The coming week or two may offer your best single-day opportunity to see as many as a dozen or more species of diurnal raptors migrating past one of the region’s numerous hawkwatching lookouts. Early October is prime time for observing big birds like this hatch-year Bald Eagle as well as diminutive predators like this brazen little Sharp-shinned Hawk. Lingering Ospreys and the last of the season’s Broad-winged Hawks are now being joined by growing numbers of other buteos including both Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks as well as falcons, harriers, and vultures. To find regional hawk-counting stations and to learn how to identify our local species, visit our “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page.
