Hawk Ridge News - September 2023

 

 

Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,

 

The fall bird migration is on and we're excited to be back on the Ridge! On September 1, our education and visitor services staff and volunteers returned to the main overlook at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve to share the magic of migration with visitors of all ages. We have a great crew of both return and new research & education staff that you can hopefully meet in person or highlighted on our website HERE.  Approximately 40,000 birds of 120 species (including approx. 2400 raptors of 13 species) have been counted so far since August 15! You can read the August raptor count and and banding summaries below. You can follow along with the count on Trektellen HERE and HawkCount HERE. 

Please note registration for our annual Hawk Weekend Festival taking place Fri. Sept. 15 - Sun. Sept. 17th is closing soon. Most of the field trips/workshops/programs that had limited capacity are now full and closed, but you are still welcome to come up to Hawk Ridge to view the migration with us the weekend of the festival or anytime 9am-4pm now through October 31st. 

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

August 2023 Bird Migration Count Summary

The Fall 2023 migration count at Hawk Ridge began on August 15 with a total of 161 count hours over 16 non-consecutive days by the end of the month. A single day (8/22) had no count conducted due to inclement weather. A total of 841 raptors across 11 different species were documented from the platform during the month. The most abundant raptor species counted were: BALD EAGLE (427), BROAD-WINGED HAWK (117), and AMERICAN KESTREL (113). A series of days with less-than-favorable weather conditions, specifically wind direction, resulted in a relatively lower August total for several raptor species. Notably lower-than-average August totals by species included: SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (First double-digit monthly total since 2018) and RED-TAILED HAWK (First single-digit monthly total since 1976) All other raptors species totals generally aligned with the recent monthly averages. 

BALD EAGLE day count totals never reached triple digits; however, consistent daily flights made for a strong finish to the month relative to recent years. OSPREY (one of our earliest migrants heading south each fall) were generally on average while the first wave of (predominantly) southbound young NORTHERN HARRIERS was as well. BROAD-WINGED HAWKS noticeably began moving south by 8/26, with 52 passing on that day alone, with nearly all birds this month being young birds. AMERICAN KESTREL movement was consistent from the first day of the count, suggesting this species is likely moving south along the ridge before the fall count officially begins. 

The non-raptor flight along the Ridge gained momentum over the final two weeks of August as well, with 88 migrant non-raptor bird species documented. To view all species (raptor and non-raptor) totals for the Fall 2023 migration count at Hawk Ridge, visit: https://www.trektellen.org/site/totals/3670/2023 

Jess Cosentino 

Lead Counter

August 2023 Raptor Banding Summary

The beginning of the raptor banding this season started on August 15. In August, a total of 14 days were covered with a total of 12 raptors banded. This total represents the lowest numbers of raptors ever banded in August. This also continues the downward trend in the August counts. It’s difficult to to determine why this trend is happening, but we don’t seem to get the weather patterns that produces flight this time of year. 

A total of 12 raptors were banded during August. The totals are as follows:

Sharp-shinned Hawk-7

Red-tailed Hawk-2

Merlin-2

Broad-winged Hawk-1

We have a great banding team this fall. We welcome back Abbie Valine, as our Lead Raptor Bander, for September & October. Abbie has been working with Hawk Ridge for many years - starting as a volunteer in grade school, then in recent years as a Banding Trainee and Raptor Bander. We also welcome back Kara Beer, as our Raptor Bander. Kara was a one of the Banding Trainees last fall. Our new banding staff we welcome this year are our Fall Owl Bander, Kevin Garcia Lopez, and Banding Apprentices, Olivia Fortuna & Doris Rodriguez. Lastly, we have 3 Hawk Ridge Trainees (Megan Hanson, Marie Chappell, and Sarah Needles) that will rotate through and learn in each of the 3 core program areas at Hawk Ridge - bird migration count, bird banding, and environmental education.

Frank Nicoletti

Senior Research Associate

August 2023 Passerine Banding Summary

We had a great month during August for Passerine Banding. We were able to start migration banding right away the day after our summer breeding bird MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) ended. We were able to band 17 out of the 23 remaining days in August, losing just a few days to weather and other responsibilities. A total of 851 new birds were banded, with 42 species represented, and 73 recaptured birds. We had three days where we banded over 100 birds, and also three days with 22 different species. The warblers dominated the banded population with 549 warblers banded or about 65%. The thrushes were a distant second with 125 thrushes banded or 15% of the total birds banded. 

Some highlights of the month included a Baltimore Oriole, 4 Golden-winged Warblers, 3 Connecticut Warblers (far above our average for those birds), 3 early Blackpoll Warblers, 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler (another comparatively rare warbler for our station), 2 Indigo Buntings, and the youngest Dark-eyed Junco that any of us present could ever recall seeing at the station. It has also been a banner year for Gray Catbirds and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. 

Our top ten species for the month were: #1- American Redstarts: 173, #2- Nashville Warblers: 94, 

Tied at #3 and #4- Tennessee Warblers and Swainson’s Thrushes: 87, #5- Ovenbirds: 40, #6 and #7 another tie- White-throated Sparrows and Magnolia Warblers: 35, #8-Chestnut-sided Warblers: 34, #9- Veerys: 31, and #10- Rose-breasted Grosbeaks: 24. 

All in all a terrific month and the best August we’ve had in some time. Many thanks to all of the great volunteers who came out and helped us with the banding- you are dedicated and amazing! Tune in for the September updates!

David Alexander and Margie Menzies

Lead Passerine Banders

Summer 2023 Hawk Ridge Education Report

It seems like every year summer appears out of nowhere, and then seems to race full tilt to the end just as quickly. This year was no exception. Each month was busy with a variety of programming ranging from virtual programs, presentations at Hawk Ridge and at events at outside locations, providing programming for Viking Cruise passengers, and lots of summer bird banding (weekly at Sugarloaf Cove and for a number of summer day camps). It's wonderful that so many include education opportunities about birds and come to us to help with that process! 

One exciting project at Hawk Ridge this summer was establishing a native plant restoration garden at the Hawk Ridge main overlook, thanks to Girl Scout Troop 4162 from Hermantown, Shoreview Natives, and members of the Duluth/Superior EcoRotary. The Girl Scouts came to us last fall looking for a service project they could do for Hawk Ridge and earn their Bronze Star Awards. The Girl Scouts toured Shoreview Natives greenhouses where they learned about planting from seeds and then took donated seeds from Shoreview Natives to cold treat and raise at home for planting this summer at Hawk Ridge. The restoration garden is designed to educate visitors about what can be done with interrupted spaces, provide a seed source for native plants to re-establish at the Ridge, and restore some of the natural diversity to this damaged ecosystem. Thanks to Girl Scout Troop 4162, Shoreview Natives (Dan Schutte & team), and members of the Duluth/Superior EcoRotary for providing this new educational tool for Hawk Ridge!

Altogether this summer, there were 34 different education programs provided to well over 800 participants. 13 programs in each of June and July, and 8 in August. August also brought the preparation for the fall season at the overlook. Including getting the merchandise trailer to the overlook, providing days of training for new and returning staff and volunteers for the fall season. We have an incredibly talented education staff more than ready for the adventures ahead through the fall season. Come on out and enjoy programming at the Ridge this fall on the weekends, or arrange a private program for a school, scouts or other community groups. We are always excited to get folks involved with birds, learning their incredible stories, and exploring the wonders of migration first hand. Hope to see you at the Ridge this fall!

Margie Menzies

Education Director

Upcoming Events

Hawk Weekend Festival

Sept. 15th-17th, 2023

Come 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! 

Friday, September 15th is our festival celebration kick-off evening event at the Great Lakes Aquarium. Social hour 6:30-7:30 (registration/doors open at 6pm), Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Annual Meeting/Awards (approx. 15-20 minutes) followed by Guest Speaker (approx. 45-60 min) 7:30-9pm. Hawk Ridge members are FREE (students $10 & non-member $25), but pre-registration is required for this event. 

Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation Science at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, will be joining us as our keynote speaker. She will present From Canada to Colombia: Broad-winged Hawk Migration and Ecology as part of our  Broad-winged Hawks are one of the most numerous and conspicuous migrant raptors at many hawkwatches, yet despite their concentrations, little is known about their migration journey or winter ecology. Because some broad-winged hawk populations appear to be declining, in 2014 Hawk Mountain launched a study to examine their ecology throughout their life cycle. To better understand Broad-winged Hawk migration behavior and ecology, biologists have used telemetry to follow birds from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Ontario, Canada on their migration journey to examine routes taken, stopover behavior, migration behavior and where each population winters. In this talk, Laurie Goodrich will share some of the findings of this long-term study including stories of individual birds tracked for multiple seasons. (NOTE: you are also welcome to attend another presentation by Dr. Laurie Goodrich on Fri. 9/15 at 3pm at UMD in LSci 185 on "Hawk Mountain’s 90 years of raptor migration monitoring: scientific value of long-term data" - no cost to attend)

Please note that registration is full and closed for the majority of our festival field trips, programs, and workshops, but you can still check our online registration HERE for limited availability or email jlong@hawkridge.org to be added to a waitlist. You are still welcome to come up to Hawk Ridge to view the migration with us during the festival weekend and anytime daily 9am-4pm now through October 31st! 

Plan Your Fall Visit to Hawk Ridge

September 1st - October 31st, 2023

Daily 9am-4pm

2023 marks the 52nd 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

Whole Foods Co-op Duluth, MN

Hawk Ridge is the September GIVE! Recipient! 

Round up in support of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory when you shop at the Whole Foods Co-op in Duluth for the month of September. Check out the video here to learn about Hawk Ridge and what your round-up donation helps support! 

Thanks to WFC for selecting Hawk Ridge as the non-profit to support as part of your GIVE! program this month! 

Evening Owl Programs

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:

September 30th & Oct. 21st at 8pm

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

Small group owl programs (up to 8): offered Sept. 19-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.

Everyone Can Bird: Accessible Birding Series

Saturday, October 14th 

Join the Lake Superior Reserve, Hawk Ridge, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Minnesota Land Trust, and the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve for a free, bird-focused morning as part of an accessible birding series. We welcome people of all ages and ability levels to attend this accessible birding series! 

The next event will be held Saturday, October 14th at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve! 

Registration is encouraged, but not required by clicking HERE for the event (event is FREE). Activities are designed with access in mind, but if you would like to request additional accommodations, please email Luciana.Ranelli@Wisc.Edu or call Luciana at 715-399-4085 at least 10 days before the event. 

International Birding Trip 

Ecuador - Birding the Choco-Andes Region

February 25th - March 5th, 2024 

(with optional post-trip extension March 5th-9th Ecuador - Birding the Amazon Rainforest)

REGISTER HERE TODAY! (registration closes 11/22/23)

Hawk Ridge and Holbrook Travel are off on another fascinating adventure - this time in Ecuador in 2024! An extraordinary abundance of bird life inhabits the forests of northwestern Ecuador. Amid cloud forest, rainforest, páramo, and the eastern and western slopes of the Andes Mountains, join Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory to seek out as many of the country’s 1,640-plus species as possible with assistance from your expert guide on this 10-day adventure. In particular, much of the avifauna you’ll encounter is endemic to the Chocó region, while other species are more easily found here than any place else. Along the way, attend a presentation by a local ornithologist, view the snow-capped Antisana Volcano, and straddle the equator at the Middle of the World Monument.

Explore the Chocó ecoregion across a variety of protected areas, including Yanacocha Biological Reserve, Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve, Un poco del Chocó Nature Reserve & Biological Station, Antisana Ecological Reserve, and others. Visit the famed Refugio Paz de las Aves, known as a haven for antpittas and Andean Cocks-of-the-rock. Meet a representative from a community project dedicated to restoring the habitat of the Black-breasted Puffleg, the official emblematic bird of Quito. Bird the Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve for target species like the Rose-faced Parrot, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chocó Vireo, Moss-backed Tanager, and Indigo Flowerpiercer.

Continue your unforgettable birding adventure with Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in the Ecuadorian Amazon, one of the country’s most impressive biodiversity hotspots. Descend into the primary forests of Sacha Lodge’s 5,000-acre private ecological reserve in the heart of the Amazon Basin and seek out a variety of neotropical resident and migrant avian species, plus mammals, amphibians, insects, and more. In addition to a superb wildlife experience, enjoy the chance to connect with indigenous communities and learn about their relationship with the surrounding forest.

Each day provides a variety of opportunities to make the most of the birding/nature touring available, as well as options for individual exploration and leisure time. You will be traveling with other nature enthusiasts to all share an amazing spectrum of bird experiences and knowledge. All meals are included and dining is often arranged outdoors or in private group seating. 

Don’t miss this incredible experience! Space on this trip is limited to 12 and registration closes November 22, 2023. REGISTER HERE today! Questions? Contact Debbie Sturdivant Jordan at 866-748-6146 or debbie@holbrooktravel.com, or Margie Menzies mmenzies@hawkridge.org. Hope to see you in October!

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!

 

The best place to get all your Hawk Ridge gear is at our fall season gift shop trailer at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve daily 9am-4pm between September 1 - October 31. If you're not able to come up to Hawk Ridge this fall, you can also check out some of our online shopping options with some of our merchandise. 

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

Bonfire (direct ship)

The Mug Experience (direct ship)

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!

 

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.

Thank you again for your wonderful gift of support! Hope to connect with you again soon!  

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