a 340-species bird list that includes regional endemics like the Horned Guan, Highland Guan, Azure-rumped Tanager, and Blue-tailed Hummingbird. Explore Santiago Atitlán, a town on a bay of Lake Atitlán known for its many women’s cooperatives, traditional textile weaving, and rich Maya culture. Visit Corazón del Bosque Reserve for a chance to see Mountain Trogon, White-naped Brushfinch, and with luck, the uncommon Pink-headed Warbler. Navigate across Lake Atitlán to visit the archaeological site of San Andrés Semetabaj to look for species like the Inca Dove, Great-tailed Grackle, Bronzed Cowbird, Vaux’s Swift, and more. Meet representatives of Asociación Vivamos Mejor, a private nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life in communities surrounding Lake Atitlán.
Each day provides a variety of opportunities to make the most of the birding/nature touring available, as well as options for individual exploration and leisure time. You will be traveling with other nature enthusiasts to all share an amazing spectrum of bird experiences and knowledge. All meals are included and dining is often arranged outdoors or in private group seating. Your guides will be Hawk Ridge Education Director, Margie Menzies, and an expert local guide.
Don’t miss this incredible experience! Space on this trip is limited to 10, and final payment for the trip is due July 17, 2024. Click HERE for registration, pricing, itinerary, and more! Questions? Contact Debbie Sturdivant Jordan at 866-748-6146 or debbie@holbrooktravel.com, or Margie Menzies mmenzies@hawkridge.org. Hope to see you in October!
Hawk Migration Association of North America
50th Anniversary Conference in Duluth, MN
SAVE THE DATE! November 7-10, 2024
.jpg "HMANA 50th Logo FINAL")
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is happy to announce that the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) is holding their 50th anniversary conference here in Duluth, MN in Nov. 2024! Hawk Ridge is helping host and details are coming together! The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth-Downtown with field trips to Hawk Ridge and other birding hotspots in the area. You can check out the conference link HERE!
Hawk Ridge is Hiring for Fall 2024!
Hawk Ridge is hiring for the fall 2024 bird migration season! We encourage you to check out our seasonal positions for research (counters & banders) and education (naturalists & count interpreter), as well as for traineeships & bird banding apprenticeships. The fall research and education staff of HRBO are key representatives in HRBO’s mission of promoting conservation of raptors and other birds in the Western Lake Superior Region through research, education, and stewardship. For job announcements & to apply to join our awesome team, please go to https://www.hawkridge.org/about-us/employment-internships/
Thank You for Your Support!
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory thanks all of our supporters. We appreciate you! As a nonprofit organization, we are primarily funded by individual gifts to put our bird migration research and education programs in action. Below are some of the ways you can help us keep sharing the magic of the bird migration!
Support Hawk Ridge by Shopping!
Thank you for the wonderful support by shopping at our gift shop last fall. If there was an item you were hoping for, please check out our online shopping options below with some of our merchandise or contact jlong@hawkridge.org.
Big Frog (direct ship or pick up at Duluth store)
The Mug Experience (direct ship)
Become A Member Today!
If you're already a member of Hawk Ridge, we sincerely appreciate your support! THANK YOU! If you're not a member and have enjoyed your experience with Hawk Ridge, we invite you to renew or join as a Hawk Ridge member today! Our memberships and donations help drive our bird conservation research and education programs. You can check out our exciting membership benefits and join or renew online HERE!
Simply Donate
You can always simply donate online by clicking HERE or by mailing a check made out to Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 3006, Duluth, MN 55803.
Thank you again for your wonderful gift of support! Hope to connect with you again soon!
Sincerely,
Janelle Long
Executive Director
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 3006
Duluth, MN 55803-3006
Call: 218-428-6209
Contact: mail@hawkridge.org
Visit: www.hawkridge.org
501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
Federal Tax ID 76-0746366
