The male Piping Plovers at Whitefish Point have been fired up this week, likely due to the arrival of another returning male: Of,BY:X,Y/O. All six males were observed fighting for territory along the northeastern corner of the pond — an area sheltered from the wind with lots of cobble to camouflage a potential nest. [...]
Last week we mentioned entering the tail-end of the Long-eared Owl (LEOW) migration this spring — when the adult numbers drop off and many of the previous year's young come through. Although young LEOW outnumbered adults 19:6 this past week, their overall numbers are low this spring. We've also only banded three LEOW in [...]
The week began with two great BROAD-WINGED HAWK flights on May 8 and 9, with 1,840 and 2,400 migrants, respectively, being documented throughout both days. This was the largest push of broad-wings so far this season and will likely be the peak as numbers have begun to taper off. The season total sits at [...]
The Piping Plovers have started to return to Whitefish Point – and we’re seeing some familiar faces! Four males from last year are back at the Point and have begun to stake out their territory. One male, known last year as “Really Tricky” (X,R:Of,LY), has been spotted scraping and mating with a returning female, [...]
When I get my first triple-digit Bonaparte’s Gull flight of the spring, that’s a harbinger: time to start going out for night flight. Today, May 10, 499 Bonys, delicate and ternlike, traveled north during the day’s count. I kept my word, loaded up around 8:30 p.m., walked down the beach towards the tip as [...]
As they often do, the owls have kept us guessing this spring. March, typically the most unpredictable part of the season, was relatively productive for Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO). Then NSWO migration peaked a bit earlier than usual during the second week of April when we also had our first push of Long-eared Owls [...]
The month of May began with soggy, wet conditions, and the days that followed (May 2 and 3) did not fare much better. Northwest winds funneled in off the lake, keeping much of the raptor movement at bay. Conditions improved dramatically by May 4, and BROAD-WINGED HAWK kettles began forming by the late morning hours. Similar [...]
Shack Talk: Sunrise It would be a stretch to say Leonard and I shared the sunrise on May 2, for the last week and a half has been mostly gray skies. I’ve risen — and the sun, I suppose, has too — but we haven’t really seen it. But, sunrise or not, Leonard was [...]
There seem to be times in every field season when you feel you are just along for the ride. They aren't always the busy times but are actually often some of the slower times. This past week was definitely one of those times when we felt we just needed to control the things we [...]
As the saying goes: April showers bring May raptors. This past April brought its fair share of precipitation (in the form of rain and snow) and opposing northwest headwinds. In spite of less favorable conditions during certain blocks of the month, the raptor count was able to complete the month with an above-average monthly total [...]
