There is a reason why scientists collect long-term wildlife data! The last two years of the Pembina Valley raptor migration count is a perfect illustration of that why. The results show how very different two years can be from each other, both producing unusual results. Since 2005, A Rocha has monitored the spring birds of prey migration in Manitoba’s beautiful Pembina Valley southwest of Winnipeg. Northward migrating raptors take a left turn when they reach the international border between Canada and the United States, taking advantage of the Pembina Valley’s natural riparian corridor. In 2011, over 13,200 birds of prey were counted making the spring count a high for the valley and the province. The majority (82%) of these raptors were Red-tailed Hawks. In 2012, the seasonal raptor count was a mere 4,447, making it the lowest count since 2005. The reason for the high and low count appears to be weather-related. In 2011, wintry conditions in the United States seem to have held most of the birds back until April when a flood of over 12,000 raptors moved through the valley in 14 days. A year later, balmy late winter and early spring weather resulted in snow quickly disappearing from fields in the United States and Canada. Seems the birds were free to find thermals over a broad geographical area and did not have to concentrate over the Pembina Valley for their usual ride on thermals and updrafts over the valley’s forested slope. Hawk-watchers were out in good numbers again this year and the Raptor Awareness Day, held in the community of La Rivière, attracted about 250 people. To help bring about awareness of raptors and aid in their identification, A Rocha, in cooperation with the Pembina Valley Development Corporation, has produced A Pocket Field Guide to Raptors of the Pembina Valley Region. Funding for this booklet was provided by the Manitoba Tourism Secretariat and the Canadian Wildlife Federation. The guide is available at the A Rocha Prairie Canada Field Study Station in Manitoba.