Montclair Hawk Watch
September 14 2014
Leader: Sam Wilson
September 14 2014
Leader: Sam Wilson
NJYBC's first hawk watch trip turned out to be a great one! We met at Montclair Hawk Watch, the first ridge site located west of the lower Hudson River valley and just 13 miles from New York City. This site is unique among regional hawk watch sites as the platform offers fantastic views of the valley and the New York City skyline. Light NNW winds were favorable for a good hawk flight and we were not disappointed! Early on we witnessed Kestrels, Ospreys, Bald Eagles, and several accipiters, but the real show happened when the Broad-winged decided to show up. Just past noon a few hundred Broad-wingeds kettled and streamed through to the delight of all on the platform. Around 2:00 p.m. the big group showed up. Large numbers of Broad-wingeds appeared on the horizon using the same thermals and flight line. At one point, nearly over head, they numbered 700 in a single kettle! Streaming over us with wings held back in their distinctive shapes they appeared like an invading air-force on a mission. Following this mass group was another flight of about 400 more, making over 1300 just for the hour! The official count for the day was 2037 Broad-wingeds, a very respectable number for the date. One extra bonus of the trip was the enjoying this great flight with others including Wayne and Elsa, who coordinate the count and have shared their knowledge with many over the years.
Day's Official Raptor Counts
Osprey 32
Bald Eagle 15
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 85
Cooper’s Hawk 10
Broad-winged Hawk 2037
American Kestrel 29
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 6
Total number of birds: 2221
Osprey 32
Bald Eagle 15
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 85
Cooper’s Hawk 10
Broad-winged Hawk 2037
American Kestrel 29
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 6
Total number of birds: 2221