The migration is well underway....

We held our "training" for migration surveys this morning in Duluth and were overwhelmed by thousands of passerines moving down the shore. A record 10,000+ Cedar Waxwings were accompanied by Grackles, Blackbirds, Swallows, Blue Jays, Robins, Kingbirds, and Warblers. It was a great start to the season and we begin our shoreline surveys tomorrow (8/30/10). One of our researchers will be counting at the Knife River Wayside just up the shore from Duluth. On Tuesday (8/31/10) a researcher will be counting from Wolf Rock on the Superior Hiking Trail access in Castle Danger (NE of Two Harbors).

Check back for count updates and observer locations.

Migration Countdown

The North Shore bird migration will soon be underway. We are gearing up to begin surveys in September. If you are planning to visit the North Shore this fall and want to experience the North Shore bird migration, please join us during our surveys! Here is a list of the best survey sites to visit (nearest town, actual location):

1.Duluth, Knife River Wayside
2.Two Harbors, Wolf Rock on the Superior Hiking Trail
3.Silver Bay, Lax Lake Overlook Tettegouche State Park
4.Tofte, Tofte Peak Temperance State Park
5.Grand Marais, Pincushion Mountain on the Superior Hiking Trail and Pincushion ski trails

We rotate through our survey locations so if you want to join us, please check back for a schedule or email me with your contact information and location of interest. All locations are public so even if we are not present, you will be able to see the migration from these areas on your own. My suggestion is to arrive at sunrise to catch both the morning passerine flight as well as the midmorning raptor flight.

See you soon!

New Duluth ordinance on towers recognizes the birds

The City of Duluth, MN has a new city ordinance addressing the development of communication towers thanks to the efforts of a group of concerned Duluthians who recognized the importance of this flyway.

This ordinance reads:
"(M) No tower constructed after [insert effective
date of ordinance] including allowing for all attachments, shall
exceed seventy-five (75’) feet in height within the Migratory Bird
Flight Path;"

and defines a flight path:

"(L) “Migratory bird flight path” means, the zone
of jurisdictional land located from the Lake Superior and Saint
Louis River shorelines to no less than two miles inland or where
Skyline Parkway runs parallel to the shoreline, an area from the
shoreline to Skyline Parkway or two miles inland, whichever is
greater;"

As far as I know, the inclusion of migratory birds in the siting and development of communication towers is unprecedented. Congratulations Duluthians and thank you!

Here is a draft of the new ordinance, the tower portion starts on page 18: http://www.duluthmn.gov/clerk/council/resord10/10-026-O.pdf

Welcome

The North Shore Migration Phenomenon is one of the largest bird migration events in the Nation. Researchers from Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth MN and the Natural Resources Research Institute, University of MN Duluth are studying this natural phenomenon along the North Shore of Lake Superior (Duluth to Grand Portage, MN). This website is your link to the researcher's whereabouts and data collection throughout the migration season, August through mid-November. For more information about this project, please visit the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory website (www.hawkridge.org/research/nsm.html).

This site is under construction.