The last day of May signals the last day of the spring waterbird migration count. It's a bit of a bittersweet time; as the season goes, it seems like it has flown by here at Whitefish Point. On the other hand, it can feel like my six weeks here have lasted a lifetime, the [...]
With the waterbird migration count winding down and in its final days, I just want to say how much of a pleasure it's been to take you all on this adventure with me. You know, to be certain, this has been quite an interesting season, and I've learned a lot about birds, migration, and [...]
It’s hard to believe how quickly the end of the season is approaching. Field seasons often have a weird time warp to them. It can feel like the start of the season was ages ago, while at the same time feeling like they passed in the blink of an eye. This season feels like [...]
Rough-legged Hawk! Yes, indeed, this beautiful buteo will be taking home the Copper Kettle, our illustrious and in every way, non-existent, totally made-up, Raptor of the Season award. While not an actual award, an old, unusable kettle at the field house could easily be repurposed for just such an honor. With raptor migration winding [...]
For countless hours I stand vigil on the windswept beach of Whitefish Point; my only shelter, the weather-beaten Shack. This season has often looked like this picture, a high sun casting a sparkling glare across the water in front of me. Scan after scan, my eyes set to maximum power, searching the horizon for [...]
We experienced a transition in the owl migration this past week. With the exception of a few bad weather nights that predictably shut down the owl migration last month, we banded Long-eared Owl (LEOW) every night from April 1 through May 16. Despite good conditions, we have not banded any LEOW these last two [...]
This past weekend, raptors seemingly forfeited the migratory flyaways in response to high Blue Jay traffic. Fred, a Broad-winged Hawk, who has been traveling this route for many years, had this to say: “What in tarnation!?! You know, I’ve been traveling this route for many years, and I have plum had it with the [...]
Happy migration, folks! Now you may be wondering, "What's with the title of this blog, 'Beautiful Noise?'" Isn't this supposed to be about waterbirds and waterbird migration? Isn't what I do, counting birds, all visual? Well, not exactly. Migration and bird ID is much more than just what an observer can pick up visually. [...]
The value of any migratory bird study is not based solely on numbers, but we can’t help celebrating setting a new North American banding record for Long-eared Owls. This is not only a celebration of the success of WPBO’s owl research but also an opportunity to express how rewarding it is to document the [...]
To some people, bird identification can seem like a mystical art. Those who master it have gleaned their knowledge from studying the arcane lore of bird ID, leafing through dusty tomes called field guides far into the wee hours of the morning. These masters have journeyed to distant lands, sought the unseekable, and made [...]
