Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,
Our fall bird migration count and banding research started August 15th! On August 20th, our counters had an exciting first record of a Swallow-tailed Kite at Hawk Ridge, which you can read more about below! Over 3,800 birds (approx. 10% raptors & 90% other migrating birds) of 83+ species have been counted so far since August 15! A friendly reminder that the discounted festival package registration for our big Hawk Ridge 50th Anniversary Celebration (Sept. 22-25) event ends in one week on September 1st. You can register HERE today for this special event and find out more below! Thanks again for your support and we hope to see you this fall, especially at the special celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve!
P.S. If you missed our last e-newsletter, you can view previous versions by clicking HERE.
Hawk Ridge 50th Anniversary Celebration!
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We invite you to join us for this special celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve & raptor research at Hawk Ridge! The Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve was established in 1972, which also was the first year of full-time standardized fall raptor migration count and raptor banding research. We will kick off the event Thursday evening 9/22 at the beautiful Greysolon Ballroom for a grand celebration of the past, present, and future of Hawk Ridge! The anniversary weekend fun continues (Fri. 9/23 - Sun. 9/25) with a great line up of programs, speakers, field trips, workshops, and special events. You can find all the details HERE! We invite you for this very special celebration and hope to see many of our Hawk Ridge friends from then, now, and new!
REGISTER HERE TODAY! (*Discounted Festival Package Registration ends Thurs. Sept. 1st!)
P.S. Calling all Hawk Ridge Alumni - Where are you now?
As we celebrate 50 years, we would love to hear from you! Please send an update to Janelle at jlong@hawkridge.org on what year you were involved & position, photo of you at Hawk Ridge (or current), and what you're doing now!
Swallow-tailed Kite at Hawk Ridge!
By Sean McLaughlin, Spring Counter
First record of a Swallow-tailed Kite at Hawk Ridge today! Counter Sean shared this summary below “Early afternoon, just before clearing skies, a distant raptor appeared above Moose Mountain, that I initially declared an accipiter. Upon seeing the bird bank, I knew this was something new. A quick scope look decided this bird was a Swallow-tailed Kite. It gracefully bounced down the ridge on the E side, offering great views and time to snap a few shots. The clearing skies increased raptor diversity, with BALD EAGLES forming one small kettle, BROAD-WINGED HAWKS appearing in small numbers, and SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS zipping by.” Florida Keys Hawkwatch has had a record breaking numbers of Swallow-tailed Kites this season, so especially exciting to see one this far north! Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory conducts the Hawk Ridge fall bird migration count from August 15 - November 30. This marks the 50th year of the fall raptor count at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve! You can view our hawkcount totals HERE and follow along with our live count HERE!
Volunteer at Hawk Ridge this Fall!
Each fall, Hawk Ridge sees thousands of migrating raptors passing by as they make their way to their wintering grounds south of us. We also get thousands of visitors stopping at the main overlook at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve to view and learn about the migration with us. We couldn't connect and do all the things that help make the experience great for visitors without our amazing volunteers! Volunteers perform a multitude of tasks from greeting visitors, nature reserve stewardship, helping with merchandise, pointing out birds to visitors, kid's activity cart, helping assist staff (naturalists, counters, banders, merchandise) and the list goes on.
If you're interested, please join us for our Hawk Ridge Volunteer Welcome Orientation and Potluck on Tuesday, August 30th from 6-8pm (in person). RSVP required by Monday, August 29th by sending an email to Hawk Ridge Volunteer Coordinator, Valerie Slocum, at volunteer@hawkridge.org for further information.
Who is Eligible? Anyone who shares a passion for the natural world and enjoys birds, helping, learning, and having fun! No prior experience is necessary. We will train and teach you, and provide ample opportunities for you to pursue your passion, whether it be birds, sales, public relations, or teaching! Kids under 16 must be accompanied by parent. We hope to see you this fall!
Plan Your Visit to Hawk Ridge
VISIT US 9AM-4PM DAILY SEPT 1 - OCT. 31ST!
Visitor Info for Viewing the Fall Bird Migration
We are excited for another fall bird migration season at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory! If you are planning to visit, please read our guidelines on our Plan Your Visit page and they will also be posted at the Hawk Ridge main overlook.
Directions (Please note for those that typically drive to Hawk Ridge from Jean Duluth Rd, the intersection of Jean Duluth/Snively/Glenwood is closed. Hawk Ridge on East Skyline Pkwy is still accessible coming up the hill on Glenwood St or from Seven Bridges Rd or Maxwell Rd)
The Upper Midwest American Kestrel Project
& Limited Edition Kestrel Shirts!
by Halle Lambeau
American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are a keystone species of grassland habitat in the United States. Unfortunately, these small, colorful falcons are experiencing population declines throughout North America. Nest box programs have been established to provide breeding locations in high-quality habitat for kestrels. This research will combine large amounts of data from our collaborators with nest boxes in Minnesota (Sax-Zim Bog, Minnesota DNR) and Wisconsin (Madison Audubon Society, Central Wisconsin Kestrel Research, Cedar Grove Raptor Banding Station). With data from 475 nest boxes, we want to learn more about the optimal diet, temperature, and landscape conditions for kestrels with the hope of learning more about how we can effectively conserve kestrel populations. We will be using techniques such as stable isotope analysis of feathers to assess diet of kestrel chicks, temperature loggers to record conditions in nest boxes, and banding kestrels to track return rates.
Fundraising efforts are still underway for this project and one way you can help support is by purchasing a beautiful, limited edition American Kestrel shirt! Get yours HERE today! This gorgeous t-shirt design was created by the incredible artist Emma Regnier (also Hawk Ridge research trainee 2020 & 2021!). Emma is a biologist and environmental educator currently working on a Golden Eagle project in Boise, Idaho!
This project is led by Halle Lambeau, a Master’s student at the University of Minnesota Duluth, with the assistance of Frank Nicoletti and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, as well as nest box programs by the great folks at Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, Madison Audubon, Central Wisconsin Kestrel Research, Beaver Creek Reserve, and Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station. All proceeds from this campaign will go directly towards funding data analysis, as well as the costs of monitoring equipment and mileage for this large-scale project. Thank you to the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union for important grant support and to all others helping make this project possible by purchasing a shirt, donating to the project, or sharing the campaign!
Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve Facilities Improvement Plan
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The Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve Facilities Improvement Plan is moving forward! In June the City of Duluth Parks & Recreation Commission and City Council approved our final mini-master plan, which can be viewed online HERE! We look forward to implementing this plan to improve facilities at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve for road safety issues, accessibility, increased education program space, and enhanced visitor viewing. We appreciate the helpful feedback received and it's clear that there are many people who enjoy Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve as a beloved outdoor space in Duluth!
Thank You for Your Support!
Hawk 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!
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Be sure to purchase one of our unique artist-designed Hawk Ridge shirts or tote bags online! Our featured artist is Emma Regnier, who completed both the Bird Banding & Bird Migration Count Research Traineeships at Hawk Ridge in 2020 & 2021. She created 2 new beautiful designs for our limited-edition shirts for 2021, including the popular "Celebrate Diversity" design pictured here! Our 50th Anniversary shirts will also be available online soon and for purchase up at Hawk Ridge this fall Sept 1-Oct 31!
If you like to shop on Amazon, we'd also super appreciate you adding Hawk Ridge as a charity you support via Amazon Smile. Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory receives a donation of 0.5% of eligible purchases!.
Become A Member Today!
If 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!
Books with Portion of Proceeds coming to Hawk Ridge!
Art on the Edge of the Boreal Forest: Alternative Futures for the trees, birds and insects
Original art by ten Minnesota artists
Text by Lee Frelich, Ph.D. and Gerald Niemi, Ph.D.
A group of Minnesota botanical artists applied their skills and knowledge to create a visual archival record of Minnesota's threatened boreal forest. Dr. Frelich, director for the Center for Forest Ecology, and Dr. Niemi, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth (and former Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Board Member & Research Chair), as well as Jane Albers, DNR Forest Health Specialist, contributed research on threatened boreal trees, plants, birds, and insects. This collection is important because the ecology of the boreal forest is undergoing slow and silent but significant change due to disturbances caused by fire, invasive insects and stressful climate conditions. Books for sale online from various sellers, including HERE.
Hawks on High - Everyday Miracles in a Hawk Ridge Season
By Phil Fitzpatrick with drawings by Penny Perry
Phil Fitzpatrick captures the magic of migration at Hawk Ridge and interesting bird bits beyond through his beautiful collection of poetry. Poems are brought to life through the artwork of Penny Perry. Books for sale online and at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve during the fall season September 1 - October 31.
Simply Donate
You 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.
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
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