Bad weather tested the second week of the count. Drizzle, light rain, and drifting snow, coupled with strong northern and northwest winds, provided less-than-optimal conditions for observation on most days. On March 20, I had to interrupt the count because of whiteouts. Bald Eagles were the only regularly recorded species, with a few adults [...]
The dunes of Whitefish Point were free of snow on March 15. Photo by Michael Patrikeev The count started on a bright, sunny day with unseasonably mild temperatures of 40 F (6 C)! It was nice to see Lake Superior's turquoise and deep blue waters after many years spent away from the [...]
The final days of the spring raptor count brought a mix of interesting rarities and large holiday crowds to the hawk deck. The week began with a smaller BROAD-WINGED HAWK flight on May 23, with just a double-digit day count; however, this was enough to tilt the species season total over the 8,000-mark. This spring continues [...]
The momentum of raptor migration along the Point has waned dramatically as we enter the second half of May. The week began with a second consecutive day of a BLACK VULTURE documented from the hawk deck. This was likely the same bird observed in the late afternoon on May 15, as the silvery-winged vulture [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
The shift into the third week of the spring raptor count was characterized by a consistent block of north winds and precipitation, yielding 548 raptor migrants (compared to the previous week of 1,933). The first two days (April 18 and 19) saw blustery northwest winds churning in off of the lake with minimal raptor [...]
The WPBO spring raptor count has continued to gain momentum over the past week. As we cross into the second half of April, nearly 2,800 migrant raptors have pushed north past the Point since this year’s count began. April 11 brought less favorable migration conditions as blustery northwest winds blew in off the lake [...]
While the WPBO spring raptor count began a bit later this year (historically starting on March 15), the first days of the 2023 count have already been plenty busy while generating some great flights. I arrived at the platform on the first morning of April 8 and was greeted with clear blue skies, sun, [...]
