Sharp-shinned Hawk – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

October 5, 2024October 6, 2024

A Sunny Day to Get Things Moving Again

At last, the bird migration is picking up where it left off after the third week of September when rain, fog, and gloom arrived for a two week stay in the lower Susquehanna valley. Now that this persistent meteorological interluder has departed the stage, our stalled avians can resume the autumn spectacle.

There are still a few Barn Swallows around. By October, they’ve usually departed for more southern climes. Our more common late-season species are the Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, both of which tend to be found close to water and are thus able to still grab flying insects on mornings when the air temperature over land is too cold for their favored prey. We found this Barn Swallow following the lead of its cool-weather counterparts, hawking up its breakfast over a warm sun-drenched pond.

While the vast majority of the Neotropical flycatchers are now gone for the year, Eastern Phoebes are currently moving through in large numbers. Like the late-season swallows, these insectivores are a temperate species with an affinity for habitats near water.

Though getting harder to find, there are still some Neotropical warblers moving through. This Black-throated Green Warbler was strongly outnumbered by the Ruby-crowned Kinglets in a mixed flock of woodland songbirds.

A Northern Parula in the mixed flock of migrants.

One of dozens of Ruby-crowned Kinglets encountered this morning.

Despite the inclement weather, diurnal flights of southbound Blue Jays have continued throughout the past week.

Migrating Blue Jays are best seen during the first few hours after sunrise.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers, after extending their range north through the Susquehanna watershed and beyond during the past century, have now become a regular fall migrant as they withdraw from the northernmost periphery of their breeding grounds. This individual was photographed while taking a break from its diurnal flight and was one of more than three dozen seen at Second Mountain Hawk Watch on Thursday, October 3.

After a significant delay, especially for the Neotropical Broad-winged Hawks, diurnal raptor flights have resumed. Now is the time to see the widest variety of species, including migrants like this Osprey, at any one of the regional hawk-counting stations.

Numbers of migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks are now reaching their seasonal peak. Be certain to check out “Hawkwatchers Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and Other Diurnal Raptors” by clicking the tab at the top of this page. There you’ll find a listing of regional lookouts and a photo guide to help you identify the species you see.

September 21, 2024September 21, 2024

This Week’s Enormous Diurnal Flights

For the past several weeks, we’ve given you a look at the fallout of Neotropical songbirds on mornings following significant nocturnal flights of southbound migrants. Now let’s examine the diurnal (daytime) flights that have developed in recent days over parts of the lower Susquehanna basin and adjacent regions.

For those observing diurnal migrants, particularly at raptor-counting stations, the third week of September is prime time for large flights of tropics-bound Broad-winged Hawks. Winds from easterly directions during this year’s movements kept the greatest concentrations of these birds in the Ridge and Valley Province and upper areas of the Piedmont as they transited our region along a southwesterly heading. Counts topped 1,000 birds or more on at least one day at each of these lookouts during the past seven days. Meanwhile at hawk watches along the Piedmont/Atlantic Coastal Plain border, where flights topped 10,000 or more birds on the best days last fall, observers struggled to see 100 Broad-winged Hawks in a single day.

Among the challenges counters faced while enumerating migratory Broad-winged Hawks this week was the often clear blue skies, a glaring sun, and the high altitude at which these raptors fly during the mid-day hours.

"Kettling" Broad-winged Hawks — Large numbers of Broad-winged Hawks climbing on a thermal updraft to gain altitude can become increasingly difficult to spot in a clear blue sky.

Another factor complicating the hawk counters’ tasks this week, particularly west of the Susquehanna River, was the widespread presence of another group of diurnal fliers.

Hawkwatchers Scanning the Skies — So what was it that complicated the hawkwatchers’ efforts to find high-flying Broad-winged Hawks during this week’s flights?

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No. And it’s nobody’s superhero either. It’s the non-native Spotted Lanternfly and it is now very numerous west of the Susquehanna and common enough to the east to make even experienced observers take a second look while scanning the skies for Broad-winged Hawks and other migrating raptors. Just how many do raptor counters have to contend with? Even where these invasive insects have become less populous in the lower Susquehanna valley, hundreds still fill the skies above forest clearings around hawk-counting stations including Waggoner’s Gap, Second Mountain, and Rocky Ridge County Park.

Spotted Lanternflies on Radar — Spotted Lanternfly populations explode with great vigor as they colonize areas with plenty of tender new growth on native, non-native, and cultivated shrubs, trees, and vines. Earlier this week, National Weather Service Doppler Radar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, captured enormous mid-afternoon flights of Spotted Lanternflies in recently invaded areas of southwestern Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. (NOAA/National Weather Service Doppler Radar image)

As the Broad-winged Hawk migration draws to a close during the coming ten days, the occurrence of the one dozen other migratory diurnal raptors will be on the upswing. They generally fly at lower altitudes, often relying upon wind updrafts on the ridges for lift instead of high-rising thermal updrafts. They therefore present better observation opportunities for visitors at hawk watch lookouts and are less frequently confused with high-flying Spotted Lanternflies.

A Merlin seen earlier this week migrating through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. The numbers of migrating Merlins and other falcons will peak sometime in coming weeks.

October 13, 2023October 16, 2023

This Week at Regional Hawk Watches

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.

Second Mounatin Hawk Watch — 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.

Sharp-shinned Hawk at owl decoy. — 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.

Cooper's Hawk — 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.

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 flying in misty weather. — 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.

While moving south, Merlins often accompany flights of migrating Tree Swallows, a potential food source.

Merlin with Dragonfly — A Merlin consumes a dragonfly. Eating is no reason to stop moving.

Juvenile "Tundra Peregrine" — 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.

Eastern Meadowlarks in a Loblolly Pine. — 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.

September 18, 2022September 18, 2022

Big Broad-winged Hawk Flights Are Underway

Flights of southbound Broad-winged Hawks have joined those of other Neotropical migrants to thrill observers with spectacular numbers. In recent days, thousands have been seen and counted at many of the regions hawkwatching stations. Now is the time to check it out!

A "kettle" of Broad-winged Hawks gaining altitude by soaring on a thermal updraft. — A “kettle” of Broad-winged Hawks gaining altitude by soaring on a thermal updraft.

Migrating Broad-winged Hawks — Broad-winged Hawks gliding away to the southwest after climbing in a column of rising warm air.

A migrating Broad-winged Hawk enroute to the tropics for winter.

Other diurnal migrants are on the move as well…

Migratory Woodpeckers: Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Flicker — The Red-bellied Woodpecker (left) and the Northern Flicker (right) are migratory species of woodpeckers that begin heading south during the last half of September each year.

Migrating Blue Jay — Running a bit early, large numbers of Blue Jays having been moving through the area for several weeks now.

Flock of Cedar Waxwings — Flocks of Cedar Waxwings roam widely as they creep ever southward for winter.

Adding to the diversity of sightings, there are these diurnal raptors arriving in the area right now…

Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk — Numbers of migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks are building and will peak during the coming weeks.

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk — As will numbers of Cooper’s Hawks.

Adult Bald Eagle — And Bald Eagles are moving throughout the fall season.

For more information and directions to places where you can observe migrating hawks and other birds, be certain to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper” tab at the top of this page.

October 19, 2021

Photo of the Day

Migrating Canada Geese and a Sharp-shinned Hawk share the autumn skies.

September 28, 2021September 28, 2021

Migration Update

Can it be that time already? Most Neotropical birds have passed through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed on their way south and the hardier species that will spend our winter in the more temperate climes of the eastern United States are beginning to arrive.

Here’s a gallery of sightings from recent days…

During the past two weeks, thousands of Broad-winged Hawks, including this adult bird, crossed the skies of the lower Susquehanna valley on their way to Central and South America for our winter.

A juvenile Broad-winged Hawk passes into the sunset during its first autumn migration.

Blackpoll Warblers are among the last of the Neotropical species to transit the region. They’ll continue to be seen locally through at least early October.

Blue-headed Vireos are the October vireo during the fall, the other species having already continued toward tropical forests for a winter vacation.

The lower Susquehanna region lies just on the northern edge of the wintering range of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a species found nesting locally among treetops in deciduous woods. Look for their numbers to swell in coming days as birds from further north begin rolling through the region on their way south.

Sharp-shinned Hawks delight visitors at ridgetop hawk watches during breezy late-September and early-October days. They allow closer observation than high-flying Broad-winged Hawks due to their habit of cruising just above the treetops while migrating.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk glides over a lookout.

Late September/early October is falcon time at area hawk-counting stations, the Peregrine Falcon often being the most anticipated species.

Pale “Tundra Peregrines”, a subspecies that nests in the arctic, are strictly migratory birds in the Mid-Atlantic States. They are presently passing through on their way to South America. Like Neotropical songbirds, their long flights provide them with the luxury of never experiencing a winter season.

This Carolina Saddlebags and other migratory dragonflies, which normally leave the area by mid-September, are still lingering in the lower Susquehanna region, much to the pleasure of the falcons that feed upon them.

An male American Kestrel in pursuit of dragonflies found swarming around the lookout at Second Mountain Hawk Watch in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

A male American Kestrel stooping on a dragonfly.

Osprey will be among the birds of prey passing hawk watch sites during the coming two weeks. The first week of October often provides the best opportunity for seeing the maximum variety of raptors at a given site. On a good day, a dozen species are possible.

Seeing cinnamon-colored juvenile Northern Harriers is symbolic of the October migration flights.

In addition to raptors, resident Common Ravens are regularly sighted by observers at hawk watches and elsewhere during the fall season.

Hawk-counting stations sometimes log movements of Red-bellied Woodpeckers during late September and early October. This species has extended its range into the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed only during the past one hundred years, making these seasonal migration movements a recent local phenomenon.

Blue Jays are currently on the move with breeding birds from the forests of Canada and the northern United States moving south. Hundreds can be seen passing a given observation point during an ideal morning.

Blue Jays find a pile of peanuts to be an irresistible treat. Provide the unsalted variety and watch the show!

Be sure to click on these tabs at the top of this page to find image guides to help you identify the dragonflies, birds, and raptors you see in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed…

- Damselflies and Dragonflies
- Birds of Conewago Falls
- Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Raptors

See you next time!

November 28, 2020November 30, 2020

City Life: Gulls, Dabbling Ducks, and More

So you aren’t particularly interested in a stroll through the Pennsylvania woods during the gasoline and gunpowder gang’s second-biggest holiday of the year—the annual sacrifice-of-the-White-tailed-Deity ritual. I get it. Two weeks and nothing to do. Well, why not try a hike through the city instead? I’m not kidding. You might be surprised at what you see. Here are some photographs taken today during several strolls in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

First stop was City Island in the Susquehanna River—accessible from downtown Harrisburg or the river’s west shore by way of the Market Street Bridge.

From the middle of the Susquehanna River, City Island offers a spectacular view of the downtown Harrisburg skyline. In summer, it’s the capital city’s playground. During the colder months, it’s a great place to take a quiet walk and find unusual birds.

This Bald Eagle was in mature trees along the river shoreline near the Harrisburg Senator’s baseball stadium.

Ring-billed Gulls gather on the “cement beach” at the north end of City Island.

One of a dozen or so Herring Gulls seen from the island’s north end. This particular bird is a juvenile.

A Ring-billed Gull and some petite Bonaparte’s Gulls. Really good birders will tell you to always check through flocks of these smaller gulls carefully. It turns out they’re onto something. Look closely at the gull to the right.

A bright red bill and more of a crescent shape to the black spot behind the eye, that’s an adult Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) in winter plumage, a rare bird on the Susquehanna. Black-headed Gulls have colonized North America from Europe, breeding in Iceland, southernmost Greenland, and rarely Newfoundland.

Okay, City Island was worth the effort. Next stop is Wildwood Park, located along Industrial Road just north of the Pennsylvania Farm Show complex and the Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) campus. There are six miles of trails surrounding mile-long Wildwood Lake within this marvelous Dauphin County Parks Department property.

A flock of Killdeer at the south end of Wildwood Lake. From November through February, a walk along the south and west sides of the impoundment can be a photographer’s dream. The light is suitable in the morning, then just keeps getting better as the day wears on.

Is this probable Carolina/Black-capped Chickadee hybrid a resident at Wildwood or just a visitor from a few miles to the north? Currently, pure Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) nest in the mountains well to the north of Harrisburg, and pure Carolina Chickadees nest south of the city. Harrisburg possibly remains within the intergrade/hybrid zone, an area where the ranges of the two species overlap, but probably not for long. During recent decades, this zone has been creeping north, at times by as much as a half mile or more each year. So if the capital city isn’t Carolina Chickadee territory yet, it soon will be.

Another chickadee likely to be a hybrid, this one with some white in the greater wing coverts like a Black-capped, but with a call even more rapid than that of the typical Carolina, the species known for uttering the faster “chick-a-dee-dee-dee”. It sounded wired, like it had visited a Starbucks all morning.

In the lower Susquehanna valley, Carolina Chickadees have already replaced hybrids and pure Black-capped Chickadees as nesting birds in the Piedmont hills south of Harrisburg and the Great Valley. This Carolina Chickadee was photographed recently in the Furnace Hills at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in northern Lancaster County. The transition there was probably complete by the end of the twentieth century. Note the characteristic overall grayish appearance of the wings and the neat lower border of the black bib on this bird,

For comparison, a bird presumed to be a pure Black-capped Chickadee photographed earlier this month in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. This fall, “Black-caps”, like many other northern perching birds, are moving south to invade the lower elevations and milder climes of the Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain Provinces. Note the extensive areas of white in the wings, the long tail, the buffy flanks, and the jagged edge of the black bib.

Along Wildwood Lake’s west shore, an adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk was soon attracted to the commotion created by bantering chickadees and other songbirds.

Yellow during the first year, the eyes of the Sharp-shinned Hawk get redder as the bird ages.

Also along the west border of Wildwood Lake, temperatures were warm enough to inspire Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) to seek a sun bath atop logs in the flooded portions of the abandoned Pennsylvania Canal.

And now, without further ado, it’s time for the waterfowl of Wildwood Lake—in order of their occurrence.

A pair of Wood Ducks (hen left, drake right) with American Black Ducks and Canada Geese.

A pair of American Wigeons (Mareca americana).

You just knew there had to be a booby prize, a “Blue Suede” (a.k.a. Blue Swede), a domestic variety of Mallard.

It’s a Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) sampler. Clockwise from left: a juvenile male, a female, and an adult male.

A drake and two hen Green-winged Teal. Isn’t that great light by late afternoon?

See, you don’t have to cloak yourself in bright orange ceremonial garments just to go for a hike. Go put on your walking shoes and a warm coat, grab your binoculars and/or camera, and have a look at wildlife in a city near you. You never know what you might find.

SOURCES

Taylor, Scott A., Thomas A. White, Wesley M. Hochachka, Valentina Ferretti, Robert L. Curry, and Irby Lovette. 2014. “Climate-Mediated Movement of an Avian Hybrid Zone”. Current Biology. 24:6 pp.671-676.

November 4, 2020August 18, 2023

Migrating Golden Eagles

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 (Accipiter 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.

A juvenile American Goshawk passes the Waggoner's Gap lookout. — 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

October 11, 2020November 27, 2020

A Visit to Waggoner’s Gap

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.

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 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

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

A Visit to Rocky Ridge

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.

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.

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

December 10, 2017December 15, 2017

Conewago Lineman

…And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain… –Jimmy Webb

The lower Susquehanna valley’s first snowfall of the season arrived yesterday. By this morning it measured just an inch in depth at Conewago Falls, more to the south and east, less to the west and north. By mid-morning a cold fresh to moderate breeze from the northwest was blowing through the falls and stirring up ripples on the river.

Light snow on the Conewago Falls Pothole Rocks this morning.

Gulls sailed high overhead on the wind, taking a speedy ride downriver toward Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic coast, and countless fast-food restaurant parking lots where surviving winter weather is more of a sure thing. Nearly a thousand Ring-billed Gulls soared past the migration count lookout today. Thirteen Herring Gulls and four Great Black-backed Gulls were among them.

Other migrants today included a Mallard, twenty-nine American Black Ducks, two Bald Eagles, eleven Black Vultures, fifteen Turkey Vultures, five American Goldfinches, and fifteen Red-winged Blackbirds. The wintery weather seems to be prompting these late-season travelers to be on their way.

CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS

You know, today was like many other days at the falls. As I arrive, I have the habit of checking all the power line towers on both river shorelines to see what may be there awaiting discovery. More often than not, something interesting is perched on one or more of the structures…

…sometimes there are large flocks of European Starlings…

…other times there might be one or more Turkey Vultures…

…or maybe the fastest-flying bird on the planet…

…or perhaps, wait; what’s he doing up there?

Yes friends, while the birds migrated through high above, down below a coordinated effort was underway to replace some of the electric transmission cable that stretches across the Susquehanna River at Conewago Falls. As you’ll see, this project requires precise planning, preparation, and skill. And it was fascinating to watch!

A helicopter is used to raise/lower men and equipment to/from the top of the towers.

A crew doing preparation work is lifted from a tower on the west shore of Conewago Falls.

A crew member is raised to a tower on the east shore of Conewago Falls to begin the next phase of the project.

Crew members are positioned on the two towers on the west shore.

The helicopter hovers in a stand-by position above the Pothole Rocks. By keeping the chopper downwind from and below the wires being replaced, the pilot avoids putting rotor wash into the work area. Note the linemen on the upper left side of each tower. These men monitored the pulleys as the old cable, followed by the new, was pulled from the west shore to the east.

At the ready, the pilot skillfully hovers his craft, nose into the gusty wind, just 100 feet to the east of the migration count site on the Pothole Rocks.

Even as the chopper maintained position near and immediately over the count lookout, migrating birds continued to be seen streaming in a downriver direction high above.

A migrating immature Bald Eagle passes overhead, apparently undaunted by the commotion created by the use of a helicopter to tend the crew advancing replacement wire across the river below.

With the new cable in place, workers are lifted from the towers and lowered to the ground where they can get out of the cold wind after a job well done.

November 12, 2017July 1, 2018

Anthropoavians

Temperatures plummeted to well below freezing during the past two nights, but there was little sign of it in Conewago Falls this morning. The fast current in the rapids and swirling waters in flooded Pothole Rocks did not freeze. Ice coated the standing water in potholes only in those rocks lacking a favorable orientation to the sun for collecting solar heat during the day to conduct into the water during the cold nights.

On the shoreline, the cold snap has left its mark. Ice covers the still waters of the wetlands. Frost on exposed vegetation lasted until nearly noontime in shady areas. Insect activity is now grounded and out of sight. The leaves of the trees tumble and fall to cover the evidence of a lively summer.

The nocturnal bird flight is narrowing down to just a few species. White-throated Sparrows, a Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), and Song Sparrows are still on the move. Though their numbers are not included in the migration count, hundreds of the latter are along the shoreline and in edge habitat around the falls right now. Song Sparrows are present year-round, migrate at night, and are not seen far from cover in daylight, so migratory movements are difficult to detect. It is certain that many, if not all of the Song Sparrows here today have migrated and arrived here recently. The breeding population from spring and summer has probably moved further south. And many of the birds here now may remain for the winter. Defining the moment of this dynamic, yet discrete, population change and logging it in a count would certainly require different methods.

Song Sparrows are now abundant in the brushy edges of fields and woodlands. They may even break into song on sunny days.

Diurnal migration was foiled today by winds from southerly directions and moderating temperatures. The only highlight was an American Robin flight that extended into the morning for a couple of hours after daybreak and totaled over 800 birds. This flight was peppered with an occasional flock of blackbirds. Then too, there were the villains.

They’re dastardly, devious, selfish, opportunistic, and abundant. Today, they were the most numerous diurnal migrant. Their numbers made this one of the biggest migration days of the season, but they are not recorded on the count sheet. It’s no landmark day. They excite no one. For the most part, they are not recognized as migrants because of their nearly complete occupation of North America south of the taiga. If people build on it or alter it, these birds will be there. They’re everywhere people are. If the rotten attributes of man were wrapped up into one bird, an “anthropoavian”, this would be it.

Meet the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Introduced into North America in 1890, the species has spread across the entire continent. It nests in cavities in buildings and in trees. Starlings are aggressive, particularly when nesting, and have had detrimental impacts on the populations of native cavity nesting birds, particularly Red-headed Woodpeckers, Purple Martins (Progne subis), and Eastern Bluebirds. They commonly terrorize these and other native species to evict them from their nest sites. European Starlings are one of the earlier of the scores of introduced plants and animals we have come to call invasive species.

Noisy flocks of European Starlings are right at home on man-made structures in city and country.

Today, thousands of European Starlings were on the move, working their way down the river shoreline and raiding berries from the vines and trees of the Riparian Woodlands. My estimate is between three and five thousand migrated through during the morning. But don’t worry, thousands more will be around for the winter.

European Starlings mob a Sharp-shinned Hawk from above, a common behavior.

An Eastern Bluebird feeds on the few berries left untouched by passing European Starlings.

November 4, 2017September 4, 2019

Feathered Fallout

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.

October 28, 2017October 31, 2017

A Quick Getaway

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), Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), 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.

September 30, 2017September 4, 2018

Swallows by the Thousands

A fresh breeze from the north brought cooler air and a reminder that summer is gone and autumn has arrived.

Fast-moving dark clouds provided a perfect backdrop for viewing passing diurnal migrants. Bald Eagles utilized the tail wind to cruise down the Susquehanna toward Chesapeake Bay and points further south. A migrating Merlin began a chase from which a Northern Flicker narrowly escaped by finding shelter among Pothole Rocks and a few small trees. The season’s first American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Common Loon (Gavia immer), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varia), and American Pipits (Anthus rubescens) moved through.

Blue Jays continued their hesitant crossings of the river at Conewago Falls. The majority completed the journey by forming groups of a dozen or more birds and following the lead of a lone American Robin, a Northern Flicker, or, odd as it appeared, a small warbler.

By far the most numerous migrants today were swallows. Thousands of Northern Rough-winged Swallows and hundreds of Tree Swallows were on the wing in search of what was suddenly a sparse flying insect supply. To get out of the brisk wind, some of the more resourceful birds landed on the warm rocks. To satisfy their appetite, many were able to pick crawling arthropods from the surface of the boulders. They swallow them whole.

A few of the thousands of swallows seen at Conewago Falls today.

September 9, 2017September 4, 2019

Piles of Green Tape

A couple of inches of rain this week caused a small increase in the flow of the river, just a burp, nothing major. This higher water coincided with some breezy days that kicked up some chop on the open waters of the Susquehanna upstream of Conewago Falls. Apparently it was just enough turbulence to uproot some aquatic plants and send them floating into the falls.

Piled against and upon the upstream side of many of the Pothole Rocks were thousands of two to three feet-long flat ribbon-like opaque green leaves of Tapegrass, also called Wild Celery, but better known as American Eelgrass (Vallisneria americana). Some leaves were still attached to a short set of clustered roots. It appears that most of the plants broke free from creeping rootstock along the edge of one of this species’ spreading masses which happened to thrive during the second half of the summer. You’ll recall that persistent high water through much of the growing season kept aquatic plants beneath a blanket of muddy current. The American Eelgrass colonies from which these specimens originated must have grown vigorously during the favorable conditions in the month of August. A few plants bore the long thread-like pistillate flower stems with a fruit cluster still intact. During the recent few weeks, there have been mats of American Eelgrass visible, the tops of their leaves floating on the shallow river surface, near the east and west shorelines of the Susquehanna where it begins its pass through the Gettysburg Basin near the Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge at Highspire. This location is a probable source of the plants found in the falls today.

Uprooted American Eelgrass floating into the Pothole Rocks under the power of a north wind. Note the white thread-like pistillate flower stem to the left and the small rooted specimen to the upper right. The latter is likely a plant from the creeping rootstock on the edge of a colony. As a native aquatic species, American Eelgrass is a critical link in the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay food chain. Its decimation by pollution during the twentieth century led to migration pattern alterations and severe population losses for the Canvasback *(Aythya valisineria)* duck.

American Eelgrass, a very small specimen, found growing in a low-lying Pothole Rock alongside the accumulations of freshly arriving material from upstream. Note that the creeping rootstock has leaves growing from at least three nodes on this plant. Eelgrass dislocations are regular occurrences which sometimes begin new colonies, like the small one seen here in this Diabase Pothole Rock Microhabitat.

The cool breeze from the north was a perfect fit for today’s migration count. Nocturnal migrants settling down for the day in the Riparian Woodlands at sunrise included more than a dozen warblers and some Gray Catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis). Diurnal migration was underway shortly thereafter.

A moderate flight of nocturnal migrants is indicated around NEXRAD sites in the northeastern states at 3:18 AM EDT. The outer rain bands of Hurricane Irma can be seen approaching the Florida Keys as the storm closes in on the peninsula. (NOAA/National Weather Service image)

Four Bald Eagles were counted as migrants this morning. Based on plumage, two were first-year eagles (Juvenile) seen up high and flying the river downstream, one was a second-year bird (Basic I) with a jagged-looking wing molt, and a third was probably a fourth year (Basic III) eagle looking much like an adult with the exception of a black terminal band on the tail. These birds were the only ones which could safely be differentiated from the seven or more Bald Eagles of varying ages found within the past few weeks to be lingering at Conewago Falls. There were as many as a dozen eagles which appeared to be moving through the falls area that may have been migrating, but the four counted were the only ones readily separable from the locals.

Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) were observed riding the wind to journey not on a course following the river, but flying across it and riding the updraft on the York Haven Diabase ridge from northeast to southwest.

Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) seem to have moved on. None were discovered among the swarms of other species today.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Caspian Terns, Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), and Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) were migrating today, as were Monarch butterflies.

Not migrating, but always fun to have around, all four wise guys were here today. I’m referring to the four members of the Corvid family regularly found in the Mid-Atlantic states: Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), and Common Raven (Corvus corax).

It looks like a big Blue Jay, but it’s not. This Belted Kingfisher *(Megaceryle alcyon)* takes a break after flying around the falls trying to shake a marauding Ruby-throated Hummingbird off its tail.

SOURCES

Klots, Elsie B. 1966. The New Field Book of Freshwater Life. G. P. Putnam’s Sons. New York, NY.