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 [...]
At this latitude, May is a high-octane month. Night starts later, day begins sooner, and I think we all flounder a bit as we try to keep up with all we want to see. When dusk falls, Long-eared Owls rise from the pines near the Point and often, I fall victim to the urge [...]
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: Common Grackle - Mourning Dove - Dark-eyed Junco - Sandhill Crane - Canada Goose Weather at Whitefish Point, this time of year, is fickle. A few warm, sunny days with southerly winds saw snow melting and birds migrating, but a cold front moving in over the past few days has hampered migration to [...]
Highlights: Red-winged Blackbird – American Goldfinch – Close Bald Eagle Encounter There is something truly magical about cresting a hill and seeing an adult Bald Eagle flying directly towards me over the frozen lake. As someone who grew up in a suburban/urban area and hadn’t seen a wild, free flying eagle until I was [...]
By Chirs Neri and Nova Mackentley With the exception of one night, things have remained slow during the nighttime at the Point. Following our last post, we were able to run nets four consecutive long, cold, full nights that produced a grand total of one Northern Saw-whet Owl. Mercifully, the [...]
