Hawks over Bear Mountain

     The fall is a season of rejuvenation for birders.  After the doldrums of summer, the migrants begin their trek south and the birders dust off their binoculars and scopes and head back into the field.  The warblers come through in large numbers but are obscured by the foliage still clinging to the trees and by their suits of camouflage, trading in their brightly colored plumages of the breeding season for a much more discreet and safe drab wardrobe.  So you really have to work hard to get the warblers.

Red-tailed hawk

 Hawks on the other hand are easy and spectacular pickings at this time of year.  Moving through the Hudson Valley in massive droves, they are a sight to be held by birders and non-birders alike.  We often find ourselves up on the top of Bear Mountain, joining a small group of dedicated "counters" who man their posts each day to count, identify and report the movement of these wonderful raptors through the valley.  The show starts slowly in the beginning of September with a few Sharp-shinned hawks, some ospreys, a Bald eagle or two and some vultures moving through.  Soon, however, in mid-September and as if on cue, the big show begins....the migration of the Broadwings.  For us on Bear Mt., the winds of choice are from the southeast, and such winds were the prevailing forces yesterday.  As we watched and counted the occasional Bald eagle, osprey, and Red-tail, a stray Broadwing would fly overhead....a sign of things to come.  Suddenly, one of our number called out "Here comes a Broadwing....there's another, another!"

Boadwing hawk

Broadwing kettle

     Suddenly, the sky was darkened by the thick could of Broadwings directly overhead. The "kettles", formed a swirling mass as they caught the updrafts of warm air rising over the mountain.  It's a sight you don't see every day, but in mid-September, it's a sight you can be reasonably sure will pop up if you are just ever so patient.  And it is a sight well worth the wait!  And so, today, it's back up to the mountain to see what this day will bring.