Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Hawk Ridge News - October 2024

 Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,

Red-tailed Hawk by S McLaughlin Sept 24

We're midway through October already, but there's still time to come out and enjoy the bird migration with us! The bird migration count and banding continue through the end of November. With the upcoming Hawk Migration Association 50th Anniversary Conference Nov. 7-10th, we'll also have education staff and volunteers onsite sharing and teaching about birds and the migration through then. Be sure to check out the great lineup of speakers, programs, and field trips being offered and REGISTER HERE TODAY


The fall colors are peaking and hawks, eagles, and owls are on the move! There are a few slots left for our owl programs, which you can find out more about below, as well as our September summary reports. We hope to see you at the Ridge soon! 


P.S. If you missed our last e-newsletter, you can view that and older versions by clicking HEREKeep up with recent news by following us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also check out the live bird migration count totals on Trektellen HERE and HawkCount HERE


September 2024 Bird Migration Count Summary


Trainee Phil and Counter Sean Scanning the Skies 24

The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory began its second month of the fall count on September 1, and tallied 39,910 migrant raptors and 105,864 migrant non-raptors! The count was conducted every day from the 1st until the end of the month, totaling 340.58 observation hours. This month in Duluth was reported by the National Weather Service as the warmest average temperature on record, and less than 0.3 inches of rain fell. In addition to this warm and dry weather, it was quite sunny, with 23 days recorded as “fair,” and 7 as “partly cloudy” by the NWS. The only notable weather event of the month was a tornado that briefly touched down to the north of Hawk Ridge on the evening of September 19, near Cotton, MN. This weather event did little to impact bird migration. 


September Raptor Totals


Turkey Vulture by S McLaughlin

Turkey Vulture (398): Below Average–The vultures definitely arrived by the end of the month, with a high count of 97 on 9/22. Kettles of vultures should continue through October. 


Osprey (127): Below Average–The decline of Osprey at inland hawkwatches has been well documented in recent years, including Hawk Ridge. Locally, many Osprey are being outcompeted by Bald Eagles, and this may contribute to lower counts at the ridge. 


Bald Eagle by S McLaughlin Sept 24

Bald Eagle (2,004): Above Average–The 2,000+ mark has only been reached in the month of September four times before. A high count of 234 on 9/2 was an extraordinary fall day! 


Northern Harrier (254): Below Average–The months count falls just shy of the long term average of 299. Harriers are expected through early November. 


Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk (11,251): Above Average–A five digit count is not unusual for the month, but is exciting nonetheless! Between 9/5 and 9/29, over 100 SS were tallied every day. Two days broke the 1,000+ barrier! 


Cooper’s Hawk (55): Average–Cooper’s Hawk typically peak in September, and our counts are right on par. 


American Goshawk (4): Below Average–The long term Goshawk decline continues, and 4 birds this month fell well below the long term average of 29. 


Broad-winged Hawk by S McLaughlin

Broad-winged Hawk (23,680): Below Average–Despite a banner Hawk Weekend Festival of over 20,000 BW, our count sits slightly below average. These highly variable migrants make up a bulk of our count thus far this season. 


Red-tailed Hawk (644): Above Average–There was consistent RT movement this month, with a single day cresting 110 birds (9/27). Mostly juvenile birds were recorded in the first two weeks, but there was a notable switch to adults in the last week of September. 


Swainson’s Hawk (2): Below Average–An unusual migrant recorded in low numbers every year, the two SW this season occurred on the same day, 9/8. 


American Kestrel by S McLaughlin

American Kestrel (1140): Above Average–Another great month for Kestrels, with a highlight day of 132 on 9/23. Nearly half of that day's Kestrels were seen before 8 AM. 


Merlin (202): Above Average–200+ Merlin have been recorded only four times previously in September! 


Peregrine Falcon (91): Above Average–Several days with southerly or southwesterly winds this month created ideal for PG, what we like to call “Peregrine Winds.” Between 9/9 and 9/30, PG were observed nearly every day, with a high count of 12 on the last day of the month. 


Mississippi Kite (1): –A lone Kite was spotted on 9/4 that spent several minutes chasing dragonflies to the distant west horizon. An excellent addition to the count, the third MK in as many years. 


Unknown (55) 


Non-raptor Highlights


American Redstart by S McLaughlin

105,864 migrant non-raptors of 104 species were counted on their way past the overlook! The first half of September is fairly similar to August with flight of warblers, swallows, flycatchers and other passerines. The latter half of the month usually includes a major shift to primarily Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, finches, blackbirds and American Robins. 


Black-backed Woodpecker by F Nicoletti

Notable sightings this month included another Great Egret, an Upland Sandpiper, several Black-backed Woodpeckers, Connecticut Warblers and large single day flights of Rose-breasted Grosbeak (133 on 9/20) and Northern Flicker (313 on 9/21). Black-backeds have been known to invade by the hundreds in past years, but the short burst of northern woodpeckers seems to have fizzled by the end of the month. There was also a huge flight of thrushes on 9/5: nearly 250 thrushes streamed overhead amidst thousands of warblers! 


Blue Jay Sept 23 by J Cosentino

The most numerous non-raptors this month were Blue Jay (45,173), unidentified warblers (15,702), Cedar Waxwing (11,945) and Yellow-rumped Warblers (10,721). Blue Jays peak in September, and although there are seemingly large irruptions of jays at other northern hawkwatches, we failed to surpass the previous high count of 2023 (78,629). 


Hawk Ridge Staff at the Hawkwatch 2024

The non-raptor count at Hawk Ridge is unique and allows us to observe the movements of northern species that are seen at very few other places in large numbers. Counts at Hawk Ridge continue every day until the end of November; see you at the watch soon!


We hope to see you this fall at the Ridge! Be sure to follow along with the live count on Trektellen HERE and raptor count on HawkCount HERE


Sean McLaughlin

Lead Counter


September 2024 Bird Banding Summaries


Raptor Banding Report


Hatch Year Peregrine Falcon by S Needles

September was a continuous battle against the weather, with unseasonably high temperatures and long stretches of light easterly winds. Though the birds were still moving, the days that should have been our busiest were instead marked by flightlines either incredibly high or far to the lakeside. Despite our most valiant efforts, we banded only 825 raptors during September, a bit shy of last season’s 890, and continuing a now 3-year trend of well-below-average September capture numbers. 


Banding Apprentice Sarah with Sharp-shinned Hawk by A Valine

The Hawk Ridge station was covered all 30 days of the month, with 567 raptors banded. The Moose Valley station was also covered 30 days, with 184 raptors banded. The Paine Farm station was covered 20 days, but with only 74 raptors banded due to the exceptionally poor winds and flightlines. Most species are below average for this point in the season, particularly Sharp-shinned Hawks. However, we believe that these low numbers are a reflection of the poor trapping conditions throughout most of September, rather than any great decline in actual populations. 


Hatch Year Red-tailed Hawk by A Valine

The absence of American Goshawk is noteworthy as well, reflecting a trend over the last several years. With higher average temperatures and booming grouse populations, gos have little reason to move, and our hope is that they are simply remaining farther north. Conversely, Merlins and American Kestrels are well on their way to be at or above average this year, especially if weather conditions improve for the remainder of the season. 


Total raptors banded in September were as follows: 


Second Year Male Northern Harrier by J Matyas

Sharp-shinned Hawk – 649 

Cooper’s Hawk – 7 

Northern Harrier – 23 

Broad-winged Hawk – 7 

Red-tailed Hawk – 33 

American Kestrel – 34 

Merlin – 69 

Peregrine Falcon – 2 

Bald Eagle – 1 


Total: 825



Banding Apprentices Jess and Sarah and Trainee Phil with Blue Jays by A Valine

P.S. We are happy to share that daily banding totals from our Hawk Ridge Research Station for raptors, passerines, and owls can also now be found online via Trektellen HERE, which is the same system we use to document the bird migration count. 


Abbie Valine

Lead Bander 


ASY Female Northern Saw-whet Owl by O Fortuna 2

Owl Banding Report


Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory’s owl banding operations commenced on September 15th and will continue until November 15th. The 2024 owl banding season is off to a promising start! September brought a diverse array of species and an abundance of individuals. 


Banding Apprentice Sarah assessing Northern Saw-whet Owl Molt by O Fortuna

In the month of September, we banded 243 Northern Saw-whet owls, 4 Long-eared owls, 1 Barred owl, and 1 Great Horned owl. Notably, the arrival of Long-eared owls this year is about two weeks earlier than last year. Most of the Saw-whets we've captured are after-hatch-year birds. While it’s still early in the season, this information gives us insight into the success of this year’s breeding. A


s temperatures return to seasonal averages and we fully embrace autumn, we look forward to several nights of high-volume banding. Along with the many birds banded, we’ve also recaptured several individuals originally banded in places like Tofte, MN, offering exciting insights into their migration journeys.


Liv Fortuna

Owl Bander


Passerine Banding Report


Male Black-throated Green Warbler by M Menzies

With the completion of our summer research project (MAPS), passerine banding for Fall 2024 began officially on August 6th. Much of the month was decent weather, and we were able to band for 21 days, missing only 5 days. We banded 43 species total in August, and a total of 626 birds. Overall, numbers were slightly lower than average, probably related to decreased nest survival; we had very wet and windy weather in mid-summer just when most birds were nesting. Early nesters like Veery and Chickadee seemed to do a bit better. The most common species was American Redstart with 153 birds banded. We had our first House Finch in a long time. We also banded five Scarlet Tanagers which seem to be increasing in number each year, probably related to climate change and expansion of habitat use in the north. 


Hybrid Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler by M Menzies Aug 24 3

September was unusually warm and summerlike, continuing the nice weather from August, and we were able to band every day in September. Migration seemed delayed, but the birds eventually started moving south despite the warmth and we had several days of over 50 birds. We were able to band 1041 birds bringing our total through September to 1667 birds in 51 days of banding. We added 20 species of birds bringing our August/September species total to 63 species. 


Hybrid Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler by M Menzies Sept 24Through September, our top five species banded included 405 American Redstarts, 166 Magnolia Warblers, 157 Swainsons Thrushes, 89 White-Throated Sparrows, and 78 Nashville Warblers. We have banded 24 species of warblers including Connecticut, Black-Throated Blue, and Blackburnian Warblers, but missing from the list for whatever reason this year were Yellow Warblers. Also missing were Indigo Buntings, and American Goldfinches were also in short supply. We also have banded three Golden-Winged x Blue-Winged Warbler hybrids this year; prior to 2024 we hadn’t see or banded any. This does suggest that Blue-Winged Warblers, or at least Golden-winged x Blue-winged Hybrids are moving into our area which is likely related to climate change and habitat issues for Golden-winged Warblers. By the way not all of the Golden-winged Warblers were hybrids, we did have several standard plumage birds as well. 


Wood Thrush by M Menzies 3

Some highlights for fall migration banding included two Black-Billed Cuckoos, (which are always a hit with the new banders) and a gorgeous Wood Thrush. An important part of our banding mission is providing education and further training of three trainees and two banding apprentices, as well as interested volunteers and staff naturalists. We also continue to do regular educational programs for young and old who are interested in seeing how we conduct our banding research. Huge thanks to our many volunteers who get up before the birds and come out regularly to help with our banding efforts day after day. We couldn’t do it without all of you and many of you went above and beyond too many times to count!! You know who you are, and so do we- thanks so much for your support!


Margie Menzies & David Alexander

Passerine Banders


September Education Summary


Naturalist Peter teaching Eyes on the Skies by S DePew 2024

What a glorious September! This was one for the books, while very dry and warm, it also gave us a month of great weather, and every day’s scheduled events went off with no cancellations! That virtually never happens in the fall! In September, not counting our Hawk Weekend Festival, we hosted 20 different private groups for education programming - ranging from many area college courses and lab sections, homeschool families, visiting birding tour groups, volunteers with the Great Lakes Aquarium, Waste Management administrators from across Minnesota, and Minnesota Naturalist Association Naturalists. Altogether there were nearly 300 participants in private education programs. 


Naturalist Sara with Northern Harrier by M Chappell 2

Fabulous weather each weekend also saw us having great turnouts for fantastic programming offered every weekend. Excluding Hawk Weekend numbers altogether 18 programs were offered to about 300 participants. During Hawk Weekend we did another 18 public programs at the Overlook with 210 participants. Hawk Weekend did not disappoint with a fantastic flight of 15,657 Broad-winged Hawks on Friday, followed by some minor thunderstorm action for early Saturday morning workshops and field trips- but none were rained out. Sundays weather returned to fantastic and again all programs ran without a hitch. 


Northern Saw-whet Owl by Bander Liv Fortuna Oct 24

The Northern Saw-whet Owl migration begins in earnest in mid-September which means it is also time for Private Small Group Owl Programs. We ran 6 small group Owl Programs during Hawk Weekend and an additional 3 after Hawk Weekend. About 100 visitors were able to witness the wonder of these small owls and learn about the banding and research efforts at Hawk. 


Hawk Ridge education reaches people beyond the Ridge as well, as some tune in for reports by staff via interviews on fall migration for regional television, public radio, and social media. It's hard to quantify how many present and future visitors to the Ridge happen through these efforts, but we are glad for the opportunity to share this amazing annual wonder with the wider world. 


Naturalists Logan with COHA and Lydia with SSHA by J Yost 2

P.S. Public education programs run every Saturday and Sunday at Hawk Ridge (check out the program calendar). If you're interested in scheduling a private program for a group (school, homeschool, other), please contact me at mmenzies@hawkridge.org or go to the Education Programs tab on our website for more info. We look forward to connecting with you this fall! 


Margie Menzies

Education Director



UPCOMING EVENTS


Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA)

50th Anniversary Conference in Duluth, MN

November 7-10, 2024

REGISTER TODAY!


HMANA 50th Logo FINAL Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is happy to announce that the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) is holding their 50th anniversary conference here in Duluth, MN in Nov. 2024! Hawk Ridge is helping host this special celebration of HMANA and their important impact and efforts in raptor conservation. The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth-Downtown with field trips to Hawk Ridge and other birding hotspots in the area.


Hawk Ridge Hawkwatch Sunrise

We are calling on all hawk watchers, raptor enthusiasts, raptor biologists, and HMANA friends across the Americas to join us in person or virtually for this momentous conference and anniversary celebration! We have an exciting lineup of speakers, symposiums, and poster session – all focused on honoring the history of hawkwatching in the Americas, current raptor research efforts, new looks at raptor education and discussions on the future of hawkwatching, hawk migration study, and how best to address the challenges we face. We also have a great lineup of field trips, programs, and fall hawkwatching at Hawk Ridge! Click HERE for schedule/ trip/program info. Registration is open now! REGISTER TODAY HERE! 


ernesto-ruelas-UV-2

The Keynote speaker for the conference will be Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza. Ernesto is the founder of the Veracruz River of Raptors and helped lead HMANA’s efforts to start the important Raptor Population Index partnership. Currently, he is a Professor-Research Scientist at the Institute of Biotechnology and Applied Ecology of the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico and editor-in-chief of the Wilson Journal of Ornithology. Ernesto’s talk is titled: Raptor migration in the Neotropics: three decades of discovery where he will detail discoveries in raptor migration in neotropics in recent years and what discoveries or work is on the horizon.


Clay-Sutton

The Plenary speaker will be Clay Sutton. Clay has a long, rich history in the hawkwatching community, especially for the book Hawks in Flight with co-authors Pete Dunne and David Sibley. Here’s a sneak peak of what’s in store for Clay’s presentation entitled: “Northwest Winds: Shifting Winds—Winds of Change.” Clay will reflect upon his own 50 years of watching hawks, primarily at Cape May, New Jersey, but also at many of the key raptor watches throughout North America and beyond. We have all seen changes in the composition of raptor flights, and changes in the very expectations of what we may see. We have experienced significant shifts in the migration phenology and winter ranges of hawks. But what hasn’t changed is the energy, dedication, and enthusiasm of those who annually staff their posts, climbing to mountain outcrops, urban overlooks, sandy beaches, and lighthouses at land’s end to monitor and celebrate the annual passage of birds of prey.” Clay will conclude that the 21st century may have brought great changes, but that shifting winds will never diminish the need, or our passion, for what we do.”


We hope to see you at this memorable event! REGISTER TODAY HERE! 



Plan Your Fall Visit to Hawk Ridge

September 1st - October 31st, 2024

Daily 9am-4pm


Naturalists Gracie and Lydia Bird Demo by S DePew 9-24

2024 marks the 53rd consecutive fall season of bird migration research and education at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth, MN - one of the premier fall bird migration sites in North America! We look forward to connecting with visitors of all ages from around the world! Here are some helpful links with information on visiting this fall: 


PLAN YOUR VISIT
DIRECTIONS
LODGING

SCHEDULE YOUR PROGRAM

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS



Northern Saw-whet Owl

Whoo doesn’t like owls? From large to small, seasonal travelers, and hardy residents, Minnesota hosts a fascinating diversity of owls, with some crazy habits, and some hauntingly beautiful sounds in the night. Join us this fall to learn about the Hawk Ridge owl banding research through one of our public evening owl programs or schedule a small group owl program. Click HERE for more info.


Saturday evening public programs:

Oct. 19th at 8pm

Limited tickets available - to check availability and purchase, please call 218-428-6209 or in person at the Hawk Ridge merchandise trailer between 9am-4pm

$10 member/student or $15 nonmember


Small group owl programs (up to 8): offered through Oct. 31 (Tues. or Thurs-Sat. evenings) with date/time to be arranged by sending an email to owls@hawkridge.org. $40 member/student or $50 nonmember. Click HERE for more info.


International Birding Tour

Colombia: February 1 - 9th, 2025 (register by Oct. 29th!)

Birding the Atlantic Coast and Santa Marta Mountains 


bigstock-Colombia-Sunset-On-The-Coast-Of-Santa-Marta (1)

Discover the birds of Colombia with Hawk Ridge in 2025! Colombia has the richest diversity of any country in the world with over 1,900 species of birds! This tour focuses on the country’s bird-rich remote northern highlights, including the Caribbean region and the Santa Marta Mountains, home to some of the highest numbers of endemic species in Colombia. 


Santa-Marta-Woodstar-stock (1)

Lead by expert local guides, we’ll explore high elevation mountains, dry forest and coastal habitats in search of a wide spectrum of flycatchers, hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans and more. Throughout the journey, we will meet members of the local communities and learn about conservation efforts to use birding as a sustainable development resource. 


White-tipped-Quetzal-by-Luis-Eduardo-Uruena (1)

Highlights:

 • Bird the coastal wetland and mangrove habitats of Salamanca National Park and Los Flamencos Sanctuary along Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

 • Explore the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range in the world and home to more than a quarter of the country’s endemic species.

 • Enjoy several days of birding in the ProAves Foundation's El Dorado Nature Reserve, which sits in a transitional zone between lower mountain forests and higher cloud forests, creating a confluence of species from both areas.

 • Meet the indigenous WayĂșu people in Riohacha and learn about their culture, represented in their weaving, ceramics, vegetation, and gastronomy. 


Click on this link for an Overview, Itinerary, Pricing, Travel Information, How to Enroll and Resources. *Please note space is limited and deadline to register in full is October 29, 2024. This trip requires a minimum of 10 participants. Make a trip deposit to reserve a spot on the trip, but wait to make airline reservations and pay the full trip amount until you receive notice that the trip has reached its minimum enrollment. For more information or questions, please contact Debbie Jordan at debbie@holbrooktravel.com or 866-748-6146 or Hawk Ridge Education Director, Margie Menzies at mmenzies@hawkridge.org.


Other News


The Northern Naturalist


Northern Naturalist

Former Hawk Ridge naturalist & trip leader, Dave Benson, has launched a new natural history newsletter: The Northern Naturalist. Each biweekly newsletter has an in-depth article about a species in our area, a How-to article, a book review, and more. Issue #3 includes an article about How to Experience the Fall Hawk Migration and Issue #5 features the Broad-winged Hawk. 


Dave was the Hawk Ridge naturalist from 1998-2000 and has worked as a naturalist at Gooseberry Falls State Park, Jay Cooke State Park, Pattison State Park, and as a guide for Minnesota Birding Weekends. He is the award-winning author of several books, including Owls of the North: a Naturalist’s Handbook. northernnaturalist.substack.com


Thank You for Your Support! 


American Goshawk by K BardonHawk Ridge Bird Observatory thanks all of our supporters. We appreciate you! As a nonprofit organization, we are primarily funded by individual gifts to put our bird migration research and education programs in action. Below are some of the ways you can help us keep sharing the magic of the bird migration! 


Support Hawk Ridge by Shopping! 


Marie Chappell Hawk Ridge Blue Jay Design 24

Be sure to check out our merchandise trailer at Hawk Ridge daily Sept. 1 - Oct. 31 9am-4pm (weather pending). We also have some items available through our online shopping options:  


Big Frog (direct ship or pick up at Duluth store) 

Bonfire (direct ship) 

The Mug Experience (direct ship) 

  

Become A Member Today! 


Hawk Ridge bird releaseIf you're already a member of Hawk Ridge, we sincerely appreciate your support! THANK YOU! If you're not a member and have enjoyed your experience with Hawk Ridge, we invite you to 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! 


Simply Donate 


Rainbow at Hawk Ridge by K BardonYou can always simply donate online by clicking HERE or by mailing a check made out to Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 3006, Duluth, MN 55803. 


Thank you again for your wonderful gift of support! Hope to connect with you this fall at Hawk Ridge or feel free to reach out by email or phone!  

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Hawk Ridge News - September 2024

 HRBO_DM_LogoCMYK 2

 

Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,


Hawk Ridge Staff 2024

Happy Fall Bird Migration! Over 60,000 birds of approx. 120 species (including nearly 6,000 raptors of 15 species) have been counted so far since August 15! Check out the Aug. count & banding summaries below. On September 1st, our education and visitor services staff and volunteers returned to the main overlook at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve to share their knowledge and passion for birds with you! We have an awesome crew of both returning and new staff that you can hopefully meet in person or check out our "Meet the Staff" page HERE. One special staff highlight below is introducing our new full-time Research Director, Emily Pavlovic! We're thrilled to have her on the team to help lead our ongoing and future research efforts! Welcome, Emily and all the fall staff! 


Please note our annual Hawk Weekend Festival is being held next Fri. Sept. 20 - Sun. Sept. 22nd. The last day for online registration is this Sunday, September 15th, so be sure to REGISTER HERE TODAY! Registration is also open for the Hawk Migration Association of North America's (HMANA) 50th Anniversary Conference being held here in Duluth Nov. 7-10th! Find out more below on these events and others, such as our evening owl programs, the international birding trip to Colombia, and more! 


P.S. If you missed our last e-newsletter, you can view that and older versions by clicking HERE.  


August 2024 Bird Migration Count Summary


Counters 24 Sean Marie by S DePew

The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory began its 2024 fall count on Aug 15, and tallied 1,025 migrant raptors and 24,127 migrant non-raptors! Despite several days with easterly or southeasterly winds, modest totals were recorded for most raptor species. The count was conducted every day from the 15th until the end of the month, with the count significantly shortened on the 15th due to heavy rainfall. 


August Raptor Totals: 


Turkey Vulture by S McLaughlin 9-24 2

Turkey Vulture (6): Average. Many resident Vultures remain around Duluth, and only a few were deemed migratory. 


Osprey (30): Average. These fish eating specialists vacate the northland in the early season in search of better fishing. A month high count of 11 were recorded on August 28. 


Bald Eagle (324): Above Average. Bald Eagles continue to thrive and Duluth remains the best hawk watch in the world to watch migrant Bald Eagles! 


Northern Harrier by S McLaughlin 8-24

Northern Harrier (66): Above Average. Adult and juvenile harriers make early season movements in August, with a notable day of 18 on August 18th! Many harriers move in early morning and early evening when lift is weak, instead choosing to pump their wings and power through. 


Sharp-shinned Hawk (284): Below Average. This follows a long term trend of decreasing Sharp-shinned Hawk in August, particularly evident in banding data. Lower numbers this month are likely related to a lack of strong NW winds that will concentrate accipiters at the Ridge. 


Cooper’s Hawk (6): Average. The medium accipiter was counted just a few times this month. 


Broad-winged Hawk by S McLaughlin 24

Broad-winged Hawk (235): Average. An average Broad-winged Hawk count was rather surprising considering the lack of westerly winds. The vast majority of these birds were juveniles. 


Red-tailed Hawk (112): Above Average. This is the highest Red-tailed Hawk count at Hawk Ridge in August since 2012. 


American Kestrel (71): Near Average. Excellent numbers of dragonflies bolstered the kestrel count this month, but did not send it into the triple digits. 


Merlin by S McLaughlin 24

Merlin (18): Above Average. Merlins have been increasing steadily and the trend continues this month. It is encouraging to see a raptor species doing well. 


Peregrine Falcon (3): Above Average. Peregrines come in just above the long term August average of 1.5, but will not peak until the first week of October. 


Non-raptor Highlights: 


Common Nighthawk by S McLaughlin 24

The non-raptor count included 76 species. Some highlights include Great Egret (a northbound bird, likely post-breeding dispersal) Connecticut Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler and one magical day with nearly 12,000 Common Nighthawk at the ridge! Shorebird migration is always well underway by the time the count begins, and we were able to record 7 species including Pectoral and Baird’s Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plover. After Common Nighthawk, Cedar Waxwings were the most numerous bird in August: 2,584 birds!


We hope to see you this fall at the Ridge! Be sure to follow along with the live count on Trektellen HERE and raptor count on HawkCount HERE


Sean McLaughlin

Lead Counter


August 2024 Banding Summary


Northern Harrier Male ASY by M Durbin 24

Raptor banding at the Hawk Ridge station occurred every day from August 16th through the 31st, for a total of 16 days. The station was not opened on August 15th (the usual start of the season) due to rain. Light easterly winds throughout the month kept birds mostly high; however, a total of 44 raptors were banded at the station during August, a nice improvement from last year’s record low of 12. The Moose Valley station was covered August 30th and 31st, with 4 raptors banded. 


Northern Harrier by M Durbin 24

Total raptors banded in August were as follows: 


Sharp-shinned Hawk – 27 

Cooper’s Hawk – 3 

American Kestrel - 1 

Merlin – 1 

Northern Harrier – 4 

Red-tailed Hawk – 12 

Total: 48 



Adult male American Kestrel by K Beer 23

Senior Research Associate Frank Nicoletti ran the Hawk Ridge station for the first two weeks of the season until the arrival of this year’s seasonal banding staff, which includes several familiar faces. Abbie Valine returns as Lead Raptor Bander for the months of September and October. We also welcome back Kara Beer in her second season as the Raptor Bander at the Moose Valley station and Liv Fortuna (a 2023 banding apprentice) in her first season as Owl Bander. This year’s Banding Apprentices are Jess Matyas and Sarah Needles (a 2023 trainee), who will spend the season learning the intricacies of trapping and banding both diurnal raptors and owls. We also welcome our new Research and Education Trainees (Arzu Pahl, June Yost, and Phil Stollsteimer), who will rotate weekly through Hawk Ridge’s three core programs of bird banding, migration count, and environmental education.


Cedar Waxwing

Passerine banding continues to be led by Margie Menzies & David Alexander with a crew of amazing volunteers. Fall passerine banding started at the beginning of August and runs through mid-October. A summary of the summer MAPS project at Hawk Ridge (June-Aug) and update on fall passerine banding will be coming soon!


Owl banding also starts this week, so more updates coming on that too! 


Abbie Valine

Lead Bander 


Summer Education Summary


Naturalist Peter Teaching Program Hawk Ridge 24

It was a very busy summer for Hawk Ridge education programs with over 40 programs delivered to approx. 625 participants! Sharing the science of bird banding and seeing some of our resident breeding birds in hand was definitely a highlight with many of our groups! We continued to partner for a third year of the "Everyone Can Bird" accessible programs with the National Marine Estuarine Research Reserve- Superior, Minnesota Land Trust, Wisconsin Sea Grant, City of Superior, Embark, and indiGO. More information below on the final event for this year at Hawk Ridge on October 12th! All are welcome! Variety is the spice of life, and it holds true for summer programming as well. Other programs that have been happening over the course of this summer include other partnership programs with a number of area agencies, such as summer camps, summer student programming, Viking Cruise Line Passengers, and adult forums and presentations. 


Naturalists Gracie and Lydia Bird Demo by S DePew 24

In addition, training for the fall education staff kicked off the last week in August. A wonderful mix of returning and new staff will be the friendly faces you see at the main overlook this fall (check out the Meet the Staff page)! Public education programs run every Saturday and Sunday at Hawk Ridge (check out the program calendar). If you're interested in scheduling a private program for a group (school, homeschool, other), please contact me at mmenzies@hawkridge.org or go to the Education Programs tab on our website for more info. We look forward to connecting with you this fall! 


Margie Menzies

Education Director


Meet Our New Research Director!


Research Director Emily Pavlovic

Hawk Ridge is thrilled to announce Emily Pavlovic as the first full-time Research Director! This position is something that Hawk Ridge has been working towards for many years. We are grateful for funding from the Biodiversity Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation that helped kick off this position. Emily will be a key part of the Hawk Ridge team in leading current and future research efforts, including the long-term monitoring, bird banding, and applied ecological research programs. Welcome Emily and we hope you have a chance to meet her this fall! Emily shares this opening note below: 


Emily-Pavlovic-2021

"I'm excited to be joining the HRBO staff as the Research Director after spending the past five seasons volunteering with various research projects at Hawk Ridge including completing my M.S. research at the banding station. As always, I'm looking forward to meeting all the staff and volunteers for the season, seeing the incredible flights of birds, and interacting with visitors from around the world. This season we are continuing research at the banding station to investigate questions of migratory connectivity using transmitters and isotope analysis, exposure rates of raptors to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in collaboration with The Raptor Center, presence of oral lesions in Sharp-shinned Hawk infected with the nematode Eucoleus dispar, and more. Please find me on the ridge and let's talk about research!"


UPCOMING EVENTS


Hawk Weekend Festival 2024

September 20th-22nd


Visitors watching raptor release at Hawk Ridge fallCome and celebrate the amazing fall bird migration with us! Hawk Weekend is the annual festival held by Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN. Bird migration research and education programs have been shared with visitors throughout the world each fall at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve for over 50 years! Join us for a fun weekend with a variety of birding field trips, nature hikes, programs, and activities for all ages! Click HERE for schedule! 

Mercy Melo banding goshawk

We are happy to announce Mercy Melo from the Pennsylvania Game Commission will be joining us as our keynote speaker. She will present Collaborations in Conservation as part of our festival celebration kick-off event on Friday, September 20th 6-9pm at the Great Lakes Aquarium (online registration required). Migratory raptors don't obey state and international borders, and neither should our studies of them! Research projects that span large geographic areas are key to truly understanding raptor populations and how we can protect them best. In this talk, Mercy will discuss how teamwork makes the dream work in conservation studies using examples from her research investigating the continental population decline of American Kestrels.  


Many of our field trips, evening owl programs, workshops have limited space, so be sure to register HERE today! Last day to register is Sunday, September 15th. 


Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA)

50th Anniversary Conference in Duluth, MN

November 7-10, 2024

REGISTER TODAY!


HMANA 50th Logo FINALHawk Ridge Bird Observatory is happy to announce that the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) is holding their 50th anniversary conference here in Duluth, MN in Nov. 2024! Hawk Ridge is helping host this special celebration of HMANA and their important impact and efforts in raptor conservation. The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth-Downtown with field trips to Hawk Ridge and other birding hotspots in the area.


Hawk Ridge Hawkwatch Sunrise

We are calling on all hawk watchers, raptor enthusiasts, raptor biologists, and HMANA friends across the Americas to join us in person or virtually for this momentous conference and anniversary celebration! We have an exciting lineup of speakers, symposiums, and poster session – all focused on honoring the history of hawkwatching in the Americas, current raptor research efforts, new looks at raptor education and discussions on the future of hawkwatching, hawk migration study, and how best to address the challenges we face. We also have a great lineup of field trips, programs, and fall hawkwatching at Hawk Ridge! Click HERE for schedule/ trip/program info. Registration is open now! REGISTER TODAY HERE! 


ernesto-ruelas-UV-2

The Keynote speaker for the conference will be Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza. Ernesto is the founder of the Veracruz River of Raptors and helped lead HMANA’s efforts to start the important Raptor Population Index partnership. Currently, he is a Professor-Research Scientist at the Institute of Biotechnology and Applied Ecology of the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico and editor-in-chief of the Wilson Journal of Ornithology. Ernesto’s talk is titled: Raptor migration in the Neotropics: three decades of discovery where he will detail discoveries in raptor migration in neotropics in recent years and what discoveries or work is on the horizon.


Clay-Sutton

The Plenary speaker will be Clay Sutton. Clay has a long, rich history in the hawkwatching community, especially for the book Hawks in Flight with co-authors Pete Dunne and David Sibley. Here’s a sneak peak of what’s in store for Clay’s presentation entitled: “Northwest Winds: Shifting Winds—Winds of Change.” Clay will reflect upon his own 50 years of watching hawks, primarily at Cape May, New Jersey, but also at many of the key raptor watches throughout North America and beyond. We have all seen changes in the composition of raptor flights, and changes in the very expectations of what we may see. We have experienced significant shifts in the migration phenology and winter ranges of hawks. But what hasn’t changed is the energy, dedication, and enthusiasm of those who annually staff their posts, climbing to mountain outcrops, urban overlooks, sandy beaches, and lighthouses at land’s end to monitor and celebrate the annual passage of birds of prey.” Clay will conclude that the 21st century may have brought great changes, but that shifting winds will never diminish the need, or our passion, for what we do.”


We hope to see you at this memorable event! Registration is open now! REGISTER TODAY HERE! 


Everyone Can Bird: Accessible Birding Series

Upcoming: October 12th, 2024 @ Hawk Ridge!


American White Pelicans Spring 23 by F Nicoletti 3

All are invited to attend any/all of these free "Everyone Can Bird" events designed for birders of all skills and abilities. The first event was held on May 5, 2024. Education Director, Margie Menzies, reported a a great day at Chamber’s Grove Park on Sunday, May 5th with nearly 50 birders in attendance! The American White Pelicans put on a show all morning long, both perched and especially in the air! A nice variety of other spring migrants were seen as well including Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Sandhill Cranes, Double-crested Cormorants, and many more. The event is designed to engage people of all ages and abilities to share that birding is an accessible and fun activity that EVERYONE can get involved with. Join us for our next event in October to start learning some of the fascinating things that birds do including migration!

Margie Menzies and birders by Marie Zhuikov

The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Duluth Parks and Recreation, Embark Supported Employment, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Lake Superior Reserve, Minnesota Land Trust and Wisconsin Sea Grant are hosting this series. The next “Everyone Can Bird” will be held Oct. 12 at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth, MN. Registration is encouraged but not required. 

More registration info coming this summer. These activities are designed with access in mind. People who would like to request additional accommodations should email Luciana.Ranelli@wisc.edu or call Luciana at 715-399-4085 at least 10 days before the event.

Plan Your Fall Visit to Hawk Ridge

September 1st - October 31st, 2024

Naturalist Chris teaching with American Kestrel at Hawk Ridge 3

Daily 9am-4pm


2024 marks the 53rd consecutive fall season of bird migration research and education at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth, MN - one of the premier fall bird migration sites in North America! We look forward to connecting with visitors of all ages from around the world! Here are some helpful links with information on visiting this fall: 


PLAN YOUR VISIT
DIRECTIONS
LODGING

SCHEDULE YOUR PROGRAM

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS



Northern Saw-whet Owl

Whoo doesn’t like owls? From large to small, seasonal travelers, and hardy residents, Minnesota hosts a fascinating diversity of owls, with some crazy habits, and some hauntingly beautiful sounds in the night. Join us this fall to learn about the Hawk Ridge owl banding research through one of our public evening owl programs or schedule a small group owl program. Click HERE for more info.


Saturday evening public programs:

October 5th & Oct. 19th at 8pm

Tickets limited (click HERE to register); $10 member/student or $15 nonmember


Small group owl programs (up to 8): offered Sept. 24-Oct. 31 (Tues. or Thurs-Sat. evenings) with date/time to be arranged by sending an email to owls@hawkridge.org. $40 member/student or $50 nonmember. Click HERE for more info.


International Birding Tour

Colombia: February 1 - 9th, 2025 (register by Oct. 29th!)

Birding the Atlantic Coast and Santa Marta Mountains 


bigstock-Colombia-Sunset-On-The-Coast-Of-Santa-Marta (1)

Discover the birds of Colombia with Hawk Ridge in 2025! Colombia has the richest diversity of any country in the world with over 1,900 species of birds! This tour focuses on the country’s bird-rich remote northern highlights, including the Caribbean region and the Santa Marta Mountains, home to some of the highest numbers of endemic species in Colombia. 


Santa-Marta-Woodstar-stock (1)

Lead by expert local guides, we’ll explore high elevation mountains, dry forest and coastal habitats in search of a wide spectrum of flycatchers, hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans and more. Throughout the journey, we will meet members of the local communities and learn about conservation efforts to use birding as a sustainable development resource. 


White-tipped-Quetzal-by-Luis-Eduardo-Uruena (1)

Highlights:

 • Bird the coastal wetland and mangrove habitats of Salamanca National Park and Los Flamencos Sanctuary along Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

 • Explore the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range in the world and home to more than a quarter of the country’s endemic species.

 • Enjoy several days of birding in the ProAves Foundation's El Dorado Nature Reserve, which sits in a transitional zone between lower mountain forests and higher cloud forests, creating a confluence of species from both areas.

 • Meet the indigenous WayĂșu people in Riohacha and learn about their culture, represented in their weaving, ceramics, vegetation, and gastronomy. 


Click on this link for an Overview, Itinerary, Pricing, Travel Information, How to Enroll and Resources. *Please note space is limited and deadline to register in full is October 29, 2024. This trip requires a minimum of 10 participants. Make a trip deposit to reserve a spot on the trip, but wait to make airline reservations and pay the full trip amount until you receive notice that the trip has reached its minimum enrollment. For more information or questions, please contact Debbie Jordan at debbie@holbrooktravel.com or 866-748-6146 or Hawk Ridge Education Director, Margie Menzies at mmenzies@hawkridge.org.


Other News


The Breeding Birds of Minnesota Book

Breeding Birds of MN


The long awaited book The Breeding Birds of Minnesota: History, Ecology, and Conservation by Lee A. Pfannmuller, Gerald J. Niemi, and Janet C. Green is now available and you can purchase it at Hawk Ridge this fall! It was launched this spring at a two wonderful events at the Bell Museum and at the University of MN Duluth and you can read a description of the book HERE



Breeding Birds of MN Authors L Pfannmuller G Niemi J Green Book Launch 2024

Jerry Niemi and Jan Green have been instrumental to Hawk Ridge since the early beginnings. Jan was one of the original founders of Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve and assisted with the raptor count research at Hawk Ridge. Both served on the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Board of Directors and they both continue to serve on our Research Committee today. Congrats on this important book for bird conservation! Hawk Ridge appreciates all you've contributed for the birds, the nature reserve, and bird observatory!  


The Northern Naturalist


Northern Naturalist

Former Hawk Ridge naturalist & trip leader, Dave Benson, has launched a new natural history newsletter: The Northern Naturalist. Each biweekly newsletter has an in-depth article about a species in our area, a How-to article, a book review, and more. Issue #3 includes an article about How to Experience the Fall Hawk Migration and Issue #5 features the Broad-winged Hawk. 


Dave was the Hawk Ridge naturalist from 1998-2000 and has worked as a naturalist at Gooseberry Falls State Park, Jay Cooke State Park, Pattison State Park, and as a guide for Minnesota Birding Weekends. He is the award-winning author of several books, including Owls of the North: a Naturalist’s Handbook. northernnaturalist.substack.com


Thank You for Your Support! 


American Goshawk by K BardonHawk Ridge Bird Observatory thanks all of our supporters. We appreciate you! As a nonprofit organization, we are primarily funded by individual gifts to put our bird migration research and education programs in action. Below are some of the ways you can help us keep sharing the magic of the bird migration! 


Support Hawk Ridge by Shopping! 


Marie Chappell Hawk Ridge Blue Jay Design 24

Be sure to check out our merchandise trailer at Hawk Ridge daily Sept. 1 - Oct. 31 9am-4pm (weather pending). We have 2 new Hawk Ridge shirts this fall with featured artists! Marie Chappell, Hawk Ridge Bird Migration Counter, created a beautiful Blue Jay design to highlight our record numbers of Blue Jays counted at the Ridge. What's your guess for this season? 


Megan Hanson Binoc Birder Design Shirt 3Megan Hanson SSHA shirt designMegan Hanson, former 2023 trainee, created two awesome raptor designs with both featuring an arch of raptors we commonly see each fall with one showcasing a birder and the other a Sharp-shinned Hawk, our most common banded raptor. Thank you to Marie & Megan! 

We also have some items available through our online shopping options:  


Big Frog (direct ship or pick up at Duluth store) 

Bonfire (direct ship) 

The Mug Experience (direct ship) 

  

Become A Member Today! 


Hawk Ridge bird releaseIf you're already a member of Hawk Ridge, we sincerely appreciate your support! THANK YOU! If you're not a member and have enjoyed your experience with Hawk Ridge, we invite you to 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! 


Simply Donate 


Rainbow at Hawk Ridge by K BardonYou can always simply donate online by clicking HERE or by mailing a check made out to Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 3006, Duluth, MN 55803. 


Thank you again for your wonderful gift of support! Hope to connect with you this fall at Hawk Ridge or feel free to reach out by email or phone!  

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
501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization

Federal Tax ID 76-0746366