Hawk enthusiasts gather in Duluth for festival

Bird enthusiasts armed with cameras and binoculars are pouring into Duluth this weekend from all over the country for the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory's Hawk Festival.

The event is timed to the annual migration of thousands of raptors past the western tip of Lake Superior.

Attendees will be looking broad-wing and sharp-shinned hawks, goshawks, eagles and other raptors on their long journey south from as far away as the Arctic.

"We're within the top five hawk watching places in North America," said Hawk Ridge Education Director Gail Johnejack. "Sometimes they're way up in the sky, sometimes hard to see, and sometimes they're practically right over your head. And that is exciting."

Johnejack says hawks fly along the ridgeline just inland from Lake Superior, where they catch warm air currents called "thermals" coming up off the rocks.

The migration typically runs from mid August through November.