After a string of several days where strong north winds stalled migration and kept yours truly huddling in the hawk shack trying to stay warm, the past four days have had a sweet south breeze, and along with warmer temperatures, it has brought birds! My first clue to this change in avian traffic was a cacophony of Common Grackles, akin to a chorus of rusty gates swinging open and closed, at the WPBO feeders on Thursday morning. Along with a few American Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds, these birds informed me in no subtle way that as long as the winds were favorable, I should expect to be counting good numbers of raptors. Sure enough, as the morning grew late, a kettle of Red-tailed Hawks began to form in the distance. For the uninitiated, a kettle is what a group of hawks is called as they circle in the sky, riding warm thermal updrafts. This particular kettle would grow throughout the day, and at its peak, it would reach nearly 100 Red-tailed Hawks!
The south winds would continue straight through the weekend, bringing with it impressive numbers of Northern Harriers and Rough-legged Hawks. In addition, double-digit counts signaled the start of Sharp-shinned Hawk migration, which can be one of the most memorable spectacles of being on the hawk deck if you catch them on the right day. That sweet south breeze also carried in a vagrant from the west in the form of a Black-billed Magpie, which goes to show you that you never know what might show up on any given day. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
During migration, each day has the potential to bring something new and completely unexpected. With raptors, you can witness the ebb and flow of species; while the chances of seeing a Golden Eagle every day lessen, the chances of finally seeing the season’s first Peregrine Falcon rise. As long as that sweet south breeze keeps blowing, the birds will keep coming and the days on the hawk deck don’t get any better than that.
~ Rich Couse
2021 Spring Hawk Counter
Photo: Rough-legged Hawk by Rich Couse
You can see live updates for the 2021 Spring Hawk Count on Dunkadoo, read Rich’s weekly blog post, and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for hawk count highlights this season.
If you visit WPBO, please practice social distancing while doing so. Although not required, we encourage you to wear masks if you are in close proximity to other people, even if outdoors. If necessary, a capacity limit will be set for how many people can utilize the Hawk Deck simultaneously.
