hawk ridge bird observatory

If your travels take you to Duluth, MN be sure to stop by and visit the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, especially during the fall months when they're actively banding raptors. Frank Nicoletti and his staff are experts on raptor identification and will be happy to answer your questions. This is a great spot to watch migrating Hawks, and a wonderful place to bring budding young naturalists and kids in general.

Great place to view and see raptors, in mid to late September during the migration. Also great views of the eastern hillside of the city. Take in some of the great hikes and keep going along the Seven Bridges Road (the city closes these roads for half the year, so drive them while you can!)

A friend of mine and I scheduled a 4-hour hiking tour with Day Tripper of Duluth to explore all the hiking trails, and rent binoculars to see the birds - SO worth it!

We accidentally found this road and took a ton of pics. Awesome views of the city and lake. Walking paths up and around Hawks Ridge. We didn't see any hawks but they had an event going on when we drove by. Lots of spectators.

Wow! That's about all I can say about our families' adventure to Hawk Ridge. I had been up there years ago and remembered it being pretty and a good hiking spot, but this experience we had was so much more than I could have thought! The fall colors and perfect views of Lake Superior and the Northern MN views are enough along to make the trip, but the real gem was the experience with the bird counters and watchers. There are lots of volunteers there to outfit you with binoculars and tell you what you're looking for. People gather and spotters tell you where to look and what types of birds are coming your way. We probably saw more than 100 hawks, eagles and other birds of prey in just about 30 minutes. Then we went hiking through the very well color coded woods, seeing just a beautiful variety of colors, forest areas etc. It was just a perfect day. All this and it's free! Highly recommend!

We stopped on a Sunday and they had netted, banded and released a shark-shinned hawk. Very informative people that take pride in what they are doing with the counting of the birds. They were having a talk on how they band the birds but could not stay for that.

We weren't sure what to expect but it was really fabulous! The views were amazing. The volunteers were happy to answer questions and had free binoculars you could borrow. The trails were fun as well. There are rocks to scramble over but it's not difficult hiking. We will definitely go back!

The view of the Lake (Superior) and fall colors made up for the lack of birds. The volunteer "guides" were just leaving the nicely situated viewing platform. There had been a number of birds, especially the named Hawk, during earlier hours. The thermal current conditions they come for were diminishing. Informative displays were available.

We were traveling through Duluth and heard that the Hawk migration was in it's peak this week so we decided to stop. Most unbelievable experience. It was a gorgeous day with temps in the high 60's. The hawks were pretty steady during the morning hours but, tapered off in the afternoon. There were Broad-winged, Sharp-shinned, Peregrines and Kestrels. The highlight was when a Golden Eagle flew over. Spectacular. I will definitely come back next year.

We had a great time here, There winds and weather were just right and hundreds of Broad Winged and Sharp Shinned Hawks were migrating. The volunteers on site were helpful and informative with out being pretentious or overbearing. It was also so cool when they presented one of the banded hawks before it was released and gave a short informative talk on the hawk. We were hereon a weekday morning around 1030 to 1200, it was busy but not overcrowded, still had rocks available to sit on, but could see the advantage of bringing your own chair if possible. binoculars a must, most birds are pretty high up, a spotting scope would be even better. The winds at the site can make things a bit chilly.

Hawk Ridge is a great bird watching location during the months of September and October. The annual migration of birds is something to witness. Although we arrived VERY late in the day we saw our first America Kestrel. The silhouette was unmistakeable, but when it turned slightly, the late afternoon sun caught the feathers and his colors shone brightly. Being so late in the day, this was a fortunate sighting. Go to the Hawk Ridge website for directions, handouts, and great information. Take the advice and arrive EARLY! We were up there after 3:00 pm and saw very few birds. Be sure to bring water, snacks, a camp chair, and your field glasses. There are many birders to help the rookie bird watcher. It is a warm and friendly community of people. Although dogs are permitted, they will fare better at home as it gets crowded, tight, and very busy on top of the bluff. Some birders are not dog lovers.This is a great family activity and there are opportunities for sponsorship of birds with the benefit then of getting in on a banding or release of a bird.

This is a good place to learn and watch migrating birds. They showed us a hawk being held by a handler. I 'adopted' an owl. You get a picture of the animal and information about it. This is more of a 'donation,' but I like it. Beautiful location.

excellent birding venue and folks travel here from around the world.... ...bring binoculars....onsite bird counters helpful...excellent venue

This is on the skyline drive. One fall we were fortunate for them to be having a group their with a nature program.

This is a great place to watch raptors and other birds as they make their migration south. At times there are interpretive guides. The view is worth the drive up there any time of year.