Hello everybody! My name is Gracie, and I am excited to be the spring hawk counter for the Mackinac Island hawk watch! I hail from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I graduated last year from Juniata College with a BS in Wildlife Conservation. I was previously the hawk counter for Bake Oven Knob’s fall 2021 season, and there was where I fell in love with hawk watching. Bird watching was always a hobby of mine, but after spending so much time on the mountain and getting to see all the amazing things that fall migration has to offer, I knew that I wanted to continue being a hawk counter for as long as possible.
In order for you all to get to know me better, here are some bird related fun facts about myself!
- My favorite raptors are the northern harrier, red-shoulder, and black vulture
- I was once kicked in the stomach by a wild turkey
- A sharp-shinned hawk took a swipe at my head, because apparently I looked close enough to the fake owl that we had set up at the hawk watch
It is only the fourth day of the count, and I have already experienced a wide range of weather up there. I’ve been in overcast and brutal cold wind, fog, rain, snow, and now today, beautiful blue sky and full sun. Still cold, but the sun warmed my soul after the past few days. So far, I have seen only bald eagles up at the fort. Not that it is a bad thing (bald eagles are pretty cool), but I am eager to start seeing the diversity of raptors that is yet to come. But until then, I will sit tight, try to figure out how to wear my scarf around my face without having my sunglasses fog up, and patiently wait for warmer weather to come.
I look forward to giving updates on the count and sharing all the fun things happening on the island!
