NEW Spring Public Programs 2026!

We are excited to introduce and invite you to join us for some new weekend spring public program offerings, as well as continuing events, like our Spring Migration Celebration! You can find out more information below on dates/times.

LOCATION: Please note spring location can vary depending on the winds that day to either below Thompson Hill rest area or below Enger Tower (directions located in Spring Visitor’s guide HERE) and to locate which site we are at for the day please click on our live count button HERE or from our home page at hawkridge.org and look in the comments section.

Wings over West Skyline (every Sunday @1pm)

Join us at the West Skyline Spring Count every Sunday March-May for a short 15-30 min intro program to learn about the count and the amazing diversity of birds coming back in the spring! Find out why our two spring count sites are on the west side of Skyline Pkwy vs the east side at Hawk Ridge, what makes the spring count different from the fall count, and which species do we see in greater numbers during spring than the fall. All sorts of fascinating variations to explore between the seasons!

Spring Migration Saturday Series (every Saturday @1pm)

Join us at the West Skyline Spring Count every Saturday at 1pm from March 21-May 30 for a 30-45 minute program about the spring migration. Learn who is migrating through Duluth and learn skills like how to use Merlin and eBird to identify and record your observations. Stick around before or after the program to enjoy the migration! March program dates:

- March 21: Bald Eagle Basics – Duluth holds the uncontested record during spring migration for counting more Bald Eagles than anywhere else in North America, and we typically see more in spring than fall migration! The peak flight is usually somewhere in mid-March so it’s definitely the perfect time to celebrate Bald Eagles. Join us to see who’s flying today and talk all things Eagles!
- March 28: Bird Photography- How to Catch Birds at Their Best! Special Guest Presenter- Erik Bruhnke – Are you wanting to learn how to take better pictures of birds? How do you make your pictures match what you see in reality? Bring your camera and join Erik for about an hour to explore some topics like composition, basic settings, lighting, depth of field, how changing your angle or distance will affect your shot, and manual mode versus other modes. We’ll work with whatever the birds and weather in the day bring us at the count site, and have some fun with bird photography.
- April 4- Wings, Talons, and Tails -What do wing shapes, and talons, and tails tell us about the lives of the raptors we see migrating here in Duluth twice a year? Every one of these birds has a unique story to tell, and we have plenty of bird biofacts to help us tell the tales or was that tails? Come and explore with us what’s in the wing box.
- April 11- Raptor Records- Explore Hawk Ridge Migration Counts and Trends – What birds hold the most records at Hawk Ridge? What can we learn from the data we’re collecting? Join us for a quick lesson on what you can dig into on Trektellen and how to find it. Bring your cell phone- it’s all there!
- April 18 Citizen Science- eBird 101 – Historically the Annual Christmas Bird Count has been the longest on-going example of citizen science. eBird recognized a good strategy and blew it up to a year-round extravaganza of birding worldwide. Learn the basics on how to navigate and contribute, check out the nearest birding hotspots near wherever you are, and how to keep your life list up to date at the touch of a button! Bring your cell phone and we’ll get you started.

Count and Connect (select Saturdays in April & May @11am) April 11th, April 25th, May 9th, & May 23rd

Come to the count and connect with others all while watching the spring migration at the West Skyline Spring Count! Borrow a pair of binoculars, look through a naturalist’s spotting scope, and learn about the wonders of migration. Coffee and treats will be available until they’re gone!

LOCATION:

All spring programs will take place at the spring count site for the day – either the West Skyline Parkway pull off below Enger Tower or the West Skyline Parkway pull off below the Minnesota Welcome Center (Thompson Hill). Check the Hawk Ridge website main page and click on LIVE COUNT to learn where the count is for the day (location will be in the comments). All programming is free and open to the public. No registration required. Suggested $5 donation to help support our programming. See you at the spring count!

Spring Migration Celebration
April 25-26th, 2026

Join us for an exciting weekend exploring the Spring 2026 bird migration! Late April is a great time to view a wide variety and ages of raptors traveling through on their way north, as well as plenty of other species of birds. Daily programs will be held at the Spring Count site each day and are open to the public of all ages. In these drop-in programs, you will learn about the exciting science of spring migration, raptor identification techniques, natural history of key species, current Hawk Ridge Research, and more! During the weekend, Hawk Ridge educators will also lead daily field trips to local birding hotspots to learn about the migration (ex. Park Point, Duluth Harbor and St. Louis River area). Pre-registration will be required for field trips. Please click HERE for detailed schedule and to register!

Support the “Skyline Scopers” Raptorthon
April 25th, 2026

Join us in celebrating the spring bird migration by sponsoring the Hawk Ridge team “Skyline Scopers” led by spring/fall counter Marie Hosch in the 2026 Raptorthon! The Raptorthon is an annual event hosted by the Hawk Migration Association (hawkmigration.org/raptorthon/) held at hawkwatch sites during the spring. Sponsoring Team Skyline Scopers will help support both the spring migration research and education efforts at the Hawk Ridge West Skyline Hawk Count and the raptor conservation efforts of the Hawk Migration Association! The Raptorthon goal is to count the maximum number of raptor (and other bird!) species within a 24-hour period of time to raise proceeds for raptor conservation. Your sponsorship/donation for team Skyline Scopers is much appreciated! To donate to Team Skyline Scopers – please click HERE or donate through Hawk Ridge HERE and note “Raptorthon” with your online donation or mailed check. Thank you!

NEW Spring Merchandise

Grab some Hawk Ridge gear while visiting the count this year. We will have a limited selection of merchandise for sale during the spring count on weekends and some weekdays. We are excited to introduce a NEW spring shirt design by artist & spring/fall counter, Marie Hosch! Marie designed a beautiful pair of Bald Eagles sharing a story of spring migration, as witnessed along West Skyline.