More roughlegs and sharpies

Readers of this blog may have thought that yesterday's entry was written by Nostradamus himself, for it contained so many predictions for today. Some of those came true, some didn't.

We did get more Rough-legged Hawks than yesterday, for a total of 38. A normal figure for this time of year. We did not get more hawks overall, compared to yesterday. That probably had to do with the fact that SE winds were measured only on Whitefish Point today. The rest of the Upper Peninsula had east winds, and as local birder wisdom has it, "east is least" for spring migrants.

The three Golden Eagles were not seen again, and after yesterday's 26 Bald Eagles, it seems odd that today had only one. Something was apparently holding eagles down.

The total count for today was 182, with Sharp-shinned Hawk as most numerous species. I saw as many sharpies today as I've seen all season right up 'till yesterday. Obviously there are a lot more to come, and this is only the beginning.

Despite fairly low winds, most birds were not all that high today. Towards the end of the day, several low-flying Red-tailed Hawks set down in nearby Jack Pines, including the one pictured above in the pine right next to the platform!