Oh, what a sight to behold! On unseen currents they spin, flashing like silversides in the sun, Broad-winged Hawks numbering in the thousands. Twisting, turning, gliding, and churning, higher and higher, they rise and blossom into a great mushroom cloud at an unimaginable altitude. They fill the sky as they funnel out to find the next thermal, hundreds upon hundreds of birds streaming high in the clear blue sky above, invisible to the naked eye. The resounding gasps of onlookers as they look through binoculars for the first time recurs throughout the day, followed by the inevitable questions, the first and foremost being, “How can you even begin to count them?” To which the answer is “with great skill and concentration.” This is the day I have been waiting for since the season began. By the end of the day, I have counted 1,812 Broad-winged Hawks, and the following day another 1,646. Two perfect days of sunshine and light winds had signaled the migratory impulse in these birds and brought them to the tip of Whitefish Point, and there are simply not enough adjectives and adverbs in the world to do the spectacle justice.
A string of days with sunshine and mostly southeast winds has put what could have been a subpar spring raptor migration back on track to achieve decent numbers for most species. Immature Golden and Bald Eagles have been showing in good numbers and making daily appearances, along with Osprey and American Kestrels. Best of all, Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers have steadily landed in the hundreds for a few days now, putting the season total over 4,000 despite the strange absence of the large Blue Jay flocks that usually coincide with the uptick of immature sharpies that are now arriving in migration. With three weeks left to count, it’s hard to imagine that anything could top the past week, especially with a beautiful dark morph Swainson’s Hawk hanging around for a few days. Still, there are a lot of birds yet to be counted, passerine and shorebird migration have yet to kick themselves into full gear, and with those birds on the menu, there should still be a lot of raptors moving through to take advantage of the bird buffet!
I am excited to see what the rest of the month will bring. As always, thank you for reading, good birding, and keep your eyes on the skies!
~ Rich Couse
2022 Spring Raptor Counter
Feaured photo: Broad-winged Hawk. Photo by Rich Couse
Support WPBO’s Research During Birdathon on May 28
Our skilled team of bird counters and volunteers at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory will set out on a mission to count as many bird species as possible in one day on May 28, 2022, as part of an annual fundraising event supporting the amazing work happening at WPBO! In 2021, a whopping 152 species were counted and the event brought in $6,826.65! Let’s hope this year is just as successful.
This is where you come in! Because our work is 100% donor-funded, Birdathon provides all of our supporters with an opportunity to make a significant impact on our work by making a pledge or direct donation to Birdathon (even after the event). Any amount is helpful, but have some fun with it and consider letting your donation or pledge be inspired by a per-species amount.
Learn more about Birdathon and find links to donate at wpbo.org/birdathon.
Thank you so much to everyone who supports the work being done at WPBO!
