Migration Counts - Whitefish Point Bird Observatory

Seasonal staff at WPBO conduct waterbird counts in the spring and fall and a spring raptor count. During the seasons, counts are conducted daily. Raptor counts run March 15-May 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Waterbird counts run April 15-May 31 and August 15-November 15, 8 hours starting at dawn daily during each season. The Hawk Deck and Waterbird Shack are accessible to the public, and you can follow this blog to get regular updates during the counting seasons!

Migration…Oh the Places We’ll Go!
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Migration…Oh the Places We’ll Go!

Migration Counts

Migration…Oh the Places We’ll Go!

Migration is really an awe-inspiring thing when you get down to it. Myriad and multitudes of birds, all different shapes and sizes, migrate from their wintering grounds to their summer breeding grounds. Many birds undertake migrations of many hundreds or thousands of miles, and we can only wonder how the birds do it? Some [...]

WPBO Waterbird Counter2021-06-01T10:57:06-04:00May 6th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

Flight of the Sharpies
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Flight of the Sharpies

Migration Counts

Flight of the Sharpies

Well, folks, it finally happened. Sharp-shinned Hawks dominated the skies, with nearly 3,000 birds zipping past the hawk deck this past weekend. Days like these are what hawk counters live for, and as each hawk passes, it takes with it a bit of the memory of hours upon hours of staring at the empty [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-05-27T09:54:09-04:00May 4th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

Wet Feet
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Wet Feet

Migration Counts

Wet Feet

Week two of the waterbird count, and it doesn't feel like two weeks have already passed. Days become irrelevant when counting migrating birds, and I find that I fall into a sort of rhythm and cadence with the birds. After all, the birds don't care what day it is, just that the weather is [...]

WPBO Waterbird Counter2021-06-01T10:58:20-04:00April 29th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
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A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Migration Counts

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

I am sure you have heard the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" but, have you ever asked yourself how much a picture costs? These days, I am just as likely to see a person carrying a camera up to the hawk deck as I am likely to see a person carrying [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-04-28T12:59:51-04:00April 27th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

North Winds
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North Winds

Migration Counts

North Winds

It never ceases to amaze me how dependent a day, or even a week, can be on the weather. Only by spending every entire day outside can one even begin to appreciate how sheltered and comfortable our human lives are. With the exception of an unfortunate segment of our population, spending time outdoors is [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-04-20T19:39:34-04:00April 20th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

Taking Notes
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Taking Notes

Migration Counts

Taking Notes

Last week was a stellar week for raptor migration here at Whitefish Point — a week that predicted nothing but rain turned into a week of nothing but birds, birds, and more birds! Rough-legged and Red-tailed Hawks came in the hundreds, peaking on Saturday with over 500 Red-tailed Hawks in the sky at one [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-04-13T20:16:53-04:00April 13th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

A Sweet South Breeze
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A Sweet South Breeze

Migration Counts

A Sweet South Breeze

After a string of several days where strong north winds stalled migration and kept yours truly huddling in the hawk shack trying to stay warm, the past four days have had a sweet south breeze, and along with warmer temperatures, it has brought birds! My first clue to this change in avian traffic was [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-04-06T19:20:57-04:00April 6th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

A Bird in the Sky
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A Bird in the Sky

Migration Counts

A Bird in the Sky

Let there be no illusion that hawk watching is full of frame-filling, jaw-dropping images of raptors swooping past you in all their glory. Let there also be no illusion that time spent early-season hawk watching is filled with flights that never allow for one dull moment. March skies cover Whitefish Point like a steel [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-03-30T20:10:54-04:00March 30th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

Constant Companions
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Constant Companions

Migration Counts

Constant Companions

Many birders ask the question, "What bird do you see most from the hawk deck at Whitefish Point?" and while I do see many raptors, there is one bird that I see with more regularity than any other. This bird is with me from the beginning of the day to the end of the [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-03-30T17:54:59-04:00March 23rd, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

Return To Paradise
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Return To Paradise

Migration Counts

Return To Paradise

Hey there everybody! My name is Rich Couse, and I will be your friendly neighborhood hawk counter at the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory this spring. I'm back for my second spring hawk count for Michigan Audubon, and you can find me in the shack on the Hawk Deck way atop the sandy lakeshore dunes. [...]

WPBO Raptor Counter2021-03-17T10:33:41-04:00March 16th, 2021|Migration Counts|Comments Off

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