Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,
The American White Pelicans have received quite the buzz in Duluth this spring! We always enjoy watching them migrate from our count sites in spring and fall! If you haven't been out to visit our West Skyline Spring Count, we hope you can join us before the end of the month! The mix of warmer weather, beautiful birds migrating through, and our great line-up of weekend programs makes for a fun spring outing! Be sure to read the April migration count below and interesting observations of reverse migration and new raptor records! You can view our program schedule HERE and click HERE for directions. Our live count of birds counted at the West Skyline Spring Count can be found HERE or on the home page at hawkridge.org.
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.
West Skyline Spring Count - April Summary
Red-tails, roughies, and sharpies, oh my!! April was an intense month at the West Skyline Hawk Count. Five days had no count due to classic cold Duluth snow, rain, or fog, despite beautiful weather just south of Duluth on many of those days. This most likely bottled up birds, and on favorable days in Duluth the bottle burst wide open! This April’s Red-tailed Hawk total count was the highest ever since 2004, and our total Rough-legged and Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers topped any West Skyline April ever—especially impressive considering the total hours the hawk count was conducted this April ended up being the lowest ever since a consistent count was started in 2018.
We had above-average numbers of migrating Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Bald Eagles, and Cooper’s Hawks; Northern Harriers, Merlins, and Peregrine Falcons were around average. Broad-winged Hawk numbers are incredibly variable year-to-year, and this year they did not seem to appreciate the Duluth weather and were much below average; American Kestrels were also notably below average.
One non-raptor species stands out for special mention this April: an incredible reverse migration of Northern Flickers occurred on April 18th, with over a thousand counted at the West Skyline Hawk Count in one truly dazzling migration spectacle of yellowhammers along the ridge! Reverse migration spectacles result from favorable migration conditions suddenly turning very unfavorable, such as a sudden drop in temperature and switch to headwind, and consist of a brief period of birds flying the “wrong” direction (e.g., south instead of north in spring). This April will definitely go down in the books as one to remember!
Click HERE or via the live count button at hawkridge.org. You can also still find our daily raptor counts and summary via HawkCount HERE. Thanks and hope to see you at the watch! Click HERE for more info on visiting the Spring Count!
Marie Hosch
Spring Counter
NEW Spring Weekend Public Programs!
We are excited to introduce and invite you to join us for our new weekend spring public program offerings at the West Skyline Spring Count! You can find out more information below on dates/times or by clicking HERE. Please note spring location can vary depending on the winds that day to either below Thompson Hill rest area or below Enger Tower (directions located HERE) and to locate which site we are at for the day please click on our live count button HERE on our home page at hawkridge.org and look in the comments section.
Wings over West Skyline (every Sunday @1pm)
Join us at the West Skyline Spring Count every Sunday March-May for a short 15-30 min intro program to learn about the count and the amazing diversity of birds coming back in the spring! Find our why our two spring count sites are on the west side of Skyline Pkwy vs the east side at Hawk Ridge, what makes the spring count different from the fall count, and which species do we see in greater numbers during spring than the fall. All sorts of fascinating variations to explore between the seasons!
Spring Migration Saturday Series (every Saturday @1pm)
Join us at the West Skyline Spring Count every Saturday at 1pm from March 21-May 30 for a 30-45 minute program about the spring migration. Learn who is migrating through Duluth and learn skills like how to use Merlin and eBird to identify and record your observations. Stick around before or after the program to enjoy the migration! May program dates:
Sat. May 16th- Migration Mysteries Did you know that Minnesota hosts more than 400 species of birds through the course of a year, but that only about 56 species are found here year-round? So there’s a whole lot of migration going on, and some incredible stories. Where are they going? How long does it take them to get there? Some achieve incredible feats greater than most athletes have ever attempted- how many of them can run the equivalent of 5-minute miles for 24-48 hours straight non-stop? Some birds do this! Join us to learn more about some super migrants! Guaranteed to blow your mind!
Sat. May 23rd Citizen Science-eBird 101 - Historically the Annual Christmas Bird Count has been the longest on-going example of citizen science. eBird recognized a good strategy and blew it up to a year round extravaganza of birding worldwide. Learn the basics on how to navigate and contribute, check out the nearest birding hotspots near wherever you are, and how to keep your life list up to date at the touch of a button! Bring your cell phone and we’ll get you started.- Sat. May 30th - Warbler Walk
Spring is in full swing here at the West Skyline Hawk Count, and the warblers are here! Join us for a stroll along the Enger Park trails to experience these birds’ brilliant colors and learn tips for identifying them. Lace up your shoes, and we will see you there!
Count and Connect - Sat. May 23rd @11amCome to the count and connect with others all while watching the spring migration at the West Skyline Spring Count! Borrow a pair of binoculars, look through a naturalist’s spotting scope, and learn about the wonders of migration. Coffee and treats will be available until they’re gone!
All spring programs will take place at the spring count site for the day – either the West Skyline Parkway pull off below Enger Tower or on West Skyline Parkway below the Minnesota Welcome Center (Thompson Hill). Check the Hawk Ridge website main page and click on LIVE COUNT to learn where the count is for the day (location will be in the comments). All programming is free and open to the public. No registration required. Suggested $5 donation to help support our programming. See you at the spring count!
NEW Spring Merchandise
Grab some Hawk Ridge gear while visiting the count this year. We will have a limited selection of merchandise for sale during the spring count on weekends and some weekdays. We are excited to introduce a NEW spring shirt design by artist & spring/fall counter, Marie Hosch! Marie designed a beautiful pair of Bald Eagles sharing a story of spring migration, as witnessed along West Skyline.
March 1-May 31, 2026
2026 marks the 9th consecutive, full spring season of bird migration monitoring research at the West Skyline Spring Count in Duluth, MN! This is one of the premier spring bird migration sites in North America with record numbers of Bald and Golden Eagles, as well as other raptor species. The spring migration count average from 2018-2025 is 24,000 raptors and thousands of other migrating birds. Over 120 different bird species were recorded in 2025! Spring migration highlights include an amazing diversity of 15-20 different raptor species, as outlined:
Peak for each species (high counts listed)
- Eagles: March 10-25
- Rough-legged Hawks: April 10-20
- Red-tailed Hawks: April 10-20
- Broad-winged Hawks: May 1-10
- Sharp-shinned Hawks: April 10-20
CLICK HERE to find out more info on visiting this spring! We have a live count feature on our home page at hawkridge.org, so you can follow along. You will also be able to view our raptor count numbers via HawkCount HERE and live full bird count via Trektellen HERE.
Summer Naturalist Series
Saturday Nature Hikes at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve
June 6th, 13th, & 20th
Join us for our Summer Naturalist Series starting in June with Saturday Nature Hikes! We’ll explore a different trail each week at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve to learn about North Shore phenology and what calls the nature reserve home for the summer! Pack your binoculars, lace up your shoes, and gear up for a fun hike!
Dates: Saturdays June 6th, 13th, & 20th
Time: 2-3:30pm
Location: Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (meet at main overlook by Hawk Ridge signage - approx. address 3980 E Skyline Pkwy, Duluth, MN)
Cost: Suggested donation $5 in support of Hawk Ridge bird research & education
What to Bring: dress in layers, water, sunscreen, insect deterrent, hiking shoes/gear
Special Notes: trails are natural-surface and may be rugged with some rocky steps & hike may be canceled due to inclement weather. NEW accessible trail loop work to begin this summer!
Everyone Can Bird: Accessible Birding Series
Fri. July 24th & Sat. October 10th
September 18-20, 2026
We invite you to join us to 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! Registration opening in June and more details can be found HERE!
Raptor Research Foundation Conference
October 26-30, 2026
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!! (early bird rates by July 1)
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is excited to announce we are hosting the international Raptor Research Foundation 60th Anniversary Conference this fall! The conference will be held October 26-30, 2026 at the Holiday Inn Downtown Duluth. Registration is open with early bird rates available until July 1st. More information coming soon about workshops, speakers, and field trips! If you are interested in submitting an abstract to present at the conference, you can find that info HERE. Find out more about the Raptor Research Foundation go to: https://raptorresearchfoundation.org/2026-conference/.
P.S. We're happy to share the the newly designed conference logo here by amazing artist Emma Regnier (@falcofous). We love seeing those beautiful Rough-legged Hawks with the fall Hawk Ridge Lake Superior landscape and hope you can enjoy them with us too!
International Birding Tours
SAVE THE DATE!
Birding the Highlands of Guatemala
March 16-20, 2027
Guatemala is a richly diverse cultural center and a lush and vibrant paradise for birders. Set in the heart of Central America, it sits within one of the Western Hemisphere’s prime migratory corridors and is overwinter grounds for a wide array of North American breeding birds. Join us to look for more than 20 regional endemic highland species. Join the optional extension to visit the Tikal region and spend a day at a working tropical banding station at Las Guacamayas and learn about their efforts with both resident native species as well as tracking the wintering grounds of North American Species. More information and pricing coming soon at hawkridge.org and holbrooktravel.com!
NOTE: 2026 tours to Panama & Colombia canceled due to minimum participant requirements
RESEARCH UPDATES
Central Flyway Broad-winged Hawk Project - NESTS!
The Broad-winged Hawks are settling in on their breeding territories and just this last week we found the first confirmed active nests of the season! We will continue to monitor the nests to see when the eggs hatch and then go back when the nestlings are old enough to band the adults and deploy transmitters. We are so excited to learn more about their nesting habitats and migration patterns to inform conservation actions for this species.
Would you like to help with this project? We are accepting community science observations of stick nests or Broad-winged Hawk visual or auditory detections. You can either submit your sightings using THIS SURVEY or email your observations to research@hawkridge.org.
To learn more about the goals of the project click HERE. To support the project through donating any amount or sponsoring a transmitter click HERE. To help support the efforts of this project, we launched a shirt fundraiser with a beautiful design created by local avian researcher and UMD graduate student, Abby Odegard. Get your awesome shirt today (short-sleeve, long-sleeve, and sweatshirts available!) in support of Broad-winged Hawk research and conservation click HERE.
Thank you to Hawk Migration Association, Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, and all of our personal donors for supporting this work!
American Kestrel Nestbox Monitoring Update
The kestrels are back and they are hard at work! We completed our first round of monitoring at the beginning of May and already 48 out of the 79 boxes are occupied by American Kestrels. Right now these birds are sitting on eggs, but by the beginning of June the eggs will hatch and we will have white, fluffy nestlings in the boxes. We hope it is another successful year for the kestrels! More updates to come!
Welcome our Avian Field Tech, Taylor!
Taylor Peltier has joined the team for the summer to assist with the Central Flyway Broad-winged Hawk Project and American Kestrel Nestbox Monitoring Project. She comes to us most recently from New York where she graduated from SUNY ESF with two degrees: a B.S. in Wildlife Science and an A.A.S. in Environmental and Natural Resource Conservation. This is her 7th season of field work! In her free time you can find her doing all sorts of hobbies like knitting and rock climbing. We are so excited to have Taylor here and she has already done amazing work! If you see her around, say hi!
OTHER NEWS
Seasonal Hosts Needed for Hawk Ridge Staff
We are currently seeking hosts for Hawk Ridge staff (primarily 8/26-11/1, but a few starting mid-Aug to mid-Nov). Hawk Ridge has amazing seasonal staff, trainees, and apprentices conducting the important bird research and education programs. Many of our staff are traveling from out of state to work for or train with Hawk Ridge for 2-3 months coinciding with the magnificent bird migration. We depend on wonderful hosts to provide lodging for our seasonal staff during that time. We are so grateful to all that have helped host through the years - thank you! We've also seen many special connections built between the host family and staff. If you have a spare room, rental space, or even full house that you'd consider for hosting, please contact Janelle Long, jlong@hawkridge.org or call 218-428-6209.
In Memory Of Loren Albin
Thank you to all that contributed in memory of Loren Albin who passed away in February. Loren was a long-time Hawk Ridge passerine banding volunteer, visitor, and member. We are grateful for his contributions to Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and he will be dearly missed. We truly appreciate the memorials given to honor Loren - thank you.
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 help us keep sharing the magic of the bird migration!
Ulvang Memorial Fund for Count and Banding Research
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is happy to announce the Ulvang Memorial Fund to help support count and banding research at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve. The Ulvang Memorial Fund is named for two boys who were inspired by the original Duluth hawk count. Bill and Bob were affected by the kindness, encouragement and enthusiasm of teachers and mentors who taught them about birds in general and hawks in particular. The story begins about 75 years ago in the very early years of the hawk count at what would later be formed as Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, which you can read more about by clicking HERE.
Please consider donating to the Ulvang Memorial Fund. Your gift will help continue the important long-term monitoring efforts at Hawk Ridge that contribute to bird conservation research and continue to inspire others about birds for generations now and in the future! DONATE HERE TODAY!
Education Scholarship Funding Needed!
Contribute to the Hawk Ridge Education Scholarship Fund today! Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory offers environmental education program opportunities for schools Pre-K through college from all across the region. We have continued to keep our program costs low and affordable for schools to have the amazing opportunity to experience and learn about both spring and fall migration through educational programming.
Each year the need for assistance with programming fees continues to grow with an average of 65% of schools visiting requesting scholarship assistance. The Hawk Ridge Education Scholarship Fund allows us to provide these types of scholarships to schools. In the past 5 years, Hawk Ridge has awarded nearly $8,000 dollars in scholarship funds! Help us help students and schools come to experience Hawk Ridge! We are hoping to raise at least $2,000 in 2026 to award scholarships. To make a donation to the Education Scholarship Fund, please click HERE. We truly appreciate your support!
Support Hawk Ridge by Shopping!
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 appreciated gift of support! Hope to connect with you soon - feel free to reach out by email at jlong@hawkridge.org with any questions.
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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