Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,
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 HERE. Keep 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
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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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
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.
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!
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).
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
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.
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.
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:
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Through 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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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.
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!
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.
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
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
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
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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.
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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.
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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 Wayúu 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
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!
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!
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)
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 this fall at Hawk Ridge or feel free to reach out by email or phone!
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