Michigan Audubon Office: (517) 580-7364|birds@michiganaudubon.org

Migration Counts

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!

Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Six (5/8- 5/15)

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 [...]

2023-05-16T10:23:55-04:00May 16th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Six (5/8- 5/15)
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Waterbird Count Update: May 4-10 2023

When I get my first triple-digit Bonaparte’s Gull flight of the spring, that’s a harbinger: time to start going out for night flight. Today, May 10, 499 Bonys, delicate and ternlike, traveled north during the day’s count. I kept my word, loaded up around 8:30 p.m., walked down the beach towards the tip as [...]

2023-05-11T15:45:25-04:00May 11th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Waterbird Count Update: May 4-10 2023
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Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Five (5/2 – 5/7)

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 [...]

2023-05-09T10:57:10-04:00May 8th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Five (5/2 – 5/7)
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Shack Talk: WPBO Waterbird Count, April 27–May 3

Shack Talk: Sunrise It would be a stretch to say Leonard and I shared the sunrise on May 2, for the last week and a half has been mostly gray skies. I’ve risen — and the sun, I suppose, has too — but we haven’t really seen it. But, sunrise or not, Leonard was [...]

2023-05-04T08:39:34-04:00May 4th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Shack Talk: WPBO Waterbird Count, April 27–May 3
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Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Four (4/25-5/1)

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 [...]

2023-05-02T11:16:50-04:00May 2nd, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Four (4/25-5/1)
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Getting Somewhere: 2023 WPBO Spring Waterbird Count Update Week 2, April 20-26.

It's been a fairly quiet week at the waterbird count, with conditions ranging from not-that-bad (light northerlies, dry skies, and little flocks of Common Mergansers) to pretty terrible (snow squalls, strong northerlies, zero visibility, zero avian movement). So it goes during spring on Superior. We've had our first White-winged Scoters (showing first on April [...]

2023-04-27T10:43:19-04:00April 26th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Getting Somewhere: 2023 WPBO Spring Waterbird Count Update Week 2, April 20-26.
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Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Three (4/18-4/24)

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 [...]

2023-04-25T10:12:21-04:00April 25th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Three (4/18-4/24)
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2023 Spring Waterbird Count Update: April 15-19

Typically, my spirits are quite light when I walk down the boardwalk toward the waterbird shack. However, when I headed that way a little before sunrise on April 15 — opening day for this count — I felt especially light: I was wearing only merino leggings, down pants, a fleece, a felted wool vest, [...]

2023-04-20T17:15:38-04:00April 20th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on 2023 Spring Waterbird Count Update: April 15-19
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Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Two (4/11-4/17)

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 [...]

2023-05-29T22:42:56-04:00April 18th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Notes from the Hawk Deck: Week Two (4/11-4/17)
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Notes From the Hawk Deck: Week One (4/8-4/10)

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, [...]

2023-05-29T22:43:37-04:00April 11th, 2023|Migration Counts|Comments Off on Notes From the Hawk Deck: Week One (4/8-4/10)
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