Friday, September 27, 2019

August 2019 Count & Banding Summaries and September Events & Highlights

Compressed HRBO Logo

Dear Friends of Hawk Ridge,

J Richardson Aug 2019-2Happy Fall Bird Migration! The migration is ON at Hawk Ridge and you can find our staff at the nature reserve daily (9am-4pm) now through October 31st. Be sure to read the count & banding highlights below! You can view our LIVE Bird Migration Count HERE!  We invite you to join us at the Ridge and/or at one of our upcoming events! Read on to find out about our Hawk Weekend Festival, programs, planning your visit, our Take Flight with Hawk Ridge Gala and then come celebrate the magnificent migration at Hawk Ridge with us!  

Migration Update

Fall 2019 Count Crew The first two weeks of September was characterized by wind and rain for an unusually wet start. A Swainson’s Hawk was seen on September 2, the second of the season. Other highlights include 1844 Sharp-shinned Hawk and 1393 Bald Eagle with one day having 460 individuals. Broad-winged Hawk numbers were fairly low due to cold, rainy days, but the coming weeks will likely see large numbers at Hawk Ridge. Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th promise slightly warmer weather with less chance of rain than the past few days.

BAEA August 2019 by Jason HeinenAs of September 12th, 4,735 raptors of 14 species have been counted, including BLACK VULTURE (1, which is 2nd record ever at Hawk Ridge!), TURKEY VULTURE (49), OSPREY(71), BALD EAGLE (1663), NORTHERN HARRIER (93), SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (2026), COOPER'S HAWK (14), NORTHERN GOSHAWK (7), BROAD-WINGED HAWK (457), RED-TAILED HAWK (54), AMERICAN KESTREL (242), MERLIN (32), PEREGRINE FALCON (9) and unknown raptors (24).  For our overall bird migration count, over 29,000 birds of 106 species have been counted August 15-September 12. You can follow along daily via our LIVE COUNT or read our daily Hawk Ridge Facebook page posts. Total counts can be found here on HawkCount.

August Count Summary

The fall hawk watch began on August 15th, and after a slow start migration kicked into gear by the end of the month. August concluded with a total of 742 raptors representing 14 species. This total includes one remarkable individual -- a BLACK VULTURE! Just the second time this species has been seen at Hawk Ridge, this sighting from August 18th is the eighth record of this more southerly species being sighted in the state of Minnesota. 

J Richardson Aug 2019BALD EAGLE were the most common raptor migrant tallied for the month, comprising just over one-third of the total number of migrants at a total of 270. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, at a total of 182 birds were next-most common, followed by 160 BROAD-WINGED HAWK. These three species were the only to see triple-digit numbers of migrating individuals among raptors, though RED-TAILED HAWK (33), AMERICAN KESTREL (27), and NORTHERN HARRIER (25) have shown well for the month. One SWAINSON’S HAWK on August 28th was another early highlight.

Among other taxa, the biggest surprise has been the incredible number of CLIFF SWALLOW seen migrating past the overlook. A total of 5,172 were counted for the month of August, with 80% of this total seen across two days on the 28th and 29th. COMMON NIGHTHAWK migration is a known Duluth specialty, and on August 30th a total of 6,423 were seen from the watch. Finally, the last two days of the month saw the first small push of migrating warblers, with triple-digit numbers of migrants both mornings.

Live count updates can be found at Dunkadoo, and daily summaries at HawkCount.org

Everyone’s excited for another great season of some of North America’s best migration action here at Hawk Ridge!

Gary Palmer
2019 Fall Counter

August 2019 count 4

August Banding Summary

Fall 2019 Banding StaffOn August 15, we started our 48th year of banding raptors and conducting research at Hawk Ridge. We started off slow with very little captured and banded but the last  few days the flight started to pick up and we ended up with the best August in recent years with 138, drastically up from the lowest August on records last year with 21 banded. The raptors started flying just as the new banding trainees were coming in for the season. We are happy to have Hannah Toutonghi, Abbie Valine and Breanna Wagner for the season to learn the process of handling and banding raptors. We will have some great volunteers again this year, which includes David Alexander, Miranda Durbin, Allie Pesano along with others. Kate Maley will run the owl banding project again this season, second year running the project. The banding operation could not be successful without the hard work of these professional and I'm happy to have the opportunities to work with them all. The Hawk Ridge station was covered for 15 days and Moose Valley station was running on 3 days.

August Raptor Banding Totals:: 

Northern Harrier- 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk- 89
Cooper's Hawk- 6
Northern Goshawk- 3
Broad-winged Hawk- 2
Red-tailed Hawk- 10
American Kestrel- 6
Merlin- 17

-Frank Nicoletti, Hawk Ridge Banding Director

2019 Fall Staff (not pictured Frank Nicoletti, John Richardson, and Janelle Long)

Meet Our Fall 2019 Staff
We have a great crew of many return, as well as new, staff for fall of 2019. You can find out who's who HERE on our staff page or just stop by Hawk Ridge this fall and meet us in person! We are all excited to share in the migration with you!

UPCOMING EVENTS

HAWK WEEKEND FESTIVAL
September 20-22, 2019
REGISTER HERE TODAY!! (only a few field trip spots left!)
  • Natural History & Birding Train Trip Fri. 9/20
  • Guided morning field trips Sat 9/21 & Sun. 9/22 (Sun Trips are FULL)
  • Advanced Hawkwatching Workshops Sat 9/21 (Sat. FULL) & Sun. 9/22
  • Naturalist programs & hikes at Hawk Ridge Fri. 9/20-Sun. 9/22
  • Hawks on High Book Signing Sat. 9/21 & Sun. 9/22 12-3pm
  • Vista Birding & Boat Dinner Cruise Sat. 9/21
  • HAWK RIDGE BIRD OBSERVATORY ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING on Sat. 9/21 at 7pm (held at UMD Life Sciences Building Room 185)
  • Evening presentation by John Fitzpatrick Sat. 9/21 at 7:30pm (held at UMD Life Sciences Building Room 185; FREE Members, $10 suggested donation - at door - for Non-members)
  • Post-Festival "Science and Wonder of Migration" Workshop Sun. 9/22-Mon 9/23
REGISTER HERE TODAY!!

John Fitzpatrick Director of Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCome and celebrate the fall bird migration with us! Hawk Weekend is the annual festival held by the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN.  It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase one of North America’s best places to experience the fall bird migration at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve! There will be a variety of field trips, hikes, programs, and activities for all ages! We’re also excited to announce our Saturday evening guest speaker will be John W. Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He will present “How Birds (Including Hawks!) Can Save the World"!

Plan on staying after the weekend and join us for our post-festival “Science and Wonder of Migration” workshop!

For more information about the festival (program schedule, field trip details), please click HERE. We hope you can join us!


Take Flight Logo Karl BardonTake Flight with Hawk Ridge Gala - Fri. October 11th, 2019

Please join us for an inspirational & important evening in celebration and support for Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory at the Radisson Hotel ballroom in downtown Duluth. Enjoy a delicious dinner, cash bar, live education birds, nature & artwork fundraiser, book signing, Lifetime Achievement Award (2019 recipients: Hawk Ridge Volunteers - Gail Marsman & Jeanne Filiatrault-Laine), and guest speaker.

https://www.hawkridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/scott.jpgWe’ll share highlights from the spring & fall bird migration, how your support makes a difference, and end the evening with a fantastic program "Owls: Souls of the Night" by Scott Weidensaul, ornithologist and author. Scott is well known for his over 2 dozen books, including Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds, and owl migration research through Project SNOWstorm and Project Owlnet (www.scottweidensaul.com).

Be sure to PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Tickets are limited through October 7th.
COST: $65/members, $75/non or $500 Table of 8!

Public Programs

Check out our calendar HERE for our program schedule! Daily Sat. & Sun. programs, special events, workshops, evening programs, and more!

NEW Private Guided Morning Bird Walks at Park Point!

Join one of our expert birders and Count Interpreter staff, Clinton Nienhaus or Alex Sundvall, for a private guided morning bird walk at Park Point. A great diversity of shorebirds, warblers, waterfowl, and other exciting bird species are frequently observed at the birding hotspot.Click HERE for more info on how to register!


Northern Saw-whet Owl by D Petersen
10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26; 8pm at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve ($5/person - limited tickets for sale beginning 9/1 at Hawk Ridge merchandise trailer and online by clicking HERE).

Private Owl Programs also available beginning mid-September through October 31. Click on link for more info on how to register.

NEW Fall OWL 2-day Workshop! Amazing Owls: Ecology, Mysteries, and Research. October 10th & 11th. Limited to 12, so be sure to register today! Click on link for more info on how to register.   



Phil Fitzpatrick will be at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve for book signings of his newly released poetry book - Hawks on High:Everyday Miracles in a Hawk Ridge Season at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve on Sat. 9/21, Sun. 9/22, Sat. 10/12, and Sun. 10/13. This book highlights Hawk Ridge with delightful poems about the birds, migration, people, and history with beautiful artwork by local artist, Penny Perry. Merchandise including shirts with Penny Perry's artwork featuring the Common Nighthawk & American Kestrel and coffee mugs with the cover artwork are for sale in the Hawk Ridge merchandise trailer.





Grandpa and grandkids at Hawk Ridge VISIT US AT HAWK RIDGE NATURE RESERVE 9AM-4PM DAILY SEPT 1 - OCT. 31ST!
                                                                       


OTHER NEWS


Hawks on High Book Launch 2019 2Phil Fitzpatrick officially released his poetry book Hawks on High:Everyday Miracles in a Hawk Ridge Season on September 9 at Zeitgeist in the Atrium (222 E Superior St, Duluth). It was a wonderful event attended by many. Artist Penny Perry opened her exhibit of the drawings from the book, which will continue to be on display. We enjoyed listening to the beautiful poetry readings by Phil and ending the evening with music by the band Woodblind. The book is on sale at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve and Zenith Book Store. Phil will be holding several book signing events, which can be found in the event info above or at hawkridge.org.

West Skyline Spring Count 2019 - Join one of our Please click HERE to read the West Skyline Spring Count Final Report and monthly summaries. It was an exciting season and we look forward to Spring of 2020!

Northern Harrier 2018 by J Richardson 3BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!
If you're already a member of Hawk Ridge, we sincerely appreciate your support! THANK YOU! If you aren't, we hope you've enjoyed your experience with us and at Hawk Ridge and ask that you renew or join as a Hawk Ridge member today! Our memberships and donations help drive our bird conservation research and education programs. You can check out our exciting membership benefits and join or renew online HERE!

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk by John Richardson (3)2018 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS - Please click HERE to read and see how your support is helping us make a difference! Thank you!

RAISE $ FOR HAWK RIDGE BY WITH YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING!
Two simple ways to raise money for Hawk Ridge are by using 1) GoodShop and 2) Amazon Smile for your online shopping in support of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory to receive proceeds.

Thanks again for your support and hope to see you at the Ridge!

Sincerely,

Janelle Long
Executive Director
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 3006
Duluth, MN 55803-3006
Call: 218-428-6209
Contact: mail@hawkridge.org
Visit: www.hawkridge.org
Join us on Facebook and Instagram
Non-Profit Organization

Friday, September 13, 2019

Early September 2019 Highlights and Upcoming Events

         Compressed HRBO Logo

Dear Friends of Hawk Ridge,

Bald Eagle migrating past Hawk Ridge by J RichardsonHappy Fall Bird Migration! The migration is ON at Hawk Ridge and you can find our staff at the nature reserve daily (9am-4pm) now through October 31st. Be sure to read the count & banding highlights below! You can view our LIVE Bird Migration Count HERE!  We invite you to join us at the Ridge and/or at one of our upcoming events! Read on to find out about our Hawk Weekend Festival, programs, planning your visit, our Take Flight with Hawk Ridge Gala and then come celebrate the magnificent migration at Hawk Ridge with us!  

Fall Count Highlights

Fall 2019 Count Crew As of September 5th, 1,982 raptors of 14 species have been counted, including BLACK VULTURE (1, which is 2nd record ever at Hawk Ridge!), TURKEY VULTURE (5), OSPREY (48), BALD EAGLE (989), NORTHERN HARRIER (52), SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (560), COOPER'S HAWK (8), NORTHERN GOSHAWK (6), BROAD-WINGED HAWK (193), RED-TAILED HAWK (38), AMERICAN KESTREL (51), MERLIN (15), PEREGRINE FALCON (6) and unknown raptors (14).  For our overall bird migration count, over 20,000 birds of 99 species have been counted August 15-September 5. You can follow along daily via our LIVE COUNT or read our daily Hawk Ridge Facebook page posts. Total counts can be found here on HawkCount.

Fall Banding Highlights

As of August 31st, 138 raptors of 8 species have been banded, including NORTHERN HARRIER (5), SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (89), COOPER'S HAWK (6), NORTHERN GOSHAWK (3), BROAD-WINGED HAWK (2), RED-TAILED HAWK (10), AMERICAN KESTREL (6), MERLIN (17). Banding Director, Frank Nicoletti, reported that it was one of the best August monthly totals in recent years.

2019 Fall Staff (not pictured Frank Nicoletti, John Richardson, and Janelle Long)

Meet Our Fall 2019 Staff

We have a great crew of many return, as well as new, staff for fall of 2019. You can find out who's who HERE on our staff page or just stop by Hawk Ridge this fall and meet us in person! We are all excited to share in the migration with you!

UPCOMING EVENTS


Hawks on High Book Cover by Penny PerryHawks on High Book Launch - September 9th, 2019

Phil Fitzpatrick will be officially releasing his poetry book Hawks on High:Everyday Miracles in a Hawk Ridge Season on September 9 at Zeitgeist in the Atrium (222 E Superior St, Duluth). This book highlights Hawk Ridge with delightful poems about the birds, migration, people, and history. Artist Penny Perry will open her exhibit of the drawings from the book there as well. It all starts at 5:00 p.m. with a reception, poetry reading by Phil at 6:00 p.m., and music by the band Woodblind starting at 7:00 p.m.We invite you to join us at this special event!



HAWK WEEKEND FESTIVAL
September 20-22, 2019
REGISTER HERE TODAY!! (many field trips are close to full)
  • Natural History & Birding Train Trip Fri. 9/20
  • Guided morning birding field trips to local hotspots Sat 9/21 & Sun. 9/22
  • Naturalist programs, hikes, & workshops at Hawk Ridge Fri. 9/20-Sun. 9/22
  • Vista Birding & Boat Dinner Cruise Sat. 9/21
  • Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Annual Member Meeting Sat. 9/21 at 7pm
  • Evening presentation by John Fitzpatrick Sat. 9/21 at 7:30pm
  • Post-Festival "Science and Wonder of Migration" Workshop Sun. 9/22-Mon 9/23
REGISTER HERE TODAY!!

John Fitzpatrick Director of Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCome and celebrate the fall bird migration with us! Hawk Weekend is the annual festival held by the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN.  It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase one of North America’s best places to experience the fall bird migration at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve! There will be a variety of field trips, hikes, programs, and activities for all ages! We’re also excited to announce our Saturday evening guest speaker will be John W. Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He will present “How Birds (Including Hawks!) Can Save the World"!


Plan on staying after the weekend and join us for our post-festival “Science and Wonder of Migration” workshop!

For more information about the festival (program schedule, field trip details), please click HERE. We hope you can join us!




Take Flight Logo Karl BardonTake Flight with Hawk Ridge Gala - Fri. October 11th, 2019

Please join us for an inspirational & important evening in celebration and support for Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory at the Radisson Hotel ballroom in downtown Duluth. Enjoy a delicious dinner, cash bar, live education birds, nature & artwork fundraiser, book signing, Lifetime Achievement Award (2019 recipients: Hawk Ridge Volunteers - Gail Marsman & Jeanne Filiatrault-Laine), and guest speaker. We’ll share highlights from the spring & fall bird migration, how your support makes a difference, and end the evening with a fantastic program "Owls: Souls of the Night" by Scott Weidensaul, ornithologist and author. Scott is well known for his over 2 dozen books, including Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds, and owl migration research through Project SNOWstorm and Project Owlnet (www.scottweidensaul.com). Be sure to PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS today ($65/members, $75/non or $500 Full Table of 8)!

Public Programs

Check out our calendar HERE for our program schedule! Daily Sat. & Sun. programs, special events, workshops, evening programs, and more!

NEW Private Guided Morning Bird Walks at Park Point!

Join one of our expert birders and Count Interpreter staff, Clinton Nienhaus or Alex Sundvall, for a private guided morning bird walk at Park Point. A great diversity of shorebirds, warblers, waterfowl, and other exciting bird species are frequently observed at the birding hotspot.Click HERE for more info on how to register!





Northern Saw-whet Owl by D Petersen
10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26; 8pm at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve ($5/person - limited tickets for sale beginning 9/1 at Hawk Ridge merchandise trailer and online by clicking HERE).

Private Owl Programs also available beginning mid-September through October 31. Click on link for more info on how to register.

NEW Fall OWL 2-day Workshop! Amazing Owls: Ecology, Mysteries, and Research. October 10th & 11th. Limited to 12, so be sure to register today! Click on link for more info on how to register.   

Grandpa and grandkids at Hawk Ridge VISIT US AT HAWK RIDGE NATURE RESERVE 9AM-4PM DAILY SEPT 1 - OCT. 31ST!

                                                                       


OTHER NEWS

West Skyline Spring Count 2019 - Join one of our Please click HERE to read the West Skyline Spring Count Final Report and monthly summaries. It was an exciting season and we look forward to Spring of 2020!



Northern Harrier 2018 by J Richardson 3BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!
If you're already a member of Hawk Ridge, we sincerely appreciate your support! THANK YOU! If you aren't, we hope you've enjoyed your experience with us and at Hawk Ridge and ask that you renew or join as a Hawk Ridge member today! Our memberships and donations help drive our bird conservation research and education programs. You can check out our exciting membership benefits and join or renew online HERE!

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk by John Richardson (3)2018 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS - Please click HERE to read and see how your support is helping us make a difference! Thank you!

RAISE $ FOR HAWK RIDGE BY WITH YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING!
Two simple ways to raise money for Hawk Ridge are by using 1) GoodShop and 2) Amazon Smile for your online shopping in support of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory to receive proceeds.

Thanks again for your support and hope to see you at the Ridge!


Sincerely,

Janelle Long
Executive Director
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 3006
Duluth, MN 55803-3006
Call: 218-428-6209
Contact: mail@hawkridge.org
Visit: www.hawkridge.org
Join us on Facebook and Instagram
Non-Profit Organization