Action on the hawk deck has completely exploded in the past week! With the arrival of our first Ospreys on the 19th, Broad-wings on the 22nd, and the thrilling addition of Swainson’s Hawk on the 24th, we’ve now detected all of the raptor species one expects in a spring season here at Whitefish Point. This spectacular week brings our count to a tally of 16 species of raptors migrating past so far, which, barring a truly unexpected vagrant, is where the raptor diversity here at WPBO most often peaks.
Two different Swainson’s Hawks, a species rarely seen this far east, have seen on the hawk count this week. Photo by Skye Haas.
Earth Day treated me to one of the most incredible Buteo flights of my life! All day long, any time I picked up my binoculars I spied a seemingly never-ending swarm of both Red-tails and Broad-wings, ranging from too close over my head to focus on all the way out to minuscule specks which may as well have been dust on my binoculars. After scanning the skies anxiously all week in anticipation my first Broadies (Mackinac Straits had their first on the 12th; I figured mine would follow soon after) they arrived in full force on Saturday — totaling 106 for the day! Rounding out the day’s Buteos were a respectable 10 Rough-legs and the first Red-shouldered in over a week. Falconifomes received the memo as well, and joined their distant Buteo cousins on Saturday’s diurnal raptor edition of the march for science. American Kestrels flew past at an increasing rate throughout the day and reached a new season high, finishing at a thoroughly impressive 114 individuals, and Peregrines reappeared on the 22nd after a lengthy absence, with two tallied.
The past two days, the 24th and 25th are the first back-to-back set of days of spectacular migration we’ve seen yet. Between the two a mind-boggling 2,728 Sharpies migrated past, with over 2,000 on Tuesday alone! After a week-long string of missing Goshawks or peaking at a lone individual, they ticked back up with 5 on the 25th. Northern Harriers, one of my favorite raptors to watch in flight, hit the highest total I’ve ever experienced with 68 coming through on Tuesday. Saturday’s fantastic Kestrel total was edged out on the 25th, with a count of 124. Warblers have
A male Northern Harrier, one of a season-high 68 counted on April 25th. Photo by Skye Haas.
begun to creep in as well, with our first multi-species day yesterday (Palm, Pine, Yellow-rumped, and Black-throated Green). Shockingly, second only to Sharpie numbers is the tally of 1,084 Purple Finches, the second day in a week with over a thousand Purples!
Continuing the theme of my secret love for songbirds, on Sunday the 23rd, a day I finished with under 70 raptors following on the heels of Saturday’s spectacle, my favorite moment was one of sparrow diversity. Midday, having discovered a little millet I spread behind my shack for just such a purpose, I watched American Tree (not to be confused with the Eurasian Tree Sparrow who has been making multiple daily visits to the Owl’s Roost feeders!), Chipping, Fox, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated, and Song Sparrows foraging shoulder-to-shoulder.
I look forward to seeing great crowds this weekend at Spring Fling, the forecast looks great for another big wave of raptor migration! Check out all the numbers from the season at Dunkadoo, HawkCount, and eBird!
