Hawk Ridge Blog: Notes from the Ridge: Fall Migration Count 2023 (October 1

As the ink of September migration slowly dries, new pages from October along Hawk Ridge continue to be written with each passing day. The first day of the month brought more east winds, reminiscent of the final half of September, coupled with a mediocre raptor flight. However, October 2 delivered a long overdue day of fantastic migration on the Ridge! Following weeks of persistent east winds, the directions finally shifted to southwest coupled by warmer temperatures, which prompted an excellent early October flight. SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS were darting down the lake shore and Ridge early, with just over 200 passing in the first two hours following sunrise! This momentum carried for hours, resulting in one of the highest day count totals (1349) for this species so far this season. Following the massive five-digit AMERICAN ROBIN flight (13,224) on the final day of September, nearly four-thousand more would pass by today as well. A late migrant male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER darted over the count platform during the post-dawn morning flight with PINE SISKINS (698) on the move in small groups throughout the day. Additionally, a migrant HARRIS'S SPARROW was spotted at the nearby platform feeders. After such a long stretch of poor late September weather, this was just a really fun day to be counting migrant birds on the Ridge.

HARRIS'S SPARROW visits the feeders near the count platform on October 2 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

October 3 carried this momentum, providing a second consecutive four-digit SHARP-SHINNED HAWK day count total (1215). The small accipiters were consistently pushing down the Ridge throughout every hour of the count, gradually adding to the daily total with each quick pass. When southern winds blow north towards Duluth in early October, the whisper of Peregrine winds is not far behind. Historically, these conditions coupled with this time window often align with some of the largest PEREGRINE FALCON day counts on the Ridge. Almost in rapid succession, Peregrines continued to appear over the summit of the Ridge and down the lake shore as their powerful wing beats cut them through the southerly headwinds with ease until a total of 25 PEREGRINE FALCONS would be counted on the day! This ties the 2nd highest HRBO day count for this species ever documented (ties September 19, 2019). The day was nothing short of a spectacle. Deep snapping wingbeats slicing the air overhead with each passing bird, as observers along the overlook swung their heads in unison to watch every lasting moment from the large falcons. AMERICAN ROBIN momentum continued steadily with another with another 3020 making passage, as well as observing active BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE migration down the Ridge throughout the day. While not complete migrants with entire populations migrating to new locations, chickadees do disperse and this type of behavior is more often observed along the shorelines of Lake Superior, so to witness it down the Ridge is always an interesting field observation. Additionally, two migrant WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were documented shooting down the Ridge at a high altitude in sustained flight!


One of 25 PEREGRINE FALCONS passing the Ridge on October 3 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)


Adult PEREGRINE FALCON passing the Ridge on October 3 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

What has already been shaping up as a fantastic count season for NORTHERN HARRIERS delivered an excellent flight for this species on October 4, with 76 migrant harriers being tallied from the Ridge! Another day of southwest winds also brought a second consecutive notable flight of PEREGRINE FALCONS (21), inching this year's season total into the highest October total ever recorded for this species. CANADA GEESE were on the move with nearly 1000 passing the Ridge by the end of the day. BROAD-WINGED HAWK (332) kettles began to spiral skyward later into the afternoon hours bringing with them another SWAINSON'S HAWK! The Swainson's took a distant high line, mixed in with the kettles; however, provided excellent views from the overlook with the assistance of optics.

October 5 delivered the one thing that nearly every hawkwatcher visiting the Ridge had been listfully missing for weeks at that point: West winds! (and with them came another incredible flight). The first four days of October had already experienced two four-digit count days of migrant SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS; however, today brought a fantastic stream of the small accipiters along the Ridge and shore that seemingly did not stop for hours upon end with 1750 Sharpies passing throughout the day! (Many thanks to HRBO count trainee Megan Hanson for all of their hard work diligently keeping tally of Sharpies passing the Ridge using the hand clickers while both counters were busy scanning the skies and counting their own non-stop pulses of Sharpies throughout the entire count period). The BROAD-WINGED HAWK kettles began bubbling by late morning and an October record-setting day count of 2542 Broad-wings made passage throughout the count period! This is both the highest HRBO October day count total and overall October total for this species ever recorded. To add to the magic, a single DARK-MORPH BROAD-WINGED HAWK passed directly above the overlook and count platform while mixing in with the kettles, providing excellent sustained views from below. The west winds also shuffled in the first triple-digit day count of RED-TAILED HAWKS (102) for this season - a sure sign that October has arrived. The non-raptor flight on the day was equally as impressive, with great NORTHERN FLICKER (75) movement, as well as an incredibly close migrant BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER passing directly in front of the count platform while shouting a loud KEK! call before disappearing down the Ridge (A total of seven migrant woodpecker species were tallied throughout the day). Additionally, PURPLE FINCH (1574) and AMERICAN ROBIN (1846) were moving in great numbers. Rain moved in from the west late in the day; however, a brilliant double rainbow arced it's beautiful colors across the Ridge across a beautiful cloudscape of varying shades of greys and purples as an adult BALD EAGLE flew directly through it! It can often feel like hyperbole to repeat throughout a single season, but days like this on the Ridge really feel incredibly special to be witness to.

DARK-MORPH BROAD-WINGED HAWK passes over Ridge on October 5 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

A cold front and rain moved in overnight and temperatures plummeted with blustery northwest winds throughout the entire following day (October 6): The recipe for perfect October hawkwatching on the Ridge! There was an early lift off of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS in the morning hours (clearly residual migrants that chose to roost overnight nearby following yesterday's record October flight) with several hundred (420) passing throughout the day which included THREE DARK-MORPHS! Each dark-morph bird was spotted during various lift off flights, which provided excellent views of the birds at a distance before they rose too high in the sky. RED-TAILED HAWKS (248) followed with their own afternoon-dominant flight, while AMERICAN KESTRELS (76) continued to pulse down the Ridge resulting in an excellent day count total (and contributing to what is shaping up to be one of the best season totals ever recorded for this species). The day also began with an incredible non-raptor morning flight, as RUSTY BLACKBIRDS (4107) and AMERICAN ROBIN (5277) pulsed down the shore in the post-dawn hours as distant waves of bird flocks with the lake as the backdrop. For several hours, there was a non-stop stream of blackbirds and robins moving down the lakeshore in dramatic fashion. The day also brought the first migrant AMERICAN CROW (154) groups as well as a few SURF/BLACK SCOTERS (3) resting out on the lake.


RUSTY BLACKBIRD perches before resuming migration on October 5 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

AMERICAN GOSHAWK passing close along Ridge on October 5 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

To cap the first week of the month, October 7 ushered in a record-breaking day count of SANDHILL CRANES (1132) as large groups reaching well into the hundreds spread out across the sky throughout the entire count period. This is the highest HRBO day count recorded for this species. It was truly a spectacle to hear the deep, guttural calls ring out from above before looking skyward to see lines of cranes strewn out in all directions. The first large push of migrant TURKEY VULTURES (472) also came throughout the day, as well as good movement of BALD EAGLES (111), SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS (360), and more lingering BROAD-WINGED HAWKS (141). However, the raptor flight on the day was highlighted by the first notable RED-TAILED HAWK (216) push (which included one DARK-MORPH). Two distant migrant BONAPARTE'S GULLS were spotted along the lake later in the day, mixed in among various groups of roosting gulls.

TURKEY VULTURES lifting off in the morning on October 7 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

What has shaped up to being a wonderful start to October migration continued into the following day (October 8); however, north winds kept migrant raptors incredibly high beginning early in the morning hours and lasted throughout the day. This can often make it challenging to spot raptors in the sky on migration days like this, yet consistent lines of birds continued to make passage directly over the Ridge and along the shore all day. RED-TAILED HAWKS (254) and SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS (250) were on the move early, while another good pulse of migrant TURKEY VULTURES (585) cleared southward. A large raucous group of crows began swirling to the north of the overlook late in the morning before realizing that they were harassing a SHORT-EARED OWL! This is the 3rd SEOW for this fall season and the owl spiraled skyward for well over five minutes before deciding to continue south. Not long following this, another SWAINSON'S HAWK (intermediate juvenile) appeared in the same space of sky among the other migrant raptors while passing directly along the Ridge (4th for this season-to-date). The first migrant NORTHERN SHRIKE of the season charged down the Ridge late in the morning, while the first BOREAL CHICKADEE zipped passed the count platform giving a wheezy call and heading south through the trees. Groups of SNOW (8), CACKLING (28), and CANADA GEESE (27) all made passage throughout the day as well.

SHORT-EARED OWL passing directly above the Ridge overlook on October 8 (Photo: Jess Cosentino)

The run of sustained north winds continued through October 9 as raw, blustery northwest winds churned down onto the Ridge and ushered in more migrant birds: Another great day of RED-TAILED HAWK (286) movement (including another DARK-MORPH) and the first GOLDEN EAGLES (2) of the season! The first immature Golden made a quick pass along the west side of the Ridge, while the second appeared to the north later in the day close to 4 PM. It spiraled for several minutes and long enough to shout down to the staff and visitors along the overlook to share in the fantastic views before the large eagle disappeared around the backside of the summit. The second NORTHERN SHRIKE arrived and perched atop a nearby snag, which provided excellent photo opportunities as the cooperative bird browsed the nearby songbird feeders. The feeders also drew in the season's first FOX SPARROW as the chunky bird mixed in among the groups of juncos and sparrows foraging along the ground.

October 10 began with sustained light drizzle throughout most of the morning hours; however, upon clearing around 10 AM, shuffled south the first migrant ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS of the season! The delicate buteos from the Arctic slowly passed down the Ridge across the cold grey skyscape while the first BOHEMIAN WAXWING of the season did as well. Overall, despite the rainy delayed start, the day also ended with modest SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (110) and RED-TAILED HAWK (187) day counts.

The shift into this new chapter of October is always somewhat bittersweet. The sun arcs just a little lower in the sky each passing day as crystalline frost lines the surfaces outside in the predawn light, while crossing off one more square on the calendar. Many of the migrant birds counted in August and September have likely made dramatic passage south by this point, reaching far away lands well beyond the Ridge. However, this month also provides some of the best hawkwatching opportunities if one is willing to endure the frosty north winds. Rough-Legged and Red-Tailed Hawks coupled with Golden Eagles still linger at northern latitudes, waiting for wind conditions that will funnel them down the lake shores towards Hawk Ridge. Grab a down parka and wool hat and head to the Ridge to enjoy the late season raptor migration yet to come.

Follow the HRBO count daily here at: https://www.trektellen.org

Jess Cosentino

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