Hawk watches might seem a bit strange especially to novices. A group of birders perch on a rocky outcrop staring out into the sky and clouds, seemingly at nothing and sometimes at unidentified specks.
Raptors (hawk, falcons and accipiters) migrate over several weeks in the fall, but the Broad-winged Hawk movement is restricted to a short period in mid-September. However, pinpointing the exact moments raptors will pass over a hawk watch site is an inexact science. So it went with RCAS’s annual visit to Mt. Philo State Park on September 14.
the view from Mt. PhiloFortunately, the breaks in the action, and there were many, were filled with the camaraderie of birders. There was much joking, laughing and the more serious business of sharing birding knowledge and experiences. With the backdrop of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks, the morning went quickly.
One of the early highlights was an immature Broad-winged Hawk sailing beneath the outcrop, its markings clearly visible to even the inexperienced. Bald Eagles caught the attention of non-birding picnickers. In all eight raptor species were identified (Osprey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk).
a kettle of hawkJust before we departed a kettle of broad-wings came from behind Mt. Philo and into our line of vision. A kettle is a group of migrating raptors taking advantage of thermal updrafts to gain altitude and then ‘peeling off’ and moving on, an energy saving measure.
As always there are other things to see in the Champlain Valley. Earlier reports of shorebirds on Lake Road in Charlotte drew us there after leaving Mt. Philo. Although few birds were left, we did manage to scope an American Golden-plover, a Baird’s Sandpiper and two Pectoral Sandpipers along with several Killdeer. A late stop at the Brilyea Access at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area gave us a hint at the next group of migrants to pass through - waterfowl. There we saw Green-winged Teal, a couple Blue-winged Teal and, overhead, a skein of Canada Geese.