Impressive movement of hawks on south winds.

Hi folks,

Well, we are finally getting some warm weather and south winds here in the Keweenaw and as a result, the last three days have been productive ones over the mountain. We’ve had about 2,800 birds cumulative for those days! Sharp-shins have really kicked into gear and the Broad-wings are starting to push their way up the peninsula as well now. Red-tails continue to put in a good showing each day and most days there are one or two dark-morphs around. I think I even had three on one of those days. For those of you unfamiliar with these variations, the dark-morphs are of the western subspecies of Red-tail and are annual here in small numbers. Bald Eagles continue to migrate in numbers…I was thinking with the late spring, there may be another push of them. Truely impressive are the record number of Golden Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks we are seeing. We are well beyond the previous high for Goldens and are already up to the high count for Rough-legs and I believe as well for Goshawks. So even with the tardiness of the spring, things have a way of catching up.

As far as non-raptors, large groups of Canada Geese are moving now and Sandhill Cranes are coming through in pretty good numbers as well. I did manage to find a couple of Cackling Geese among a group of Canadas on one of those days. I’ve seen both Tree and Barn Swallow recently as well as Great Blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe, Winter Wren, Rusty Blackbird and Palm Warbler. Robins seem to be everywhere now to greet the dawn with their singing and White-throated, Fox and Song Sparrows are adding to that early morning chorus as well.

Calvin