I am happy to announce that enjoyable levels of bird migration have returned once again to the eastern shores of Lake Superior. After a dreadful beginning to the month, there was really pleasant migration each day this week. The 7th was a pleasantly sunny day, with plenty of soaring raptors enjoying the thermal development. The 8th felt like the opposite side of the coin, with cloudy conditions and lots of powered migrants, including 9 Merlin!

Adult Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Sean McLaughlin

April 9th and 11th felt like a true unstopping of the cork, with some classic Whitefish flights. Warm temperatures and SW winds generated the best Northern Harrier and American Kestrel flights thus far. It is a joy to once again see harriers gracefully tacking across the snow covered dunes in twos and threes before launching gracefully across the lake. One epic highlight from Thursday was a killer view of an American Goshawk right over the deck. Absolute balmy conditions prevailed on the 11th, and allowed for the first barefoot day of the year! The sun and warmth also provided excellent soaring weather for Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures, leading to season highs for both species.

American Goshawk. Photo by Sean McLaughlin

The end of the week showed reduced migration along the point, but still diverse counts. In the non-raptor world, we have enjoyed several sightings of Sharp-tailed Grouse at the point in the last week, an unusual visitor. There have been many new arrivals as well, including Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, American Tree Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Tree Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler and a very early Purple Martin! Flights tend to pick up speed rapidly this time of year, and the snow is melting fast, so its time to start planning a trip to Whitefish Point! Hope to see you at the count soon.

Sean McLaughlin, Raptor Counter

Featured Photo: American Kestrel 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 2026 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 who has enjoyed watching birds migrate for over 15 years. A lifelong birder and naturalist, Sean has counted raptors at Stone Mountain and Tussey Mountain hawk watches in PA, before moving to the shore of Lake Superior. He has led the count team for four seasons at Hawk Ridge and three at the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth, Minnesota, instilling a deep love for the Great Lakes. In Duluth, Sean also conducts morning flight counts of passerines and other migrants. Outside of the world of watching migration, Sean has studied American Goshawks in the mountains of Oregon, breeding birds in northern Minnesota, and instructed courses at Hog Island Audubon Camp. He is excited to return to eastern Lake Superior for a second spring at Whitefish Point, particularly for the epic Sharp-shinned Hawk and Common Loon flights.