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.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.
“Waves” of warblers and other Neotropical songbirds continue to roll along the ridgetops of southern Pennsylvania. The majority of these migrants are headed to wintering habitat in the tropics after departing breeding grounds in the forests of southern Canada. At Second Mountain Hawk Watch, today’s early morning flight kicked off at sunrise, then slowed considerably by 8:30 A.M. E.D.T. Once again, in excess of 400 warblers were found moving through the trees and working their way southwest along the spine of the ridge. Each of the 12 species seen yesterday were observed today as well. In addition, there was a Northern Parula and a Canada Warbler. Today’s flight was dominated by Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, and Tennessee Warblers.
A Blackburnian Warbler at sunrise on Second Mountain.A hungry Blackburnian Warbler feeding on insects.Black-throated Green Warblers were a plentiful species among both yesterday’s and today’s waves of Neotropical migrants.A juvenile Black-throated Green Warbler.One of the scores of Tennessee Warblers seen on Second Mountain early this morning.Cape May Warblers were still common today, but not moving through in the numbers seen yesterday.A male Black-throated Blue Warbler.Compared to yesterday’s flight, lesser numbers of Magnolia Warblers were seen today.An adult male Wilson’s Warbler was a good find among the hundreds of birds swarming the ridgetop.This Nashville Warbler spent much of the day in the tangles of Mile-a-minute Weed surrounding the lookout.
Other interesting Neotropical migrants joined the “waves” of warblers…
Red-eyed Vireo numbers were higher than yesterday.This Warbling Vireo was found peering from the cover of the shady forest.A minimum of six Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were identified including the juvenile male seen here in first-fall plumage. Other good sightings were Scarlet Tanagers, an adult male Baltimore Oriole, and a dozen or more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.Three Least Flycatchers were heard calling and seen chasing one another through a stand of dead timber on the south slope below the lookout.After the warbler flight settled, the task of counting migrating raptors commenced. Five Broad-winged Hawks including this one were tallied as they glided away to the southwest for a winter vacation in the tropics of Central and South America.
During the recent couple of mornings, a tide of Neotropical migrants has been rolling along the crests of the Appalachian ridges and Piedmont highlands of southern Pennsylvania. In the first hours of daylight, “waves” of warblers, vireos, flycatchers, tanagers, and other birds are being observed flitting among the sun-drenched foliage as they feed in trees along the edges of ridgetop clearings. Big fallouts have been reported along Kittattiny Ridge/Blue Mountain at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and at Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch. Birds are also being seen in the Furnace Hills of the Piedmont.
Here are some of the 300 to 400 warblers (a very conservative estimate) seen in a “wave” found working its way southwest through the forest clearing at the Second Mountain Hawk Watch in Lebanon County this morning. The feeding frenzy endured for two hours between 7 and 9 A.M. E.D.T.
Tennessee Warblers (Leiothlypis peregrina) were very common among the migrants seen this morning on Second Mountain.An adult male Tennessee Warbler.A Nashville Warbler.A Chestnut-sided Warbler.Cape May Warblers were another common species during the morning flight.Magnolia Warblers were frequently observed as well.A Black-and-white Warbler exhibiting its nuthatch-like feeding behavior.A Blackburnian Warbler.Black-throated Green Warblers were numerous.A Bay-breasted Warbler.This was the only Wilson’s Warbler discerned among the hundreds of warblers seen in a “wave” on Second Mountain this morning.
Not photographed but observed in the mix of species were several Black-throated Blue Warblers and American Redstarts.
In addition to the warblers, other Neotropical migrants were on the move including two Common Nighthawks, a Broad-winged Hawk, a Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus), and…
At least half a dozen Scarlet Tanagers were in the treetops.And no less than 23 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were counted cruising southbound past the lookout at Second Mountain Hawk Watch today.
Then, there was a taste of things to come…
One of 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches filling the air on the mountaintop with calls reminiscent of a toy tin horn. Will this summer’s forest fires in Canada prompt a significant invasion of this and other birds including winter finches in coming months? Time will tell.
Seeing a “wave” flight is a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Visiting known locations for observing warbler fallouts such as hawk watches, ridgetop clearings, and peninsular shorelines can improve your chances of witnessing one of these memorable spectacles by overcoming the first variable. To overcome the second, be sure to visit early and often. See you on the lookout!
As we enter September, autumn bird migration is well underway. Neotropical species including warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and nighthawks are already headed south. Meanwhile, the raptor migration is ramping up and hawk watch sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic States are now staffed and counting birds. In addition to the expected migrants, there have already been sightings of some unusual post-breeding wanderers. Yesterday, a Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) was seen passing Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and a Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) that spent much of August in Juniata County was seen from Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch while it was hunting in a Perry County field six miles to the north of the lookout! Both of these rarities are vagrants from down Florida way.
A Peregrine Falcon speeds past the lookout at Second Mountain Hawk Watch yesterday.Later this month, numbers of high-flying Broad-winged Hawks moving past counting stations will reach their peak. Most sites will experience one or more days with hundreds or perhaps thousands of these Neotropical migrants streaming by.This Black-and-white Warbler was found among a “wave” of migrating songbirds moving through some ridgetop trees.A juvenile Cape May Warbler peers from the cover of an Eastern Hemlock.
To plan a visit to a hawk watch near you, click on the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page to find a list and brief description of suggested sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. “Hawkwatcher’s Helper” also includes an extensive photo guide for identifying the raptors you’re likely to see.
And to identify those confusing fall warblers and other migrants, click the “Birds” tab at the top of this page and check out the photo guide contained therein. It includes nearly all of the species you’re likely to see in the lower Susquehanna valley.
Here are several of the Golden Eagles seen migrating in this morning’s stiff north-northwest wind along Second Mountain in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
A hatch-year Golden Eagle, also known as a first-year or juvenile bird. After December 31 of the year of its birth, it will be known as a second-year Golden Eagle.A hatch-year Golden Eagle reveals no molt of its juvenile flight feathers. Neat and trim.A hatch-year Golden Eagle displays faded median secondary upperwing coverts, but not the ofttimes mottled tawny “bars” seen on birds after their first year, such as the individual shown in the last image of this post.A second-year Golden Eagle, also known as a Basic I immature bird.The same second-year Golden Eagle, just beginning molt of the juvenile flight feathers in the wings.The second-year Golden Eagle passes the lookout.Two views of a third-year (maybe older) Golden Eagle, topside (left) and underside (right). Note the conspicuous tawny bars on the topside of the wings (present in all birds after their first year) and a trace of white in the tail (present in birds prior to adulthood). The two-toned appearance of the underside of the wings resembles that of a Turkey Vulture and is an adult trait Golden Eagles begin acquiring as early as their third year. Some birds in their third year retain noticeably longer juvenile secondaries, making the trailing edge of the wings appear jagged.
To learn more about determining the age of a Golden Eagle on the wing, click the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tab at the top of this page, then get to a hawk watch and have a look.
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.
An early-season Golden Eagle passes the lookout at Second Mountain Hawk Watch in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, today. This eagle is not an adult. White in the tail indicates that it has not yet reached its fifth year of life. It may have spent the summer wandering well south of breeding grounds in northeastern Canada, then, upon commencing autumn migration, arrived here well ahead of the nesting birds. To learn more about determining the age of Golden Eagles, click the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tab at the top of this page. Though the large flights of Broad-winged Hawks are done for 2022, the greatest number of other raptors, including Golden Eagles, will be passing local counting stations during the coming five weeks, so be certain to also click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper” tab to find details on regional sites that you can visit.
Neotropical songbirds are again on their way south for the winter. Many rely on specialized habitats to provide suitable feeding and resting areas for stopovers during their autumnal journey. The Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), an uncommon find, almost always makes its appearances on the dead branches of a tall tree in a ridgetop forest clearing. This one was found this morning as it ambushed insects from a perch in a snag at the Second Mountain Hawk Watch in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Be sure to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper” tab at the top of this page to see updates that include descriptions of more than a dozen hawk watches in and near the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. Links provide travel directions and sighting records for many of the lookouts. Plan to visit one or more this fall.
A second-year Golden Eagle passes over the lookout at Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch north of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Do make plans to visit a hawk watch during the coming days. The Golden Eagle migration through the lower Susquehanna region is peaking right now, so it’ll soon be last call for this fall. Be sure to click on the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Raptors” and the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tabs at the top of this page to learn more about your sightings.
Each autumn, Eastern Golden Eagles transit the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed as they make their way from nesting sites in eastern Canada to wintering ranges in the mountains of the eastern United States. The majority of these birds make passage during late October and early November, so when a Golden Eagle is observed at a local hawk watch during the month of September, it is a notable event. So far in 2021, both Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch north of Carlisle and Second Mountain Hawk Watch at Fort Indiantown Gap have logged early-season Golden Eagles, the former on the seventeenth of September and the latter just yesterday.
Two images of a distant Golden Eagle seen passing Second Mountain Hawk Watch on September 29th. Plumage indicates it is a “before-third-year” bird. Adult birds and birds born this year, the latter known as hatch-year or juvenile Golden Eagles, are the least likely to have already completed the journey from northern breeding territories to south-central Pennsylvania. This individual is very likely an immature Golden Eagle in its second year, but a view of the topside of the wings would be necessary to eliminate a hatch-year/juvenile bird as a possibility. Immature Golden Eagles, those birds in their second through fourth years, are the ones most at leisure to wander and show up as unanticipated visitors at unexpected times.
To learn more about identifying Golden Eagles and other birds of prey, be certain to click the “Hawkwatchers Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Raptors” tab at the top of this page.
And for more specific information on Golden Eagles and how to determine their age, click the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tab at the top of this page.
The smoke has cleared—at least for now—and Broad-winged Hawks are being seen migrating across lower Susquehanna valley skies. Check out these daily counts from area hawk watches…
Rocky Ridge County Park Hawk Watch northeast of York, Pennsylvania: 475 Broad-winged Hawks on Saturday, September 18th—including 388 during the two hours between noon and 2 P.M.
Second Mountain Hawk Watch at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania: 300 Broad-winged Hawks on Wednesday, September 15th— one more than was tallied passing the site on the previous day.
Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch on Blue Mountain north of Carlisle, Pennsylvania: 1,211 Broad-winged Hawks on Tuesday, September 14th and 1,485 on Sunday, September 19th.
Broad-winged hawks in a “kettle” formation gaining altitude on a thermal updraft above Second Mountain Hawk Watch before continuing on their migratory journey. “Kettling” can occur above any heat-generating surface on a sunny day, even a parking lot.A migrating adult Broad-winged Hawk rising skyward.A juvenile Broad-winged Hawk “feeding on the wing” consuming a dragonfly.
Additional Broad-winged Hawks are still working their way through the Mid-Atlantic States as they continue toward tropical wintering grounds. And there’s more. Numbers for a dozen other migratory hawk, eagle, and falcon species will peak between now and mid-November. Days following passage of a cold front are generally best—so do get out there and have a look!
You can check the daily hawk count numbers and find detailed information for lookout sites all across North America at hawkcount.org
And don’t forget to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper” tab at the top of this page to see a gallery of photos that can help you to identify, and possibly determine the age of, the many species of raptors that occur in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.
A juvenile Merlin clutching a dragonfly takes a late-afternoon break from its migration flight. Merlin numbers peak in early October.
During the coming two weeks, peak numbers of migrating Neotropical birds will be passing through the northeastern United States including the lower Susquehanna valley. Hawk watches are staffed and observers are awaiting big flights of Broad-winged Hawks—hoping to see a thousand birds or more in a single day.
During its passage through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, an adult Broad-winged Hawk sails over Second Mountain Hawk Watch in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.A hatch-year/juvenile Broad-winged Hawk gazes toward hawk watchers on the ground.
Broad-winged hawks feed on rodents, amphibians, and a variety of large insects while on their breeding grounds in the forests of the northern United States and Canada. They depart early, journeying to wintering areas in Central and South America before frost robs them of a reliable food supply.
The Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina), this one photographed at Second Mountain Hawk Watch on September 8th, is the rarest of the lower Susquehanna region’s migratory dragonflies. Autumn Broad-winged Hawk movements coincide with southbound flights of the Carolina Saddlebags and the more numerous migratory dragonfly species: Common Green Darner, Wandering Glider, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, and Black Saddlebags. “Broad-wings” will often eat these and other dragonflies during migration and can sometimes be seen catching and feeding upon them while still soaring high overhead.
While migrating, Broad-winged Hawks climb to great altitudes on thermal updrafts and are notoriously difficult to see from ground level. Bright sunny skies with no clouds to serve as a backdrop further complicate a hawk counter’s ability to spot passing birds. Throughout the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, the coming week promises to be especially challenging for those trying to observe and census the passage of high-flying Broad-winged Hawks. The forecast of hot and humid weather is not so unusual, but the addition of smoke from fires in the western states promises to intensify the haze and create an especially irritating glare for those searching the skies for raptors.
Smoke from fires along the California coast and in central Utah can be seen streaming east this morning. (NOAA/GOES image)Smoke from western fires and humid air creates a band of haze in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and states to the south this morning. (NOAA/GOES image)
A migrating Broad-winged Hawk in the glare of a hazy sky. In addition to visibility problems, swarms of Spotted Lanternflies above the treetops make distant hawks difficult to discern for hawk watchers scanning the horizon with binoculars.
It may seem gloomy for the mid-September flights in 2021, but hawk watchers are hardy types. They know that the birds won’t wait. So if you want to see migrating “Broad-wings” and other species, you’ve got to get out there and look up while they’re passing through.
Migrating Ospreys typically fly low enough and are large enough to be spotted even during the haziest of conditions.Bald Eagles like this fourth-year bird can ascend to great altitude, but their size usually prevents them from sneaking past a lookout unnoticed.Peregrines escape notice not due to hazy sky conditions, but because they pass by so quickly. They’re being seen at local hawk watches now through October.
These hawk watches in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed are currently staffed by official counters and all welcome visitors:
Rocky Ridge County Park Hawk Watch—3699 Deininger Road off Mount Zion Road (Route 24) northeast of York, Pennsylvania.
Second Mountain Hawk Watch—off Cold Spring Road on the grounds of Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch—where Route 74 crosses Blue Mountain north of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
—or you can just keep an eye on the sky from wherever you happen to be. And don’t forget to check the trees and shrubs because warbler numbers are peaking too! During recent days…
Northern Parula at Chiques Rock County Park in Lancaster County.Black-and-white Warbler at Rocky Ridge County Park in York County.Cape May Warbler at Chiques Rock County Park in Lancaster County.Bay-breasted Warbler at Rocky Ridge County Park in York County.
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), designated as Pennsylvania’s state flower, is a native evergreen shrub of forests situated on dry rocky slopes with acidic soils. As the common name implies, we think of it mostly as a plant of the mountainous regions—those areas of the Susquehanna watershed north of Harrisburg. It is indeed symbolic of Appalachian forests. But Mountain Laurel can also be found to the south of the capital city in forested highlands of the Piedmont. There, currently, it happens to be in full bloom. Let’s put on a pair of sturdy shoes and take a walk in the Hellam Hills of eastern York County at Rocky Ridge County Park to have a look.
The showy flower clusters of blooming Mountain Laurel are conspicuous throughout Rocky Ridge County Park right now.Mountain Laurel flowering in the utility right-of-way south of the main parking area at Rocky Ridge……and to the north of the parking area at the hawk-watch platform.Strolling a forest trail, particularly west of the utility right-of-way, can take you on a path through a thicket of flowering Mountain Laurel.The majority of Mountain Laurels one might encounter will sport white flowers.Others vary, exhibiting shades of spectacular pink.Look closely and you’ll see flowers with curled filaments on some of the stamens. When a bee or other insect makes contact, they spring into an extended position to assure pollen transfer to the visiting pollinator.Absolutely spectacular.
Rain or shine, do get out and have a look at the blooming Mountain Laurel.
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.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
Second Mountain Hawk Watch is located on a ridge top along the northern edge of the Fort Indiantown Gap Military Reservation and the southern edge of State Game Lands 211 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The valley on the north side of the ridge, also known as St. Anthony’s Wilderness, is drained to the Susquehanna by Stony Creek. The valley to the south is drained toward the river by Indiantown Run, a tributary of Swatara Creek.
The hawk watch is able to operate at this prime location for observing the autumn migration of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and bats through the courtesy of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Garrison Commander at Fort Indiantown Gap. The Second Mountain Hawk Watch Association is a non-profit organization that staffs the count site daily throughout the season and reports data to the North American Hawk Watch Association (posted daily at hawkcount.org).
Today, Second Mountain Hawk Watch was populated by observers who enjoyed today’s break in the rainy weather with a visit to the lookout to see what birds might be on the move. All were anxiously awaiting a big flight of Broad-winged Hawks, a forest-dwelling Neotropical species that often travels back to its wintering grounds in groups exceeding one hundred birds. Each autumn, many inland hawk watches in the northeast experience at least one day in mid-September with a Broad-winged Hawk count exceeding 1,000 birds. They are an early-season migrant and today’s southeast winds ahead of the remnants of Hurricane Florence (currently in the Carolinas) could push southwest-heading “Broad-wings” out of the Piedmont Province and into the Ridge and Valley Province for a pass by the Second Mountain lookout.
The flight turned out to be steady through the day with over three hundred Broad-winged Hawks sighted. The largest group consisted of several dozen birds. We would hope there are probably many more yet to come after the Florence rains pass through the northeast and out to sea by mid-week. Also seen today were Bald Eagles, Ospreys, American Kestrels, and a migrating Red-headed Woodpecker.
Migrating Broad-winged Hawks circle on a thermal updraft above Second Mountain Hawk Watch to gain altitude before gliding away to the southwest.
Migrating insects included Monarch butterflies, and the three commonest species of migratory dragonflies: Wandering Glider, Black Saddlebags, and Common Green Darner. The Common Green Darners swarmed the lookout by the dozens late in the afternoon and attracted a couple of American Kestrels, which had apparently set down from a day of migration. American Kestrels and Broad-winged Hawks feed upon dragonflies and often migrate in tandem with them for at least a portion of their journey.
Still later, as the last of the Broad-winged Hawks descended from great heights and began passing by just above the trees looking for a place to settle down, a most unwelcome visitor arrived at the lookout. It glided in from the St. Anthony’s Wilderness side of the ridge on showy crimson-red wings, then became nearly indiscernible from gray tree bark when it landed on a limb. It was the dreaded and potentially invasive Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). This large leafhopper is native to Asia and was first discovered in North America in the Oley Valley of eastern Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014. The larval stage is exceptionally damaging to cultivated grape and orchard crops. It poses a threat to forest trees as well. Despite efforts to contain the species through quarantine and other methods, it’s obviously spreading quickly. Here on the Second Mountain lookout, we know that wind has a huge influence on the movement of birds and insects. The east and southeast winds we’ve experienced for nearly a week may be carrying Spotted Lanternflies well out of their most recent range and into the forests of the Ridge and Valley Province. We do know for certain that the Spotted Lanternfly has found its way into the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.
This adult Spotted Lanternfly landed in a birch tree behind the observers at the Second Mountain Hawk Watch late this afternoon. It was first recognized by its bright red wings as it glided from treetops on the north side of the lookout.
