Mid May

Saturday is Birdfest! Checkout; http://www.copperharborbirding.org/bird-fest/ to see the full slate of activities (pro tip, there’s an all you can eat pancake breakfast for $8.50!)

The north winds finally broke last week giving the first two day stretch of south winds in seemingly forever, along with the south winds came the biggest flight of the season on the 10th!

All told 1,870 raptors flew east past Brockway that day, with a peak hour of 642! Highlights included 1364 Broad-winged, 236 Sharp-shinned, 134 Red-tailed, 59 Turkey Vultures, 34 Bald Eagles, 11 Rough-legged Hawks (likely the last push of the spring), 1 Northern Goshawk, and 1 Swainson’s Hawk (adult intermediate type).

Since then things have slowed with the last six days only having totals in the double to low triple digit totals.

Off the mountain migration has been slowly picking up with warblers along with other expected spring migrants finally starting to increase. Notables since the last post include Cape May Warbler, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Brewer’s Blackbird, Evening Grosbeak, Western & Eastern Meadowlark, and a House Sparrow (so far the best bird of the spring, and one of only a handful of records for Keweenaw Co. in the last decade)!