What a Lot of Raptors!

Michigan U.P. Raptor Migration May 2025

One week and about 15,000 photos!  Thousands of most interesting and beautiful birds were observed passing by Whitefish Point and Brockway Mountain in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula!

May is Spring migration for raptors on their way north to Canada and Arctic climes.  Included here are 21 varieties captured of those fascinating creatures, culled from the results of 7 days of shooting.

Today (5/17) is a day off, ostensibly to work on this blog, but also avoiding the cold, north winds that developed up on the mountain.  The best shooting occurs with winds from SSE to SSW, when the birds fly east, pretty many straight at the photographer.  Until now, it has been quite warm with temperatures in the low to mid-80s, keeping the raptors active.

Bird counts are up.  For the last 7 days at Whitefish Point the total count was about 6,500 birds!  Brockway counted 3,200!  Photography there is helped by the birds frequently flying at eye-level, and many shots can be made down at birds flying through the valley as they pass by; a great advantage to shooting from the observation cliff at Brockway Mountain.

For those interested in more complete information, bird counts are recorded at up to 20 different locations when migratory birds are active:

https://hawkcount.org/

And, now on to the birds.  What follows are 96 photos of 21 different types of birds, mostly raptors.  A few smaller birds are thrown in for interest, too.  Each type of bird will be separated out with brief explanations followed by one or more supporting photos.

Piping Plover  (Charadrius melodus)

Starting with the cute little shorebird that can be hard to find among its habitat.  In breeding season (now), its beak is orange with a black tip and it has a black collar and mark above its head. They are named from their banding, the 3 birds below being Violet, Bill Bob, and Hotshot. One of the shots below shows Violet and Bill Bob “engaged.”

Sharp-shinned Hawk  (Accipiter striatus)

"Sharpies" as we call them, are a small hawk from the genus Accipiter.  Observed as a very active flyer with short wings, long legs and a long tail, it maneuvers rapidly around trees in forests to prey on songbirds and mice.

Common Loon  (Gavia immer)

A beautiful waterbird with a haunting call, it dives and swims in lakes and reservoirs to catch fish which it consumes under water.  They aren’t walkers though, and come ashore only to nest.

Red-tailed Hawk  (Buteo jamaicensis)

From the genus Buteo, probably the most common hawk in North America, it feeds on mammals.  They can be seen frequently aloft, circling to gain altitude over fields where they catch their prey.

American Kestrel  (Falco sparverius)

The cutest and most colorful of the falcons, the Kestrel is the smallest.  It hunts small prey and insects.  Life as a Kestrel can be precarious, though.  It can be prey for larger raptors like Goshawks and Red-tails, Barn Owls, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s and even Crows!

American Bald Eagle  (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

What can we say here?  Everyone knows this galant symbol of native culture and the country politic.  Happily, its numbers have recovered from having nearly been extinct from the use of pesticides before the turn of the century.  Eagles pair for life, which can be quite long, the longest recorded being 38 years.  From fledging, their colors morph from a motley, and sometimes beautiful, brown and white in adolescence, to mature adult colors of distinctive white head and tail after the age of 4 years.  Images below represent various stages of early development as well as adulthood. Note the mature Bald Eagle under attack by a Common Raven. Also, an aerial mating dance the Eagles do where they meet in the sky with one inverted.

Broad-winged Hawk  (Buteo platypterus)

No question, between the Broad-winged and the Sharpies, these were the most seen and photographed on this mission.  Our hawk counter recorded over 600 of them in one hour!  Kettles would form and the birds would come at us almost too frequently to count.  It is a compact hawk with short wings and tail with white stripes.

Killdeer  (Charadrius vociferus)

Yes, it’s a shorebird.  But it can also be found in fields, grass, and even rocky land like Brockway Mountain. I named this one, "Kyle."

Osprey  (Pandion haliaetus)

A most fascinating raptor, often called “Sea Eagle” or “Fish Hawk, the Osprey dines most exclusively on fish.  When fishing, it can “hover” while it discovers it’s prey, then dives head-first, rotating lethal claws out front at the last minute, going completely underwater.  With meal secured, its head comes out of the water, followed by wings, and miraculously returns to flight and lands to enjoy its meal.

Common Raven  (Corvus corax)

These energetic flyers are ubiquitous to nearby human life.  They are perceived as some of the most intelligent and playful birds.  They can be a nuisance too, as witnessed by adult Bald Eagles being attacked trying to fly through the valley (see above Eagle under attack).  This particular one appears as if it had been attacked back by its prey!

Rough-legged Hawk  (Buteo lagopus)

When these hawks migrate in Spring, they are returning to their breeding grounds in the arctic of Canada and Alaska.  They winter in southern Canada and the northern U.S. and rarely venture further south.  It is named for its legs being feathered down to the toe.  It shares this trait with only 2 other birds, the Ferruginous Hawk and Golden Eagle.

Upland Sandpiper  (Bartramia longicauda)

It starts its southward migration in July, spending up to 8 months in South America.  Unusual for a shorebird, its habitat is nowhere near the water, but in fields, grasslands and prairies.

American Goshawk  (Astur atricapillus)

An accipiter, larger relative of the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, which hunts other birds and mammals.  It can be very fierce chasing its prey, often crashing through trees and brush to capture a meal.  Breeding pairs can build a range of nests, occupying only one until feeling the need to move to another.  They are very protective of their nests, and have been known to attack humans who approach to closely.

Chipping Sparrow  (Spizella passerina)

Pretty little sparrows, they can frequently be seen near bird feeders.  Their nests are somewhat flimsy and sometimes placed in odd locations. Unusual to see it up on the mountain.

Golden Eagle  (Aquila chrysaetos)

This is a special photo capture! Rarely seen in the Eastern states, the Golden Eagle population in the U.S. is estimated to be in the mid-100 thousands.  It is most common in the Western U.S.  Worldwide, it is the most widely distributed species of eagle.  It is a strong hunter, feeding on small mammals like rabbits, but sometimes larger prey.  Seeing this one here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was a photographer’s treasure!

Horned Lark  (Eremophila alpestris)

Interesting and attractive songbirds, these Larks forage fields feeding on seeds and insects.  This subject was just walking across the rocky ground nearby.

Loggerhead Shrike  (Lanius ludovicianus)

Another rare find for this area, where the Northern Shrike is more common.  It is a beautiful songbird, which has a more raptor-like behavior.  It feeds on insects, but even other birds.  It can carry its own weight and will impale its prey on thorns or wire in order to consume it.  In further research, its eating habits become even more fascinating!

Northern Harrier  (Circus hudsonius)

These Harriers are most recognizable in their faces, which resemble Owl-like features, though not related.  Their hearing is enhanced to the point when they cruise over marsh and grassland, they hear their prey, which are voles and mice.  They can be recognized by the dihedral in their wings and usually a white patch forward on their long tails.

Peregrine Falcon  (Falco peregrinus)

A fast hunter of medium-size birds, the Peregrine is also known as the fastest creature on the planet.  When catching their prey from a stoop, they have been clocked at 200 miles per hour!  It is found all over the world except Antarctica.  It is one of the most prized birds of falconers for training and hunting.

Merlin  (Falco columbarius)

A small fierce raptor, the Merlin is only slightly larger than the Kestrel.  It preys on small songbirds and shorebirds, and frequently pairs up with a mate for the hunt.  They don’t build nests, but steal other nests like those of Crows or other abandoned raptor nests.

Sandhill Crane  (Antigone canadensis)

Hearing the cry of these cranes will never be forgotten.  It is distinctive, and usually produced by multiple flyers.  The bird’s elegant shape and color attracts attention, and their adorable little chicks can leave the nest at 8 weeks.  They are usually found in very large groups in large, marshy fields, and migrate together in groups of hundreds to thousands.  From Whitefish Point, we saw some groups circle and attempt their journey across Lake Superior to their summer homes.

If you got this far in reading my blog, thank you! I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!

Cheers and Happy Birding!

Steve