wow- Caleb Putnam & I covered the count for Max today, and it was not pretty. Well it’s always pretty on Brockway, but it sure wasn’t very pleasant! After a short delay to the start of the count due to rain, we got about one hour of a flight in the form of 15+ birds of 6 species before the driving snow/sleet took the day over. The winds were pretty nasty off the Big Lake as well and it took a bit of effort just to open the shack door. Pretty wild was watching a COMMON LOON (1 of 2 for the day) trying to cut through the Medora Gap, buffeted by winds and nearly crash into the forests below Brockway!
Raptor-wise we had a few TURKEY VULTURES and BALD EAGLES, a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS hiding below the ridge line and singles each of SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK and MERLIN. It was a bit of a conundrum on which count form to record birds on as many were pointed westward, but blown east backwards out towards the tip of the Keweenaw!
IBA coordinator (and southlander) Caleb Putnam bundled up on Brockway
Down in town, the first of season WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS have reached Copper Harbor, and a couple of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were foraging low.
~Skye
