As it turns out, 2024 was a big year for Bald Eagles—being officially named the national bird and all. You may be surprised to learn that the ringing in of a new year brings with it a new age class designation for all non-adult eagles. Sound confusing? No need to worry. We were fortunate enough to get pictures of about half of the Bald Eagles we happened to see in the lower Susquehanna valley earlier today, so we thought it only proper to share with you both the images and an explanation.
An adult Bald Eagle in definitive plumage, a bird probably in at least its sixth year of life and at least five years old. Tomorrow, New Year’s Day 2025, will be the first day of at least its seventh year of life.A hatch-year/juvenile Bald Eagle beginning to show the abundance of white it will possess in the wing linings and on the belly during its second and third years. Under the age classification system we’ve adopted here, non-adult eagles will be advanced to the next in the series of sequential age categories beginning tomorrow, New Year’s Day. This first-year bird, born sometime during 2024, will thereafter be designated as a second-year/Basic I Bald Eagle for the duration of 2025.A second-year/basic I immature Bald Eagle showing lots of white below and a jagged appearance to the trailing edge of the wings. This untidy look is caused by retention of some of the longer juvenile secondaries among flight feathers that were dropped and replaced by shorter ones earlier this year during the bird’s first molt.Another second-year/basic I immature Bald Eagle with numerous juvenile secondaries projecting beyond the rear edge of the wings. Beginning tomorrow, this and other second-year birds, all born sometime during 2023, will be known as third-year/basic II immature Bald Eagles.We’re getting the inquisitive eyeball from this second-year/basic I immature Bald Eagle.A fourth-year/basic III immature Bald Eagle on the eve of becoming a fifth-year/basic IV immature bird. By the end of 2025, this eagle may very well be indiscernible from older adult Bald Eagles in definitive plumage.A fourth-year/basic III immature Bald Eagle and an adult Red-shouldered Hawk doing a New Year’s Eve tango.
That’s a wrap, and that’s it for 2024. Have a Happy New Year! See you in 2025.
Mid-November is our favorite time of year to visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary on Blue Mountain/Kittatinny Ridge just to the east of the lower Susuquehanna valley near Kempton, Pennsylvania. By now, the huge crowds that come to see October’s world-famous raptor flights and spectacular fall foliage have dwindled to small groups of serious hawkwatchers and hardy trail enthusiasts. Join us as we drop in on the Keystone State’s most famous birding destination.
The entrance to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is located at 1700 Hawk Mountain Road off PA Route 895 east of PA Route 61.Start your visit with a stop inside the refuge headquarters building where you’ll find raptor ecology and migration displays, a gift shop, and a window overlooking a busy bird-feeding station. Hawk Mountain is a non-profit organization that receives no taxpayer support and relies largely upon membership fees and donations for the majority of its operating expenses. Inside the headquarters building, you can pay dues and join on the spot.The native plant habitat includes a pond and a rain garden that collects stormwater from the roof of the headquarters building. There’s also a memorial fern garden named for the refuge’s first curator, Maurice Broun, author of a 1938 index to the ferns of North America.After a visit to the habitat garden, it’s time to make our way toward the lookouts.2024 marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. We stopped at the trail crossing along the mountain road to admire this newly erected sign.Trail fees are collected to support the sanctuary’s operations and maintain its 2,600 acres. Members enter free.Interpretive signs and trail information are provided throughout the refuge, particularly along the mile-long climb to the North Lookout.Aside from the route to the lookouts (along which sturdy shoes and good balance are a must), many of the sanctuary’s hiking trails require special equipment and preparations. Be certain to follow the posted guidelines.The scope of Hawk Mountain’s educational mission includes topics ranging from local Appalachian natural history to global raptor conservation.Just a few hundred yards from the entrance gate, South Lookout provides a panoramic view of the “River of Rocks” talus outcrop and beyond. On days with southerly winds, autumn raptor flights are sometimes enumerated from this location.Hawk Mountain’s “classroom in the sky”, the North Lookout, hosts school and scout groups learning raptor identification and ecology. It’s the sanctuary’s primary location for counting thousands of migrating birds of prey each fall.Students quickly learn to identify distant Turkey Vultures by their upturned wings held in a dihedral posture and by their rocking motion in flight.After the pupils depart for the day, there are but few observers remaining to find and count passing hawks and eagles during mid-November.While sitting quietly among the boulders of North Lookout waiting for the next bird to come along, one can be treated to a visit by one or more of a local population of Southern Red-backed Voles (Clethrionomys gapperi).Red-tailed Hawks remain common among the flights of mid-November migrants.And it happens to be an ideal time to see Red-shouldered Hawks on the move.While you were busy looking up, the Southern Red-backed Vole was at your feet scarfing up the crumbs from your sandwich. When not availed of our leftovers, its diet includes seeds, various plant parts, and subterranean fungi.Playful groups of Common Ravens often provide comic relief during interludes in the parade of migrants.Don’t look now, but your friend the vole has scurried away and a Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda) has arrived from beneath the rocks to finish the remnants of your lunch. On the rocky outcrops atop the ridges of southeastern Pennsylvania, these mammals are often found in close company; Red-backed Voles traveling through the burrows and runways created by Northern Short-tailed Shrews instead of excavating their own. Unlike the vegetarian voles, shrews are classified as insectivores, behaving mostly as carnivorous mammals. Equipped with salivary venom, they can consume prey as large as other similarly sized vertebrates, including small voles.Flights of Bald Eagles thrill visitors on North Lookout throughout November.But late-season visitors really want to see a Golden Eagle. On a chilly day with gusty northwest winds, few are disappointed.We got very lucky during a recent day on North Lookout, spotting this rarity, a hatch-year/juvenile American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus), a species which, in 2023, was split from the Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), a species which was simultaneously assigned the new common name Eurasian Goshawk. Even more recently, within the past several weeks, the genus name Astur has replaced Accipiter for the goshawks, now formally known as the the American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) and the Eurasian Goshawk (Astur gentilis). The new classification includes Cooper’s Hawk in the genus Astur, while the Sharp-shinned Hawk remains in the genus Accipiter.A November specialty, a hatch-year/juvenile American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) passes the North Lookout. During this century, the drop in American Goshawk numbers has been precipitous. Most eastern hawk-counting stations see fewer than four or five goshawks during their entire fall season. Many no longer see them at all.Here and gone in a jiffy, a brief but memorable look at a hatch-year/juvenile American Goshawk.
If the cold of mid-November doesn’t cramp your style, and if you’d like to seize your best opportunity for a much-coveted sighting of one or more of the late-season specialties, then now is the time to visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Bring a cushion upon which to sit, dress in layers, pack a lunch, and plan to spend the day. You could be rewarded with memorable views of the seldom-encountered species some people spend years of their lives hoping to see.
As we enter November, migratory raptor flights through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed transition to the bigger birds. Whether you’re on the river, on a mountain, or just outside your humble abode, persistent alertness to soaring avians can yield rewarding views of a number of late-season specialties.
Red-tailed Hawks dominate the southbound raptor flights in November.Juvenile (hatch-year) Red-tailed Hawks are generally less wary and more inquisitive than the more experienced adult birds. Their curiosity frequently gets them into trouble, particularly when they try to hunt small rodents in traffic along busy roadways.Far fewer in number are migratory Red-shouldered Hawks. In our region, these denizens of bottomland forests more commonly migrate along the southern edge of the Piedmont and through the upper Atlantic Coastal Plain.A southbound hatch-year (juvenile) Red-shouldered Hawk.Mixed-race Peregrine Falcons, the descendants of birds reintroduced into the Mid-Atlantic States during the late twentieth century, often roam our region during the late-fall and winter months before settling into their nesting territories with the approach of spring. We spotted this one along a local ridge, but you may be more likely to see them in the city or near a bridge or dam on the river.As this adult peregrine passed the lookout, we noted its full crop. A sign it just completed a successful hunt.
A visit to a ridgetop on a breezy day—particularly after passage of a cold front—may give you the chance to see numerous eagles as well.
A second-year (Basic I) Bald Eagle barrel rolls while pursuing an adult Bald Eagle.
This afternoon, we got lucky and were treated to a bit of an aging clinic presented by the Bald Eagles we observed and photographed. Careful determination of the age classes of raptors counted by hawkwatchers can provide an early warning of problems in the ecosystems that support populations of these top-of-the-food-chain predators. For example: during the 1950s and early 1960s, a progressively lower percentage of juvenile and other non-adult age classes among the Bald Eagles being observed forewarned of the dangers of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) pesticide in the environment. The principle effect of accumulations of the DDT toxins in eagles, Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, and other predatory birds that consumed waterfowl and/or fish was to thin their eggs shells. The result was widespread brood failure and a near total loss of new generations of offspring. Eventually, nearly all Bald Eagles being seen in areas impacted by DDT were progressively older adults, most of which failed as nesting pairs. As the adult birds began dying off, the Bald Eagle population dwindled to numbers that raised fears of the species’ extinction. Implementation of the DDT cancellation order and the Clean Water Act in 1972, and the Endangered Species Act in 1973, helped save the Bald Eagle. But our regional “Eastern Peregrine Falcon”, a bird with a shorter life span than the Bald Eagle, was unable to endure the years of DDT use, dioxin pollution, and illegal hunting and egg collecting. Its population is gone.
A hatch-year (juvenile) Bald Eagle is typically dark headed and in a fresh set of juvenile flight feathers that exhibit no signs of molt. If the reproduction season and the months that followed were favorable for this year’s brood of new eagles, there should be nearly as many hatch-year birds as there are adults in an overall population.By November, second-year (Basic I) Bald Eagles are replacing many of their flight feathers and often show ragged trailing edges in the wings due to the retention of some of the well-worn and notably longer juvenile feathers. Varying amounts of white mottling are visible on the breast, belly, and underwing coverts. Due to mortality, there are usually fewer second-year Bald Eagles than there are hatch-year or adult birds.Another example of a second-year (Basic I) Bald Eagle.Third-year (Basic II) Bald Eagles show more yellow in the bill and an “osprey face”, a white head with a wide dark line through the eye. Most of the juvenile flight feathers have been replaced, so the wing edges appear more uniform. Like the second-year eagles, there is a varying amount of white in the breast, belly, and underwing coverts. In an overall population of eagles, birds in this age class are usually less common than those that are younger or those that are adults.Composite image of Bald Eagles in typical November plumage during their first three years. To see more images like this, be certain to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page.A fourth year (Basic III) Bald Eagle will often be seen with a black-bordered tail and a thin dark line through the eye. In some birds, traces of these traits can linger into the fifth year and beyond. These plumage types are usually the least frequently observed among an overall population of Bald Eagles. (Note: In these older birds, there develops significant variation in the timing of feather molt. In rare cases, fourth-year Bald Eagles may show minimal dark color in the tail or eye line and may appear to be in near definitive adult plumage.)A possible fifth-year (Basic IV) Bald Eagle.Adult Bald Eagles in definitive plumage. Birds in this plumage class are often the most frequently observed because the group includes all eagles five or six years of age and older.
While the Bald Eagles are still stealing the show, cold and gusty weather should bring an increasing number of Golden Eagles our way during the remainder of the month. Some are already trickling through…
This “before-third-year” Golden Eagle shows no visible signs of molt in its juvenile (hatch-year) plumage, but a look at the upperwing coverts is needed to properly age the bird. To learn more about the molt sequence in Golden Eagles, be sure to click the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tab at the top of this page.A “before-third-year” Golden Eagle (top) passing the lookout along with a second-year Bald Eagle (bottom).Another “before-third-year” Golden Eagle. More are on the way!
Later this month, Bald Eagle numbers on the lower Susquehanna below Conowingo Dam (U.S. 1) near Rising Sun, Maryland, will begin to grow. Fisherman’s Park, located along the west shoreline below the dam, is an excellent place to observe and photograph scores of these regal birds. And few places provide a better opportunity to learn to differentiate Bald Eagle age classes. If you’re really lucky, a Golden Eagle or two may drop in as well. So plan to make the trip. The best time to visit is on a weekday. The parking lot can become overcrowded on weekends and will be closed under such circumstances. It’s best to avoid the long Thanksgiving weekend as well.
As week-old snow and ice slowly disappears from the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed landscape, we ventured out to see what might be lurking in the dense clouds of fog that for more than two days now have accompanied a mid-winter warm spell.
After freezing to a slushy consistency earlier this week, the Susquehanna is already beginning to thaw. Below the York Haven Dam at Conewago Falls, the water is open and ice-free.On frozen man-made lakes and ponds, geese and ducks like these Mallards and American Wigeon are presently concentrated around small pockets of open water.During the past ten days, American Robin numbers have exploded throughout the lower Susquehanna valley. The majority of these birds may be a mix of both those coming south to escape the late onset of wintry conditions to our north and those inching north into our region as early spring migrants.The January thaw has melted the snow from lawns and fields to provide thousands of visiting robins with a chance to forage for earthworms.A visit by this young Cooper’s Hawk to the susquehannnawildlife.net headquarters garden sent songbirds scrambling……but did nothing to unnerve our resident Eastern Gray Squirrels,……which promptly went into tail-waving mode to advertise their presence.But earlier in the week, when heavy snow cover in the rural areas surrounding our urbanized neighborhood made it difficult for rodent-eating raptors to find food, we received brief visits from both a Red-tailed Hawk……and this young Red-shouldered Hawk, an uncommon bird of prey most often found in wet woods and other lowlands.To escape notice during visits by these larger raptors, our squirrels remained motionless and commenced performance of their best bump-on-a-log impressions.Unimpressed, each of our visiting buteos remained for just a few minutes before moving on in search of more favorable hunting grounds and prey.As snow melted and exposed bare ground in fields of early successional growth, we encountered……a flock of White-crowned Sparrows, most in first-winter plumage……and at least a dozen American Tree Sparrows. During the twentieth century, these handsome songbirds were regular winter visitors to the lower Susquehanna region. During recent decades, they’ve become increasingly more difficult to find. Currently, moderate numbers appear to be arriving to escape harsher weather to our north.What could be more appropriate on a foggy, gray evening than finding a “gray ghost” (adult male Northern Harrier) patrolling the fields in search of mice and voles.
If scenes of a January thaw begin to awaken your hopes and aspirations for all things spring, then you’ll appreciate this pair of closing photographs…
The maroon-red flower buds of Silver Maples are beginning to swell. And woodpeckers including Pileated Woodpeckers are beginning to drum, a timber-pounding behavior they use to establish breeding territories in habitats with suitable sites for cavity nesting.In wet soil surrounding spring seeps and streams, Skunk Cabbage is rising through the leaf litter to herald the coming of a new season. Spring must surely be just around the corner.
Colder temperatures and gusty northwest winds are prompting our largest migratory raptors to continue their southward movements. Here are some of the birds seen earlier today riding updrafts of air currents along one of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed’s numerous ridges.
Hundreds of Turkey Vultures are presently passing through the lower Susquehanna valley on their way south. Their winter abundance here is largely determined by the availability of carrion.The late-season push of Bald Eagles is now underway. Today, ten or more birds were seen at several of the region’s hawk watches. This particular eagle is a juvenile, a hatch-year bird, with an unusually large area of white in the tail.Red-tailed hawks pass a hawk-counting station while gliding away to the southwest within an energy-saving updraft of ridge-deflected wind.A migrating Golden Eagle keeps a wary eye on a marauding Red-shouldered Hawk. This Golden Eagle is young, either in its hatch year or second year of life.A Red-tailed Hawk migrating during a late-afternoon snow shower.
As winter begins clawing at the door, now is great time to visit a hawk watch near you to see these late-season specialties. Remember to dress in layers and to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page. Hawkwatcher’s Helper is your guide to regional hawk watching locations and raptor identification. Be sure to check it out. And remember, it’s cold on top of those ridges, so don’t forget your hat, your gloves, and your chap stick!
With nearly all of the Neotropical migrants including Broad-winged Hawks gone for the year, observers and counters at eastern hawk watches are busy tallying numbers of the more hardy species of diurnal raptors and other birds. The majority of species now coming through will spend the winter months in temperate and sub-tropical areas of the southern United States and Mexico.
Here is a quick look at the raptors seen this week at two regional counting stations: Kiptopeke Hawk Watch near Cape Charles, Virginia, and Second Mountain Hawk Watch at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.
The hawk-watching platform at Kiptopeke State Park is located along Chesapeake Bay near the southern tip of Delmarva Peninsula. In autumn, thousands of raptors and other birds migrate through the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province. Those that follow the shorelines south frequently concentrate in spectacular numbers before crossing the mouths of the bays they encounter. This phenomenon makes both Cape May, New Jersey, on Delaware Bay and Kiptopeke, Virginia, on Chesapeake Bay exceptional places to experience fall flights of migrating birds.A Sharp-shinned Hawk is counted as it swoops by the owl decoy at Second Mountain Hawk Watch at Fort Indiantown Gap Military Reservation. Migrating raptors save energy by riding updrafts of air created by winds blowing against the slopes of the mountainsides in the Ridge and Valley Province.A Sharp-shinned Hawk passes the lookout at Second Mountain Hawk Watch. “Sharp-shins” are currently the most numerous migrants both on the coast and at inland counting stations.A Sharp-shinned Hawk nearly passes observers unnoticed as it skims the treetops.A Sharp-shinned Hawk eyes up an owl decoy. Under cover of darkness, nocturnal owls could rather easily prey upon young and small adult hawks and falcons, both on the nest or at roost. Accordingly, many diurnal raptors instinctively harass owls to drive them from their presence. An owl decoy at the lookout helps attract migrating birds for a closer look.An adult Cooper’s Hawk flaps its way past a counting station. Like the similar Sharp-shinned Hawk, the larger Cooper’s Hawk is a member of the genus Accipiter. As a proportion of the annual fall Accipiter flight, the Cooper’s Hawk is more numerous at coastal hawk watches than at inland sites. (Editor’s Update: As of autumn, 2024, the Cooper’s Hawk and the American Goshawk have been placed in the genus Astur. The Sharp-shinned Hawk remains in the genus Accipiter. Though the Cooper’s Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk are oft times confused by observers due to their like appearance, it turns out that the two are not as closely related as originally believed. Neither is an offshoot of the other, nor do they descend from an immediate common ancestor. Their resemblance may instead be a case of convergent evolution, most readily characterized by acquisition of similar physical traits due to shared demands for survival within their environment.)The majority of Osprey migrate along the coast, but a few are still being seen at inland hawk watches.Bald Eagles are commonly seen at both coastal and inland lookouts. Their movements continue well into late fall.A Northern Harrier illuminated by a setting sun. Northern Harriers are often still flying when many other species have gone to roost for the day.An adult male Northern Harrier, the “gray ghost”, flying in misty weather, at a time when few other birds were in the air.The American Kestrel, like our other falcons, is seen in greatest concentrations at coastal counting stations. It is our most numerous falcon.The Merlin provides only a brief observation opportunity as it passes the lookout. These falcons are dark, speedy, and easily missed as they fly by.While moving south, Merlins often accompany flights of migrating Tree Swallows, a potential food source.A Merlin consumes a dragonfly. Eating is no reason to stop moving.The “Tundra Peregrine” is an arctic-breeding Peregrine Falcon that travels a distance of over 6,000 miles to southern South America for winter. It is strictly a migratory species in our region with numbers peaking during the first two weeks of October each year. These strong fliers have little need for the updrafts from mountain ridges, inland birds often observed flying in a north to south direction. The majority of “Tundra Peregrines” are observed following coastlines, with some migrating offshore to make landfall at points as far south as Florida and the Caribbean islands before continuing across water again to reach the northern shores of Central and South America. This “Tundra Peregrine” is a juvenile bird on its first southbound trip.
During coming days, fewer and fewer of these birds will be counted at our local hawk watches. Soon, the larger raptors—Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Golden Eagles—will be thrilling observers. Cooler weather will bring several flights of these spectacular species. Why not plan a visit to a lookout near you? Click on the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page for site information and a photo guide to identification. See you at the hawk watch!
It’s not all hawks at the hawk watch. Even the coastal sites are now seeing fun birds like the playful Common Raven on a regular basis.Coastal locations are renowned places to see migrating songbirds in places outside of their typical habitat. Here a flock of Eastern Meadowlarks has set down in the top of a Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) in downtown Cape Charles, Virginia, not far from Kiptopeke Hawk Watch.
With colder temperatures arriving on gusty northwest winds, the next couple of days will be ideal for seeing migrating birds of prey along the ridges of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. It’s still peak time for movements of four of our largest species: Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, and Golden Eagle—so let’s grab our binoculars and have a look!
A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk gliding past a ridgetop hawk-counting station.A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk headed south for winter.A juvenile Bald Eagle is an attention-getter.The regal Golden Eagle always creates excitement among observers at regional hawk watches.
Be certain to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper” tab at the top of this page to select a lookout for observing and enjoying the passage of these spectacular late-season raptors. To improve your chances of seeing a Golden Eagle, visit a counting station in the Ridge and Valley Province, but do bundle up—it’s cold on those mountaintops.
Why would otherwise sensible people perch themselves atop a rocky outcrop on a Pennsylvania mountaintop for ten hours on a windy bone-numbing bitter cold and sometimes snowy November day? To watch migrating raptors of course.
November is the time when big hawks and eagles migrate through and into the lower Susquehanna valley. And big birds rely on big wind to create updrafts and an easy ride along the region’s many ridges. The most observable flights often accompany the arrival of cold air surging across the Appalachian Mountains from the northwest. These conditions can propel season-high numbers of several of the largest species of raptors past hawk-counting sites.
Observers brave howling winds on the Waggoner’s Gap lookout to census migrating late-season raptors.
Earlier this week, two windy days followed the passage of a cold front to usher-in spectacular hawk and eagle flights at the the Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch station on Blue Mountain north of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Steady 30 M.P.H. winds from the northwest on Monday, November 2, gusted to 50 M.P.H. at times. Early that morning, two Rough-legged Hawks, rarities at eastern hawk watches, were seen. They and two American Goshawks (Astur atricapillus) provided a preview of the memorable sightings to come. Two dozen Golden Eagles migrated past the lookout that day. Then on November 3, thirty Golden Eagles were tallied, despite west winds at speeds not exceeding half those of the day before.
Here are some of the late-season raptors seen by hardy observers at Waggoner’s Gap on Monday and Tuesday, November 2 & 3.
In November, Red-tailed Hawks are the most common migratory raptor counted at hawk watch stations in the Susquehanna region.An uncommon bird, a juvenile American Goshawk, passes the Waggoner’s Gap lookout.An adult Golden Eagle circles on an updraft along the north face of Blue Mountain to gain altitude before continuing on its journey.The plumage of juvenile and immature Golden Eagles often creates a sensation among crowds at a lookout. Golden Eagles don’t attain a full set of adult feathers until their sixth year. This individual is probably a juvenile, also known as a hatch-year or first-year bird. At most, it could be in its second year. Click the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tab on this page to learn more about these uncommon migrants and their molt sequences as they mature.The gilded head feathers of a Golden Eagle glisten in the afternoon sun.An adult Golden Eagle passing Waggoner’s Gap. The population known as “Eastern Golden Eagles” winters in the Appalachian Mountains and, with increasing frequency, on the Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain Provinces of the eastern United States, where it often subsists as a scavenger.Another first-year (juvenile) or second-year Golden Eagle.A local Red-tailed Hawk (top left) trying to bully a migrating Golden Eagle. A dangerous business indeed.Through December, Bald Eagles, presently the more common of our eagle species, are regular migrants at Waggoner’s Gap and other Susquehanna valley hawk watch sites.Red-shouldered Hawks are reliable early November migrants.An adult Red-shouldered Hawk from above.And an adult Red-shouldered Hawk from below.Though their numbers peak in early October, Sharp-shinned Hawks, particularly adults like this one, continue to be seen through early November.A Northern Harrier on the glide path overhead.Merlins, like other falcons, are more apt to be seen in late September and October, but a few trickle through in November.
While visiting a hawk watch, one will certainly have the opportunity to see other birds too.
Common Ravens are fascinating birds and regular visitors to the airspace around hawk watches. Most are residents, but there appears to be some seasonal movement, particularly among younger birds.Most people think of Common Loons as birds of northern lakes. But loons spend their winters in the ocean surf, and to get there they fly in loose flocks over the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed each spring and fall. They are regularly seen by observers at hawk watches.Like ducks, geese, and swans, migrating Double-crested Cormorants assemble into aerodynamic V-shaped flocks to conserve energy.Pine Siskins continue their invasion from the north. Dozens of small flocks numbering 10 to 20 birds each continue to be seen and/or heard daily at Waggoner’s Gap. A flock of Evening Grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vesperitinus), another irruptive species of “winter finch”, was seen there on November 3.
As a finale of sorts, near the close of the day on November 3, two Golden Eagles sailed past the north side of the Waggoner’s Gap lookout, one possessing what appeared to be a tracking transmitter on its back. An effort was commenced by the official count staff to report the sighting to the entity monitoring the bird—to track down the tracker, so to speak.
A Golden Eagle with a backpack transmitter passing Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch at 3:39 P.M. Eastern Standard Time on November 3, 2020.
To see the count reports from Waggoner’s Gap and other hawk watches throughout North America, be certain to visit hawkcount.org
Nothing beats spending a day at a hawk watch lookout—except of course spending a day at a hawk watch lookout when the birds are parading through nonstop for hours on end.
Check out Waggoner’s Gap, a hawk count site located on the border of Cumberland and Perry Counties atop Blue Mountain just north of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is by far the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed’s best location for observing large numbers of migrating raptors during the October and November flights.
Waggoner’s Gap is located where Route 74 crosses Blue Mountain north of Carlisle.The entrance to a parking area for hawk watch visitors is designated by this sign located along Route 74 several hundred yards north of the summit of Blue Mountain.Since acquiring the site in 2000, Audubon Pennsylvania has added improvements to expand the function of Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch to include education for both formal students and the public at large.The site is named in honor of the late conservationist Clifford L. Jones, a business leader, a former Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, a cabinet secretary for six Pennsylvania governors (both major parties), a director on the boards of numerous conservation organizations, and an active birder.Orange falcon silhouettes function as blazes for the trails that lead from the parking area to the lookout. The trail and the lookout consist entirely of boulders. Some of these move when stepped upon. Others may be slick. Use caution at all times.The lookout at Waggoner’s Gap is staffed by official counters from August through December each year. They are tasked with enumerating every migratory raptor’s passage during that period.Sure-footed observers climb into a comfortable position among the Tuscarora quartzite boulders and begin watching the flight.The view from the lookout is spectacular. To the east, downtown Harrisburg can be seen in the distance.During a recent afternoon with breezes from the “southwesterlies”, a steady stream of migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks, including this juvenile, passed by the lookout.Sharp-shinned Hawks were ready subjects for photography as they sailed on updrafts along the south side of the ridge.An adult Sharp-shinned Hawk.A second-year Sharp-shinned Hawk.A Sharp-shinned Hawk below eye level. Over 400 Sharp-shinned Hawks migrated past Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch on this particular early October day.The local Turkey Vultures at Waggoner’s Gap seem ubiquitous at times. They’re on the radio towers, they’re flying overhead, and a few are cruising the slopes below the crest. But on the day of our recent visit, their numbers were eclipsed by the more than 300 “T.V.s” that migrated down the ridge.Black Vultures, both migrants and local birds, are seen from the lookout.Northern Harriers are a hawk watch favorite. Their long uptilted wings, long tail, and white rump make them easy to identify, even for beginners. Their plummeting numbers make them a treasured sighting for everyone.A Red-tailed Hawk on a close approach.A distant Red-shouldered Hawk. Numbers of these migrants peak later in the season.A Peregrine Falcon darts past the lookout. Note the white forehead, throat, and breast. This bird is probably a “Tundra Peregrine” (Falco peregrinus tundrius). In the lower Susquehanna valley, this subspecies is strictly migratory, a transient in spring and fall. “Tundra Peregrines” breed in the arctic and winter as far south as South America.An immature Bald Eagle. Waggoner’s Gap is a superb place for sighting eagles, especially on a breezy day.Hundreds of Blue Jays filtered through as their southbound exodus continues. Other songbirds of interest included Blue-headed Vireos (Vireo solitarius), Winter Wrens, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, and both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets.
Waggoner’s Gap is a hardy birder’s paradise. During the latter portion of the season, excellent flights often occur on days that follow the passage of a cold front and have strong northwest winds. But be prepared, it can be brutal on those rocks during a gusty late-October or early-November day after the leaves fall—so dress appropriately.
To see the daily totals for the raptor count at Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch and other hawk watches in North America, and to learn more about each site, be sure to visit hawkcount.org
Early October is prime time for hawk watching, particularly if you want to have the chance to see the maximum variety of migratory species. In coming days, a few Broad-winged Hawks and Ospreys will still be trickling through while numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Northern Harriers, and falcons swell to reach their seasonal peak. Numbers of migrating Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks are increasing during this time and late-season specialties including Golden Eagles can certainly make a surprise early visit.
If you enjoy the outdoors and live in the southernmost portion of the lower Susquehanna valley, Rocky Ridge County Park in the Hellam Hills just northwest of York, Pennsylvania, is a must see. The park consists of oak forest and is owned and managed by the York County Parks Department. It features an official hawk watch site staffed by volunteers and park naturalists. Have a look.
The hawk watch lookout is reached by following the well-marked trail at the north side of the large gravel parking area in the utility right-of-way at the end of the park entrance road (Deininger Road).The Rocky Ridge Hawk Watch lookout includes outcrops of bedrock, a viewing deck, and grassy areas suitable for lawn chairs.The bedrock at the lookout is an unusual quartz-cemented conglomerate that forms the Hellam Member at the base of the Cambrian Chickies Formation.Experienced hawk watchers conduct an official count of raptors and other birds during the autumn migration in September and October each year. Visitors are welcome. The view is spectacular. Check out the concrete columns glowing in the sun to the north of the lookout.It’s the cooling towers at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station and the smoke stacks at the Brunner Island Steam Generating Station. Conewago Falls is located between the two.Interpretive signage on the hawk watch deck includes raptor identification charts.A migrating Osprey glides by the lookout.Throughout the month, migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks will be flying in a southwesterly direction along ridges in the region, particularly on breezy days. They are the most numerous raptor at hawk watches in the lower Susquehanna valley during the first half of October.A Peregrine Falcon quickly passes the Rocky Ridge lookout. These strong fliers often ignore the benefits provided by thermals and updrafts along our ridges and instead take a direct north to south route during migration.A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk soars by.And a little while later, an adult Red-tailed Hawk follows.Bald Eagles, including both migratory and resident birds, are seen regularly from the Rocky Ridge lookout.Other diurnal (daytime) migrants are counted at Rocky Ridge and some of the other regional hawk watches. Massive flights of Blue Jays have been working their way through the lower Susquehanna valley for more than a week now. Local hawk watches are often logging hundreds in a single day.The utility right-of-way within which the Rocky Ridge Hawk Watch is located can be a great place to see nocturnal (nighttime) migrants while they rest and feed during the day. Right now, Eastern Towhees are common there.An uncommon sight, a shy Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) in the utility right-of-way near the hawk watch lookout. This and other nocturnal migrants will take full advantage of a clear moonlit night to continue their southbound journey.
If you’re a nature photographer, you might be interested to know that there are still hundreds of active butterflies in Rocky Ridge’s utility right-of-way. Here are a few.
A Gray Hairstreak.An American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas),
To see the daily totals for the raptor count at Rocky Ridge Hawk Watch and other hawk watches in North America, and to learn more about each site, be certain to visit hawkcount.org
At the moment there is a heavy snow falling, not an unusual occurrence for mid-February, nevertheless, it is a change in weather. Forty-eight hours ago we were in the midst of a steady rain and temperatures were in the sixties. The snow and ice had melted away and a touch of spring was in the air.
Big Bluestem in the Riverine Grasslands is inundated by the rising waters of the Susquehanna at Conewago Falls. The river ice has been dispersed by the recent mild temperatures and rains.
Anyone casually looking about while outdoors during these last several days may have noticed that birds are indeed beginning to migrate north in the lower Susquehanna valley. Killdeer, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles are easily seen or heard in most of the area now.
Just hours ago, between nine o’clock this morning and one o’clock this afternoon, there was a spectacular flight of birds following the river north, their spring migration well underway. In the blue skies above Conewago Falls, a steady parade of Ring-billed Gulls was utilizing thermals and riding a tailwind from the south-southeast to cruise high overhead on a course toward their breeding range.
Ring-billed Gulls swarm in a thermal updraft above Conewago Falls to gain altitude prior to streaming off to the north and continuing their journey.Ring-billed Gulls climbing to heights sometimes exceeding 1,000 feet before breaking off and gliding away to the north.
The swirling hoards of Ring-billed Gulls attracted other migrants to take advantage of the thermals and glide paths on the breeze. Right among them were 44 American Herring Gulls, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 12 Tundra Swans (Cygnuscolumbianus), 10 Canada Geese, 3 Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), 6 Common Mergansers, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, a Red-shouldered Hawk, 6 Bald Eagles (non-adults), 8 Black Vultures, and 5 Turkey Vultures.
A first-winter American Herring Gull (top center) is a standout in a “kettle” of Ring-billed Gulls.How many Ring-billed Gulls passed by today? More than 18,000…with emphasis on MORE THAN. You see, early this afternoon, the handy-dandy clicker-counter used to tick off and tally the big flights of birds as they pass by quit clicking and counting. Therefore, 18,000 is the absolute minimum number of Ring-billed Gulls seen migrating north today. Hopefully the trusty old oil can will get the clicker working again soon.
In the afternoon, the clouds closed in quickly, the flight ended, and by dusk more than an inch of snow was on the ground. Looks like spring to me.
A very light fog lifted quickly at sunrise. Afterward, there was a minor movement of migrants: forty-nine Ring-billed Gulls, a few American Herring Gulls, a Red-shouldered Hawk following the river to the southeast, and small flocks totaling nine Cedar Waxwings and twenty-eight Red-winged Blackbirds.
A Belted Kingfisher in the morning fog.A Ring-billed Gull calls as active migrants pass overhead on their way downriver.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS
In the Riparian Woodland, small mixed flocks of winter resident and year-round resident birds were actively feeding. They must build and maintain a layer of body fat to survive blustery cold nights and the possible lack of access to food during snowstorms. There’s no time to waste; nasty weather could bring fatal hardship to these birds soon.
A Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) feeds on the seeds of an Eastern Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), also known as American Sycamore. Chickadees are generalist feeders, eating invertebrates and suet at feeding stations in addition to the seeds of many plants. Carolina Chickadees are year-round residents at Conewago Falls.A fast-moving Golden-crowned Kinglet zips from limb to limb to grab tiny insects and other invertebrates. During the winter, these petite birds will carefully probe the bark and crevices of trees to glean enough food to survive. Golden-crowned Kinglets are winter residents at Conewago Falls. In spring, they will depart to nest in coniferous forests.A Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) searches an infected tree for insects. They are year-round residents.Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) are considered year-round residents at Conewago Falls, though they may withdraw to the south during severe winters. Carolina Wrens sing year-round. Today, their loud melody echoed through the Riparian Woodland all morning.The tiny bob-tailed Winter Wren is an elusive ground-dwelling winter resident at the falls. You may hear their scolding chatter from rocky areas and tree logs where they climb around mouse-like in search of small invertebrates. Their song is a fast jumble of dainty musical trills that can sometimes be heard echoing through the Riparian Woodland in winter. In spring, they’ll depart to nest in damp coniferous forests.
The NOAA National Weather Service radar images from last evening provided an indication that there may be a good fallout of birds at daybreak in the lower Susquehanna valley. The moon was bright, nearly full, and there was a gentle breeze from the north to move the nocturnal migrants along. The conditions were ideal.
Rising from daytime roosts in New York and Pennsylvania, then streaming south in moonlit skies, migrating birds are recorded as echoes on this post-sunset composite NEXRAD loop from last evening. (NOAA/National Weather Service image)
The Riparian Woodlands at Conewago Falls were alive with migrants this morning. American Robins and White-throated Sparrows were joined by new arrivals for the season: Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula), Golden-crowned Kinglets (Regulus satrapa), Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), and Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). These are the perching birds one would expect to have comprised the overnight flight. While the individuals that will remain may not yet be among them, these are the species we will see wintering in the Mid-Atlantic states. No trip to the tropics for these hardy passerines.
American Robins continued migratory flight into the first hour of daylight this morning. Their calls are commonly heard at night as migrating individuals pass overhead.White-throated Sparrows are nocturnal migrants, and are a familiar find on woodland edges and at suburban feeding stations through the winter.Dark-eyed Juncos, also nocturnal migrants, are common winter residents in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, frequently visiting bird feeders.Heavy rain earlier this week in the Susquehanna River drainage basin has flooded most of the Pothole Rocks; the rapids of Conewago Falls have returned.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS
It was a placid morning on Conewago Falls with blue skies dotted every now and then by a small flock of migrating robins or blackbirds. The jumbled notes of a singing Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) in the Riparian Woodland softly mixed with the sounds of water spilling over the dam. The season’s first Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors), American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus), Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris), and White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) were seen.
There was a small ruckus when one of the adult Bald Eagles from a local pair spotted an Osprey passing through carrying a fish. This eagle’s effort to steal the Osprey’s catch was soon interrupted when an adult eagle from a second pair that has been lingering in the area joined the pursuit. Two eagles are certainly better than one when it’s time to hustle a skinny little Osprey, don’t you think?
But you see, this just won’t do. It’s a breach of eagle etiquette, don’t you know? Soon both pairs of adult eagles were engaged in a noisy dogfight. It was fussing and cackling and the four eagles going in every direction overhead. Things calmed down after about five minutes, then a staring match commenced on the crest of the dam with the two pairs of eagles, the “home team” and the “visiting team”, perched about 100 feet from each other. Soon the pair which seems to be visiting gave up and moved out of the falls for the remainder of the day. The Osprey, in the meantime, was able to slip away.
In recent weeks, the “home team” pair of Bald Eagles, seen regularly defending territory at Conewago Falls, has been hanging sticks and branched tree limbs on the cross members of the power line tower where they often perch. They seem only to collect and display these would-be nest materials when the “visiting team” pair is perched in the nearby tower just several hundred yards away…an attempt to intimidate by homesteading. It appears that with winter and breeding time approaching, territorial behavior is on the increase.
The second migrating Osprey of the day ran the gauntlet of marauding eagles without incident.
In the afternoon, a fresh breeze from the south sent ripples across the waters among the Pothole Rocks. The updraft on the south face of the diabase ridge on the east shore was like a highway for some migrating hawks, falcons, and vultures. Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and Turkey Vultures streamed off to the south headlong into the wind after leaving the ridge and crossing the river. A male and female Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), ten Red-tailed Hawks, two Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus), six Sharp-shinned Hawks, and two Merlins crossed the river and continued along the diabase ridge on the west shore, accessing a strong updraft along its slope to propel their journey further to the southwest. Four high-flying Bald Eagles migrated through, each following the east river shore downstream and making little use of the ridge except to gain a little altitude while passing by.
(Top and Middle) Turkey Vultures riding the fresh breeze and teetering to-and-fro on up-tilted wings. This wing posture is known as a dihedral. (Bottom) More than 100 migrating Black Vultures climbed high on the afternoon breeze to make an oblique crossing of the river and maintain a southbound course.
Late in the afternoon, the local Bald Eagles were again airborne and cackling up a storm. This time they intercepted an eagle coming down the ridge toward the river and immediately forced the bird to climb if it intended to pass. It turned out to be the best sighting of the day, and these “home team” eagles found it first. It was a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in crisp juvenile plumage. On its first southward voyage, it seemed to linger after climbing high enough for the Bald Eagles to loose concern, then finally selected the ridge route and crossed the river to head off to the southwest.
Ring-billed Gulls began feeding during the afternoon as clouds preceding stormy weather approached.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS
