KEMPTON, Pa. — Hawk Mountain's official autumn migration count is well underway, with just shy of 450 trekking birds of prey recorded so far.
“The cold front last week brought a strong push of migrants past the lookout,” according to a Wednesday news release from the sanctuary. “Tuesday, Aug. 20, saw 78 migrants pass including 19 bald eagles and the falcon trifecta!
“In total last week, we saw 40 bald eagles, 145 broad-winged hawks, and 33 ospreys making a strong start to our season. Migrant and local raptors interacting made for some exciting air shows including a 10-minute aerial chase as a bald eagle tried to fly down an osprey cross the ridge and eventually [got] lost in the Kempton Valley terrain.”Hawk Mountain news release
“In total last week, we saw 40 bald eagles, 145 broad-winged hawks, and 33 ospreys making a strong start to our season.
"Migrant and local raptors interacting made for some exciting air shows including a 10-minute aerial chase as a bald eagle tried to fly down an osprey cross the ridge and eventually [got] lost in the Kempton Valley terrain.”
Staff and volunteers at the sanctuary, 1700 Hawk Mountain Road, have monitored the autumnal migration since 1934 as part of conservation research efforts. It’s the longest-running raptor migration count in the world.
The count, which began mid-August and runs through mid-December, generally averages 18,000 raptors with one-day peak counts of more than 3,000 birds during September.
As of Aug. 27, 441 raptors were recorded, including 261 broad-winged hawks, 32 red-tailed hawks and 26 American kestrels.
But, birds of prey aren’t the only ones migrating — songbirds are, too. Spotted already this season include least flycatchers, warbling vireo and indigo bunting, among others.
“Friday saw our first big push of neotropical migrants, with 90 blackburnian warblers counted along with 46 black-throated green warblers and 8 other species, including a golden-winged warbler,” officials said in the release. “Yellow-throated vireo joined the migrating red-eyed and least flycatchers [in] a daily dawn encounter at the lookout, along with eastern wood-peewee and great-crested flycatcher.
“Common nighthawk put on a show at the end of the week when 89 flew past the lookout late Thursday afternoon and continued into the weekend. Cedar waxwing and the swallows have been the primary migrants during the day with good diversity in the swallow flocks moving across the lookout. Red-breasted nuthatch, red-headed woodpecker, and bobolink were also spotted from the lookout.”
Staff and volunteers at Hawk Mountain count migrating raptors twice a year, once in spring and again in the fall. This year’s official spring migration count ended with a record set for the number of bald eagles recorded soaring past the lookout.
Hawk Mountain isn’t the only local organization tracking autumn raptor migration data.
A team of observers and counters from the Lehigh Gap Nature Center earlier this month began this year’s Bake Oven Knob Autumn Hawk Watch, carrying on a more than 60-year tradition of conservation research.
Residents interested in volunteering can reach out to Hawk Mountain and/or the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, for more information.
