In the past week, more than 7,500 raptors have been counted! Spring is here in full force, championed by our fierce accipiter migrant, the Sharp-shinned Hawk. These sharpie days have been unbelievable, with nearly non-stop action from sunrise to sunset!
The best flights of the week occurred on the 23rd, 26th and 28th. All of these days followed similar patterns of heavy Sharp-shinned Hawk traffic in the morning hours, tapering off late in the day. April 23rd was notable in the extension of the flight into the late afternoon and early evening, headlined by over 100 American Kestrels! We also picked up the second Short-eared Owl from the raptor watch on the same afternoon.
Sharp-shinned Hawk by Sean McLaughlin
Amidst the epic hawk flights, large non-raptors continue to show well. There have been consistent flights of Sandhill Cranes, with 500+ cranes on the 22nd and 23rd. Common Loons, a Whitefish Point specialty, are being seen more frequently crossing the dunes, many times at close range.
Sandhill Crane by Sean McLaughlin
Common Loon by Sean McLaughlin
One of my highlights of the spring is the first true arrival of Broad-winged Hawks! The swirling kettles that arose on the morning of the 27th brought a smile to many visitors’ faces. I give a wry grin to these long-distance champions and simply say “welcome back.”
Excitement is building in the bird world as we near the end of April. Northern Flickers are a common sight and sound at the point these days, zipping down to the point and back in a golden flash. Other new arrivals include Chipping Sparrow, Pine Warbler, American White Pelican, Snow Goose, Wilson’s Snipe, and Eurasian Tree Sparrow! New birds are appearing at the point daily, and I hope you all can squeeze in a weekend (or an afternoon!) at the point soon. Hope to see you there!
Sean McLaughlin, 2025 Spring Raptor Counter
Featured photo: Sharp-shinned Hawk by S McLaughlin
Broad-winged Hawk by Sean McLaughlin
Northern Flicker by Sean 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.
