I am happy to announce that spring has arrived to Whitefish Point, in earnest! The tipping point has been coming for a while, and the combination of some warmer days and southerly winds really opened the floodgates of April migration. April 8th was nothing to write home about, except for a lone adult American Goshawk. The 9th showed the first inclination that the glory days were not far ahead. We also welcomed Max Henschell, Director of Research and Martina Nordstrand, Spring Waterbird counter to the platform this day. After nearly a month of a pretty quiet platform, the deck had become a lively place!

Things really started to pick up steam from the 10-12th. Northern Harriers are increasing, becoming a common sight. These 4-wheel drive birds will go sunrise to sunset, in just about any weather condition! Luckily, we enjoyed some temperatures soaring into the upper 40s and 50s that made harrier watching just downright delightful. The count also recorded its first dark morph Northern Red-tailed Hawk on April 12! In addition to some wonderful raptor flights, finches have also been on the move. Over 1,000 Redpolls streamed along the shoreline on both the 11th and 12th, starting at dawn and moving throughout the morning. The finches join flocks of American Robins, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, and all dive for cover when a Sharp-shinned Hawk comes diving after them!

Male Northern Harrier by S McLaughlin

American Robin by S McLaughlin

If you’ve been thinking, “WOW! This sounds like a fantastic week!” … just wait until you hear about April 13th and 14th! All expectations were blown out of the water as 90 Northern Harriers were tallied on the 13th, alongside hundreds of Sharp-shinned Hawk and dozens of buteos. The 14th did its best to follow up with 54 Rough-legged Hawks, 70 Turkey Vultures, 200+ Sharp-shinned Hawks and a Short-eared Owl! I am still reeling in the excitement of the last few days, and when I close my eyes, Gray Ghosts and silvery white Roughies still appear as afterglows against my eyelids. To stand amidst these birds the last week, to feel the wind and challenge the distance is to give a piece of one’s soul to these winged gods; I am grateful!

Sean McLaughlin, 2025 Spring Raptor Counter

Featured photo: Dark morph Rough-legged Hawk by S McLaughlin

Dark Morph Red-tailed Hawk by S McLaughlin

You can now see the raptor count data on Trektellen! Check it out at trektellen.nl/count/view/4562.

You can keep up with the 2025 Raptor Count by reading Sean’s weekly blog posts and following WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X). The raptor count runs March 15 through May 31.

Sean is a hawk watcher from Pennsylvania, and his passion for raptors began at an early age while visiting nearby count sites. He cut his teeth on the Appalachian Ridges of Stone Mountain and Tussey Mountain before heading to the North Shore of Lake Superior. Since 2022, Sean has conducted spring and fall raptor counts at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota. He is particularly excited to explore the other end of Lake Superior and a different array of spring migrants at Whitefish Point. Sean loves to watch visible migration of birds and has grown particularly interested in morning flight counts of migrating non-raptors. When not watching birds migrate, Sean enjoys fly fishing, gravel biking, and thinking about migration.