The first full week of the spring raptor count began as an exhausted winter storm departed the Point, leaving the dunes cloaked in a snowy shawl. In my first true view of the Jack Pine horizon and beyond, I was thrilled to watch a Golden Eagle emerge on March 17th, the first raptor of the season. Our first bird was shortly joined by a second Golden, and several Bald Eagles chugged along later that afternoon. The 18th was a return to snow globe spring, but the 19th was pleasant conditions, with 10 Bald Eagles and 2 Goldens moving primarily in the afternoon.

The front half of the weekend was fairly miserable, and a huge thank you is owed to Russ Edmonds for covering the count for several days. While Friday and Saturday showed no appreciable movement of bird life, Sunday was a rewarding day of hawkwatching. Numerous Golden and Bald Eagles utilized the light headwind to speedily advance across the ice-jammed lake towards Canada. The final total was an incredible 20 Golden Eagles and 19 Bald Eagles.

Adult Golden Eagle. Photo by Sean McLaughlin

Monday the 23rd was another pleasant day (almost warm??) with abundant sunshine. These days of late March sunshine usually involve lots of basking and lots of sunscreen. The sun in March is as high in the sky as it is in September, which means sneaky spring sunburns are likely. Add the reflection off the snow, and suddenly the light is coming from all angles! Modest thermals had a few Bald and Golden Eagles moving, as well as a Red-tailed Hawk and dozens of Pine Grosbeaks! 113 Pine Grosbeaks floated northwards over the point this morning, representing a site record for this species. You never know what could happen in a morning at Whitefish Point! Keep following along on Trektellen https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4562/ for live updates! Hope to see you at the Point.

Pine Grosbeak flock. Photo by Sean McLaughlin

Sean McLaughlin, Raptor Counter

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.