DULUTH, Minn. _ Janelle Long was walking up to the bird counting platform at Hawk Ridge when a sharp-shinned hawk fluttered by, alternately flapping then soaring, maybe looking for a little songbird to munch on.
While many hawks prefer a tail wind on their migration south, the sharp-shins don't seem to care as much, and this one was flying through the teeth of a cold, easterly blow off Lake Superior.
"For a lot of the raptors that soar, westerly or even northerly winds are definitely the best days for sheer numbers of birds here," said Long, the only full-time executive director Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory has ever had. "But for some species, you can actually get birds down closer on days with an east wind or even south wind. ... Unless it's pouring rain or super foggy, there's always something flying here this time of year."
Even on this "slow" day for migration, some 109 sharp shins flew over here, as did 26 bald eagles (and 171 blue jays; every bird gets counted). Already thousands of birds have been counted this fall with tens of thousands more coming over the next few weeks. Some 76,000 raptors fly over this spot each autumn, on average, along with thousands of other birds _ waterfowl, songbirds, crows, owls and more _ many of them skirting above Duluth's hills as they avoid flying over Lake Superior.
And that's why Hawk Ridge has become one of the premier birding spots in North America. While still a best-kept secret from many Northlanders, Hawk Ridge is a destination for birders worldwide, with visitors from places such as Ghana, Norway and Japan as well as nearly every state in the U.S.
Annual visitors to Hawk Ridge _ the biggest rush over a few weeks each autumn _ are estimated at over 18,000 people now, up from about 7,000 when Long first took her post in 2007. There's a seasonal staff now of more than 20 people, including bird counters and bird banders, public outreach and education staff. The budget has topped $200,000 annually. And for the first time, this year Hawk Ridge Nature Area received some of Duluth's city tourism sales tax revenue, $20,000, a testament to how many people it draws into town.
"Our survey cards show that 80, even 85% of our visitors are from outside the area," Long said. "And the majority of those people are coming here primarily to see birds. That's a pretty big deal for us and for the city. This is a destination."
Hawk Ridge also is expanding its spring programs, moving raptor watching west to Enger Tower and Thomson Hill in Duluth, where this spring they counted an all-time North American record for bald eagle migration.
When they aren't on the hills, Hawk Ridge staff currently has an office in the old Limnology Lab off London Road along the Lester River. And they have access to the Lester-Amity Ski Chalet for use as a rainy day classroom. But Long's long-term goal is still to have a permanent, physical presence for Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory.
On site, a covered picnic/classroom pavilion would be nice on the ridge.
"We'll have school groups now just about every day through October. ... Actually, we have some booked into November, now, too," said Margie Menzies, Hake Ridge education director, now in her ninth year at the ridge. "We are getting school groups from all over the area. And when they come from two hours away, we have to have some place for them to go even if it's rainy or foggy."
Hawk Ridge supporters also are looking beyond the hilltop and a simple shelter, however. They still have an interpretive center in their dreams.
"It would be nice to have something permanent and close. Whether or not it's appropriate for something right here, probably not. This is a nature area, after all. But somewhere close would be great," Long said. "Some place where we would have classroom space and a gathering place for staff and a permanent" concession store for T-shirts, bumper stickers and books.
