Wednesday we had the highest total number for the spring with 497 Raptors counted. The winds were light early, out of the NE, which allowed migration. We started at the Recreation Center and after 2 hours with the winds increasing moved to Darrow’s. A good numbers of raptors were seen till the winds increased and switched to the east and then the southeast by 3pm which pretty much shut down the migration. Turkey Vultures made their first appearance and Golden Eagles graced us with their presence again. We also saw a leucistic Red-tail which looked similar to one seen in a past year with a lot of white feathers and the wings looking striped because of the white and dark primaries and secondaries mixed on the wings.
Red-tail 418, Rough-legged 6 light, 3 dark morph; Red-shouldered 7, Turkey Vulture 32, Bald Eagle 15, Golden Eagle 14, Am. Kestrel 2, and 18 Sandhill Cranes in 2 groups.
Looks like bad weather for a day or 2 and then Sat. looks promising.
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Dedicated to the research and conservation of raptors in the Straits of Mackinac.
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P.O. Box 465
Petoskey, Michigan 49770