Hawk's Ridge - "Watch em"

Hawk's Ridge in Duluth


A few weeks ago when it was the height of the migrating birds crossing Lake Superior heading south, I wanted to write a post about Hawk’s Ridge here in Duluth. I didn’t get it done. In today’s mail we received a full page article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times about our Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve. My sister in law from California sent it to us. The article was titled “Postcard from Minnesota” “A Great Spot to watch ‘em like a hawk”. The article tells about the reserve and about the hawk watching. The article was also a good promotion for the city of Duluth itself, as it tells about the lake, the city parks, recreation opportunities, where to stay, where to eat and other sights to see in the city. The height of the migration has passed, however there are still birds migrating each day through November.

For my out of state readers, we have a nature reserve that sits at the tip of Lake Superior, and every fall raptors arrive, 94,000 in an average season. The ridge is like a super highway for southbound birds coming from Canada, Alaska and the Artic. From August to November, the ridge is one of the most spectacular, colorful sports to view fall raptor migration in North America. Thousands of people each fall come to the reserve to watch the birds pass over. It is becoming more popular each year. Now, besides word of mouth, this article in Los Angeles Times, will probably bring interested people from California too! On my post about the 7 Bridges Road, I posted a photo from Hawk Ridge, it overlooks Eastern neighborhood of Lakeside, and Lake Superior.

There is an interpretive center there, explaining about the birds, the facility is free. One really neat thing about Hawk Ridge is that you have a chance to release a bird through its “Adopt-a-raptor” program. For $100 donation a band with a unique number on it is put on the bird. If the animal is ever recaptured, Hawk Ridge will be notified and then will notify the person who adopted the bird. The donation helps fund the reserve’s educational programs.

For more information log on to this site: www.hawkridge.org/visit/visit.html

For more information on dining, lodging, charter fishing and other outdoor activities in Duluth and around western Lake Superior, call (800) 438-5884, or see www.visitduluth.com