Earlier this week I hiked about a mile up Hawk Mountain in Eastern Pennsylvania to the north lookout, where I spent the day in awe of the annual raptor migration. Incredibly, an average of 19,000 birds of prey migrate past this refuge each autumn on their way to southern wintering grounds. Hawk Mountain is perched on a notch in the Kittatinny Ridge (part of the Appalachian flyway). Hawks and other migrating raptors follow the ridge, taking advantage of natural updrafts that let them flap less and glide and soar more, which makes this a prime site for scouting.

I've been going here since I was a kid and it never disappoints. What's most incredible is the sheer number and variety of flyers: you even see migrating monarch butterflies. A typical day goes like this: long lull, followed by a burst of birds soaring by. Once, a bald eagle zoomed overhead and the crowd got to their feet and cheered! 

Over the course of three hours we saw dozens of birds do a flyover: five species of hawk, two species of falcon, two types of vultures, and about a dozen ospreys--I've never seen that many at once before. The total count for the day was 222 raptors (including two bald eagles). But that’s not all: The official bird counters also noted 243 blue jays fly past and 66 American goldfinches. On August 26th this year they tallied 36 bald eagles, the second highest one-day count in Hawk Mountain history. (The birders that day must have gone crazy.) 
 

 

A broad-winged hawk 

 

 ...and a black vulture

 


The migration continues in full force for October and into November. Check out Hawk Count  for good raptor watching spots near you.
 
BONUS! While we are on the subject of birds of prey: check out this awesome video taken from a tiny camera strapped to the back of a peregrine falcon, the worlds fastest bird.
 
 
[Images Brian Fiske; Video by BBC via youtube]

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