Four straight days of sunshine and superb raptor viewing has got me dancing jigs and whistling ditties on the ol' hawk deck. It truly would have been a perfect weekend to visit Whitefish Point for the annual Michigan Audubon Spring Fling, and probably one of the warmest and brightest in recent memory. Things have changed [...]
The trees speak. Through a concerted effort of mystical orchestration, they take the wind and turn its voice into their own. It is a language I cannot interpret; no matter how hard I try, the rustling of branches remains unfathomable, and the message simply dissipates in the breeze. Still, as I watch the horizon for [...]
It's Easter Monday, and as I stand here on the hawk deck at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory — in below-freezing temperatures, with frigid north winds whipping off of Lake Superior, and snow (yes SNOW) falling from the sky — I have to ask myself, "Has the time moved at all?" There may be less snow [...]
What exactly is it about a sunny day that seems to bring out the best in everything? From people to plants, and of course, to birds, the entire world rejoices in the splendor of bright daylight. With the exception of plants (who take that wonderful sunlight and turn into vital life energy), perhaps no other [...]
They say that March "Comes in like an Eagle, goes out like a Dove"… that is what they say, right? Well, regardless of what they say, that's what I, your friendly neighborhood hawk counter likes to say. The second half of March has seen no shortage of blustery winds, heavy clouds, and damp conditions, all [...]
There is nothing like a gray day to set one's mind on a contemplative path and the first week of the hawk count certainly provided me with a string of them. Luckily for me, a watcher of the skies, my only limits were the clouds. Even so, my imagination takes me far beyond and if [...]
By Gary Palmer, 2018 Hawk Counter Bald Eagles, Photo Skye Haas Migration seems to be on pause here at Whitefish Point, as March ended with a sizeable snowstorm accompanied by fierce north winds to continue a string of slow days. The month ended with a total of seven species of raptors and [...]
