Tens of thousands of raptors pass over Lake Superior in the fall, and Hawk Ridge in Duluth is the best place to watch. During migration in September and October, the birds do not cross Lake Superior but rather travel along the bluffs at the southern end of the lake, soaring high when their flight then becomes effortless by rising columns of warm, rising air: the thermal effect. To read more of the history of Hawk Ridge, click here.
The collage records some of the activities that takes place on week-ends during the birds' migration when people from all over the country (and some birders from outside the United States) come to watch and photograph the soaring birds. Experts are available to instruct the onlookers, birders record their life lists, and photographers have a field day. Earlier some of the hawks are netted, banded, and then offered for "adoption." Those who adopt a bird for a small fee are then given the privilege of releasing the raptor, giving back its freedom.
