Josh Haas, MYBN meet-up guide, originally published this blog on his Hawks on the Wing website. You can read more from Josh and Hawks on the Wing at hawksonthewing.com/blog. Thank you, Josh, for being such a positive role model to many young birders and making this blog available to Michigan Audubon supporters!
Young birders working on their Junior Hawkwatcher Guide. Photo by Josh Haas
I’m stoked to be partnering with Michigan Audubon this year; leading four meet-ups with a focus on young birders. The goal is simple: Get young birders and their families outside together to see that other like-minded young friends are out there with similar interests. These meet-ups are a part of Michigan Audubon’s Michigan Young Birders Network. The Michigan Young Birders Network is a program of Michigan Audubon that aims to connect young birders, ages 13–18, offering a space for them to share their enthusiasm for the avian world.
Our recent September meet-up focused on raptor migration along the shores of Lake Erie. We focused our time at the Detroit River Hawkwatch, a popular migration site known for diversity and large numbers of Broad-winged Hawks in September. Anyone who knows how raptor migration works knows good flights are difficult to predict. Weather, winds and species timing make all the difference and when planning a meet-up months in advance, we can’t possibly know what will happen the day of. However, in mid-September, the likelihood of Broad-winged Hawk numbers is good so we targeted this species as the main draw to young birders and their families.
Detroit River Hawkwatch. Photo by Josh Haas
Five young birders met on a beautiful mid-September day with warm temperatures on predicted Northeast winds for at least the first part of the day. Northeast winds are an excellent direction for the Detroit River Hawkwatch. While the watch site is at a single point of land, winds can push flights of birds North or South making the birds very distant to see. A North component to the overall wind is a great start for Fall migration. Adding some East in can put birds much closer to the watch site.
Broad-winged Hawk. Photo by Josh Haas
American Kestrel. Photo by Josh Haas
Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Josh Haas
Broad-winged Hawks. Photo by Josh Haas
As luck would have it, the 10:30–11:30 hour brought over 10,000 Broad-winged Hawks directly in-front, overhead and behind the site, providing spectacular views for our entire group. In addition, Sharp-shinned Hawks were on the move and we even tallied a handful of American Kestrels, which was particularly exciting for one of our young birders.
In addition to stellar hawk-watching, we gave the birders a new Junior Hawkwatcher Guide we recently updated with the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA). The young birders loved the raptor migration-related activities and seeing them diligently working through the guide was especially gratifying. For more information on HMANA’s junior hawkwatcher program and to get a FREE Junior Hawkwatcher Guide, click HERE.
All in all, it was another successful meet-up. Our last and final meet-up for this year will be November 4 at the Muskegon Wastewater property where we’ll experience large rafts of Ducks and a good possibility for migrant Golden Eagles. We would love to have your family join us for this meet-up. These meet-ups are welcome to all and an informal way of birding and enjoying time with like-minded friends. A young birder aged 13–18 is required in your party.
Pre-registration is required to attend the November 4 meet-up and a free parking permit needs to be acquired from Muskegon Wastewater prior to arrival. To learn more, click here.
Josh first developed a love for raptors working with the Bird of Prey program at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Perplexed by seeing specks at a distance with an overwhelming itch to know what they were, he started learning from veteran hawkwatchers along Lake Erie and was immediately hooked. He spent six fall seasons working with the Detroit River Hawkwatch as a relief counter where he honed his skills and developed a love for teaching visitors unique ways of telling the shadowy specs apart. Josh has an extensive background in nature photography, with a passion and focus in birds. His love for birds spawned an awesome roller coaster ride in photography and to this day, he continues to love the combination of both hobbies.