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Bald Eagles galore! We are one Bald Eagle away from 6,000 individuals counted since March 1st. Will you be at the count to see number 6,000!? Join us for the last three days of the West Skyline Spring Count which ends on May 31st!![]()
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Final spring public programs are this weekend:![]()
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Warbler Walk - Sat May 30th @ 1 pm![]()
Wings over West Skyline - Sun May 31st @ 1 pm![]()
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Thanks to all have joined us to marvel at the spectacle of migration this spring. We hope to see you for the final days of the spring count!
Can you believe we're already half-way through May?! Here's an April count update from Marie and some pictures taken this month by Frank Nicoletti:![]()
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Red-tails, roughies, and sharpies, oh my!! April was an intense month at the West Skyline Hawk Count. Five days had no count due to classic cold Duluth snow, rain, or fog, despite beautiful weather just south of Duluth on many of those days. This most likely bottled up birds, and on favorable days in Duluth the bottle burst wide open! ![]()
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This April’s Red-tailed Hawk total count was the highest ever since 2004, and our total Rough-legged and Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers topped any West Skyline April ever—especially impressive considering the total hours the hawk count was conducted this April ended up being the lowest ever since a consistent count was started in 2018. We had above-average numbers of migrating Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Bald Eagles, and Cooper’s Hawks; Northern Harriers, Merlins, and Peregrine Falcons were around average. Broad-winged Hawk numbers are incredibly variable year-to-year, and this year they did not seem to appreciate the Duluth weather and were much below average; American Kestrels were also notably below average. ![]()
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One non-raptor species stands out for special mention this April: an incredible reverse migration of Northern Flickers occurred on April 18th, with over a thousand counted at the West Skyline Hawk Count in one truly dazzling migration spectacle of yellowhammers along the ridge! Reverse migration spectacles result from favorable migration conditions suddenly turning very unfavorable, such as a sudden drop in temperature and switch to headwind, and consist of a brief period of birds flying the “wrong” direction (e.g., south instead of north in spring). This April will definitely go down in the books as one to remember!
It’s going to be a big night for migration!
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See the number, speed, direction, and altitude of the birds cruising through the darkness on spring and fall nights by visiting BirdCast.
