Keweenaw Raptor Survey

A remarkable transformation has occurred: the barren, earthy browns and greys of the landscape surrounding Brockway Mountain has become an ocean of green that touches the dividing lakeline of Superior.  Even more remarkable is how swiftly those subtle tree buds became a profusion of foliage in only a matter of days, turning on its head that old joke about the boredom of watching grass grow.  Yes, Spring is anything but boring!  The planet’s life force at this time of year is apparent to even the most hardened indoor denizens, who would be successful in ignoring the ebb and flow of avian migration other times of the year.  But it’s hard to slight the uplifting changes to that “uncivilized” world that hugs the more tamed landscapes we dwell in, especially after growing accustomed to a melancholy stillness.  I think it is a welcome change, even if you love winter like I do.

Early morning temperatures still routinely hover a few degrees above the freezing point, although early afternoon temperatures now regularly climb into the 60s (and even the 70s).  To experience a temperature swing on the mountain of 30+ degrees in an eight hour period is still a small shock to my system, and I now find myself unsure of just how warmly I should dress for the day.  This should get easier as we close in on the Summer Solstice.  (Or not?)

Hawk flights remain strong, and new songbird species seem to arrive with each passing front.  The contrast from the first weeks of the count in March/April is simply stunning, and with Spring coming so late to the Mouth of the Wolf, I feel I’m no longer in any position to predict how much longer we can expect good flights from atop Brockway.  Even suboptimal winds seem to bring enough raptors to stave off empty binocular scans and navel gazing. (And this is definitely A Good Thing, as Martha Stewart used to say.)  And I now regularly park myself behind one of the stone barriers near West Bluff for a few minutes at a time to listen for songbirds in the valley between Brockway & Rocky Ridge, which functions as much as an acoustic amplifier for faint sounds as it serves as a wind block for the vibrant life taking shelter in the trees below.

In any case, the migration’s still got juice in it.  Hopefully you do, too!  More soon . . .

Pausing for Thought Atop Brockway,
Arthur

The results lately are dramatic.

If there was any doubt this season about Brockway’s importance as a springtime watchsite, May 5 should help put it to pasture: 2500 birds, 13 species of raptors.  Yes, that’s a single day’s count!  What’s even more surprising is that the full week to follow maintained a break-neck pace, with southerly winds ushering a steady stream of migrants into the tip of the Keweenaw.  I’ll allow Skye Haas the opportunity to personally report on that “big day”, but it’s worth noting that the week of May 5 thru May 11 accounts for almost 71% of the season’s total of 7584 birds till this point (with another month still to go!), which is amazing when you consider the count season began March 15.  Of course, Broad-winged Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk pad our totals this time of year, and even compared to these birds which move as if rushing to pack into a Tokyo subway car (those of you who’ve been to Japan will know what I’m talking about!), our less numerous migrants (e.g., Rough-legged Hawk) are every bit as important to our study of Keweenaw migration.  It is for this reason we begin the count as early as we do, although (admittedly) we were a little surprised at how slowly the season began.  And it’s easy to begin thinking the birds didn’t start moving en masse until the beginning of May; seasonal variation is reason enough for why it is difficult to anticipate when the bulk of a season’s migration will take place at any given locale.  But the variation each year is also why studying hawk migrations never becomes boring.  We hope you agree!

In any case, I wanted you, Dear Reader, to know that things have been just ducky, and that you have not been forgotten!  Thank you, as always, for your support, and I hope to see you soon on the mountain!  The weather is just fine, and the birds, as always, are magnificent!

Developing a binocular callous on Brockway,
Arthur