Read
The book you need to get your hands on this month.
Hawk Ridge: Minnesota’s Birds of Prey by Laura Erickson, illustrations by Betsy Bowen (University of Minnesota Press, 2012).
You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but Hawk Ridge: Minnesota’s Birds of Prey is an exception to that rule. Written by celebrated Duluth bird expert Laura Erickson, the book boasts a gorgeous cover—and illustrations throughout—by Grand Marais printmaker and painter Betsy Bowen. Erickson’s informative text more than holds its own in this valuable primer about hawk migrations over Minnesota.
The book examines 20 species of raptors—vultures, ospreys, eagles, harriers and kites, accipiters, buteos, and falcons—and describes feeding, mating and nesting habits for the “kettles” of hawks that migrate south between August and November along the shores of Lake Superior. Erickson provides a history of hawk watching, details on how birds are counted and banded, and migration and sighting recommendations for each species.
Raptors, coming from as far north as the Arctic and heading to winter destinations as far south as South America, catch thermals and updrafts as they migrate. And the overlook at Hawk Ridge, located on Skyline Parkway in east Duluth, provides an unparalleled vantage point for viewing them in flight. An estimated 20,000 people trek there each year to view a migration “the size of which has never been documented away from the coasts,” according to Erickson.
Fall is an excellent time to view the spectacle from the heights of Hawk Ridge (though spring migrations as raptors head north are also observed here), and according to tallies kept by volunteer bird counters, some 82,000 raptors pass over the nature reserve annually.
Bowen’s bird paintings and ink drawings give the book an album-like feel, making it a keepsake for both the amateur birder and expert alike. It offers more than enough motivation for readers to grab their binoculars and head to Hawk Ridge. —Phyllis Alsdurf
A long-time Minnetonka resident, Phyllis Alsdurf is a journalism professor at Bethel University in St. Paul. She is the author of the children’s book It’s Milking Time (Random House, 2012).
Hawk Ridge: Minnesota’s Birds of Prey by Laura Erickson, illustrations by Betsy Bowen (University of Minnesota Press, 2012).
You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but Hawk Ridge: Minnesota’s Birds of Prey is an exception to that rule. Written by celebrated Duluth bird expert Laura Erickson, the book boasts a gorgeous cover—and illustrations throughout—by Grand Marais printmaker and painter Betsy Bowen. Erickson’s informative text more than holds its own in this valuable primer about hawk migrations over Minnesota.
The book examines 20 species of raptors—vultures, ospreys, eagles, harriers and kites, accipiters, buteos, and falcons—and describes feeding, mating and nesting habits for the “kettles” of hawks that migrate south between August and November along the shores of Lake Superior. Erickson provides a history of hawk watching, details on how birds are counted and banded, and migration and sighting recommendations for each species.
Raptors, coming from as far north as the Arctic and heading to winter destinations as far south as South America, catch thermals and updrafts as they migrate. And the overlook at Hawk Ridge, located on Skyline Parkway in east Duluth, provides an unparalleled vantage point for viewing them in flight. An estimated 20,000 people trek there each year to view a migration “the size of which has never been documented away from the coasts,” according to Erickson.
Fall is an excellent time to view the spectacle from the heights of Hawk Ridge (though spring migrations as raptors head north are also observed here), and according to tallies kept by volunteer bird counters, some 82,000 raptors pass over the nature reserve annually.
Bowen’s bird paintings and ink drawings give the book an album-like feel, making it a keepsake for both the amateur birder and expert alike. It offers more than enough motivation for readers to grab their binoculars and head to Hawk Ridge.
A long-time Minnetonka resident, Phyllis Alsdurf is a journalism professor at Bethel University in St. Paul. She is the author of the children’s book It’s Milking Time (Random House, 2012).
