To some people, bird identification can seem like a mystical art. Those who master it have gleaned their knowledge from studying the arcane lore of bird ID, leafing through dusty tomes called field guides far into the wee hours of the morning. These masters have journeyed to distant lands, sought the unseekable, and made [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
The Sharp-shinned Hawk. Recently, I was asked what their name means. Seeing that "sharpies" (my preferred nom de plume) do have an awfully strange name, I found it to be a fine question, the answer to which is fairly straightforward. They have sharp shins. Granted, this does sound like a punchline to a corny joke, [...]
Highlights: Yellow-headed Blackbird - Hudsonian Godwit - Field Sparrow - Blue Jay Migration - Increasing Warbler Diversity - Sparrow Migration - Indigo Bunting There has been a steady influx of birds and a few new species at the Point. Particular species of note include Yellow-headed-Blackbird (May 9), Field Sparrow (May 14), and Hudsonian Godwit [...]
Highlights: Too many to name! Or: Leucistic Red-Tailed Hawk – Spruce Grouse – Increasing Sparrow Diversity – Pine Warbler – Kinglets – Brown Creeper – Pine Siskin - Broad-Winged Hawk – Snowy Owl – Greater Yellowlegs Just when it seemed like migration might not ever happen, birds started happening in a big way with [...]
Highlights: First Waterbirds in the Water (Mallard) – Common Merganser – Brown-headed Cowbird – Increasing Raptor Diversity A big moment at the Point in recent days: the first waterbirds of the season were observed in the lake! Two Mallard were seen flying in and landing in Lake Superior on April 5 with three male Common [...]
