Time to head south for a few days
Whitefish Point in May can vary from cold to hot and from windy to still, sometimes it rains and sometimes it snows. It’s OK when it rains because it is typically intermittent and migrants, especially waterfowl still moves. But when it snows everything that I want to see stops. Well, last night it snowed, although…
Quiet days at Whitefish Point
The past few days have been less that great for migrants. The winds have been howling from the north-west and west. So, I’ve been catching up on reading and thinking about what I’ve read. I bought this a few years ago, as Terry Pratchett was an author that was recommended to me by a colleague…
What migrating birds will today offer?
This morning facing north (left) and south (right). It’s quite windy out of the WNW, but otherwise has the makings of a beautiful day. Yesterday, on the other hand was spectacular. There were close to 2,000 Sharp-shinned Hawks in the sky as they passed heading north, as well as stopping to hunt. Small birds, like…
Some humor to start the week
Somehow, Arlo and Janis always hit the spot. Poor turtle. Yes! Birds sing happy songs – because hey’re for mating. Susan would love this type of cafeteria. Back to birds tomorrow…
A cool May morning
Yesterday was surprisingly good for migrant hawks at Whitefish Point. There were a lot of Broad-winged Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Both Golden and Bald Eagles were seen in decent numbers. And in the evening we had a good look at a Long-eared Owl flying by as the sun was setting. Sunrise from the upper deck…
May 1st, 2026
Watching the sun rise at six this morning was delightful. It was only 28F but the very little wind, so it was quite comfortable. What will the day bring – who knows? But then, that’s the fun isn’t it? Later this morning a bunch of us will be discussing The Friends of Whitefish Point bird-a-thon…
Rain and fog today
The restoration site likes an overcast and rainy day. Lichens and false dune heather enjoying the rain. The lichens in the trees are lush. We spent some time with Aaron watching waterfowl pass. Not a lot, but still interesting. More later…
Amazing day with raptors
Yesterday one one of those days that started iffy and turned into amazing. All day small numbers of Northern Harriers passed by. Once they started, Sharp-shinned Hawks came through at a rate of 100-200+ per hour. Nice views of Broad-winged Hawks are always nice. However… Large swirling kettles are better. There are over 100 Broad-winged…
Sunshine and fog at Whitefish Point
On the 14th of April I helped move the waterfowl shack from it’s winter home to where the waterfowl are counted. Left to right: Kurt, Lynn, Sean, me, Max, Aaron, Jeb and John. Yes, it took eight of us to move this beast. Today it has started out extremely foggy. I couldn’t see more than…
Nichols Arboretum: April, 2026
We spent part of yesterday morning at Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor. Not many bird migrants but a lot of interesting plants. Trilliums were one of the highlights yesterday. We had three species. Common trillium, prairie trillium and either drooping or nodding trillium. Prairie trillium. These can be found along the trails that border Dow…
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