St. Patrick's Day, March 17, brought about another stiff wind. This time, from the west, after a night of WSW wind. By mid morning, hints of a northwesterly flow was already starting, and unfortunately it looks like we'll be dealing with this north wind for the next weekend, meaning no significant longshore flights will occur. But, … Continue reading A Lucky Count
Today, March 30, 2014 was the day we were waiting all month for! Ken Brock, in his IN-Bird list-serv post said it best, "It was the kind of day one would like to bottle up and uncork next winter when the weather is dark and dismal." The day would end with the single best count … Continue reading The Lion’s Lamb!
Today's longshore flight occurred again under miserable conditions. Dense cloud banks cold winds, and chilling drizzle and rain was a staple of the day again. It was near impossible to believe that this was going on with south winds. No major flight happened in today's mess, but another 2,748 birds were added to the season's total nonetheless. Two new birds … Continue reading A Sparrow Kind of Day
Today, Tuesday, April 9 had yet again another significant migration witnessed over the Indiana Dunes. It was a special day in that we surpassed our grand total from 2012, with an incredible amount of migration still to go. It is amazing how weather patterns play havoc with migration and alter what we see in any … Continue reading The One That Got Away
This morning's longshore flight was delayed for a little while as some strong rain bands moved through the dunes area. By 8am, the rain bands were starting to break up and was finally out of the area by 9am. Even thought it hampered early migration, the rain was desperately needed in the area and was … Continue reading A Small Parliament of Owls
Wednesday, March 28 brought another light morning in migration. The southerly winds throughout the night shifted to west at dawn. A west wind from the high dune top travels over a small sliver of Lake Michigan before chilling the counters. It also helps create small waves on the beach. Today's flight consisted of 1,428 individual … Continue reading A Little of This and That
The old Green Tower site at Indiana Dunes State Park allows birders to stand in the middle of the road. While looking down, you won't see a pair of yellow stripes, but if you look up at dawn you'll realize you're smack dab in the middle of a migration super-highway. The word migration comes from … Continue reading The Descent
Indiana Dunes Migration Birding 