 Ashland Hawk Watch is in the center of the Red Clay Audubon Important Bird Area, designated by the National Audubon Society. Begun in 2007, this raptor migration count station operates September through November annually. Migrant raptors are counted daily and results are reported to the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), where over 200 hawk watch sites from around the continent report their findings. Between 5,000 and 10,000 raptors can be expected to migrate past this site each autumn.
Hawk Watch Hill is ideally situated to observe daytime migration and a full-time hawk watcher and trained volunteers are present to identify birds. The eastern edge of the Piedmont, a chain of rolling hills extending from New York to Alabama, is a flyway for many raptors heading south. The Delaware Nature Society's Ashland Nature Center is an ideal location to view raptors and many other migrants heading along this route.
Ashland Hawkcount Visit the Ashland Hawkcount page for current daily and historic hawk flight data for the Ashland Hawk Watch!
Raptor Season . . . the best times to visit Ashland Hawk Watch to view your favorite species:
Osprey
September and October. Peaks late
September or early October.
Bald Eagle
Consistent September thru mid-
November. No noticeable peak.
Northern Harrier
Consistent September thru November.
Slight peak in October.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
September thru November.
Peaks in mid-late October.
Cooper's Hawk
September thru early November.
Peaks mid-October.
Northern Goshawk
Low numbers occur late October
to mid-November.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Generally October and November.
Peaks in November.
|
Broad-winged Hawk
Occurs in large numbers during
mid-September.
Red-tailed Hawk
October and November.
Peaks in November.
Golden Eagle
Small numbers come thru late
October and early November.
American Kestrel
September and October.
Peaks in late September.
Merlin
September and October.
Peregrine Falcon
September and October.
Peaks early October.
Turkey & Black Vulture (shown)
October and November.
|
Ashland Hawk Watch Fun Facts
- Common Loons can be seen flying overhead in September and October.
- Common Nighthawks should be looked for in the late afternoon during the month of September.
- Delaware Nature Society's Ashland Nature Center is the only Delaware nesting site for the Sharp-shinned Hawk.
- Monarch Butterflies migrate past hawkwatch hill. On a nice day in September or October, you may see hundreds of them go by.
- Tree Swallows swarm during October. In the afternoon, sometimes thousands can be seen going past, usually to the southeast.
- During November, migrant Canada Geese, Snow Geese, and sometimes Tundra Swans can be seen migrating south by the thousands.
Ashland Hawk Watch is a joint project of:
In connection with:
|
