I went north again this weekend, this time to Copper Harbor to work on a story about the Keweenaw Raptor Survey and Copper Harbor Birding Festival.
The KRS is a three-year study of the migrating raptors that whiz by Brockway Mountain overlook just outside the little town of Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Current data is showing that while the numbers of migrating birds is less than Duluth to the West and Whitefish Point to the East, it's still a respectable number (2,500 hawks on one day recently) and important flyway.
Brockway definitely wins when it comes to the cool factor though. Hawks, eagles and falcons cruise by at eye level and are identifiable with the naked eye. Sometimes an over enthusiastic sharp-shinned hawk will nearly collide with observers as it pops over the ridge on a thermal updraft. It's an amazing place and a great place to start learning your raptors.
No comments:
Post a Comment