Raptor Migration: The Greatest Show Above the Earth

Have you ever seen the greatest show above the Earth? Look up this fall and you might catch the swirling rise of hundreds, sometimes thousands of hawks, migrating across our bright skies. It will take your breath away and give you a wild dose of awe. When summer's heat begins to fade and the days grow shorter, many of our local birds get the itch to get out of town. It isn't because they will be too cold in winter. Rather, it is their appetite that leads them to take a perilous journey of thousands of miles. Birds of prey, including hawks, falcons, and eagles, are aerial predators, circling the skies on their powerful wings as they seek their meals. Equipped with spectacular eyesight for hunting, strong killing feet called talons, and a hooked beak for shredding prey, these birds, also known as raptors, specialize in eating live prey, like insects, mice, voles, squirrels, snakes, songbirds and fish. Many of these animals are unavailable during the winter, such as many songbirds who also migrate While other prey such as fish and small mammals spend the winter months under the insulting safety of ice or snow in our northern region. This lack of available food resources is the reason many raptors take to the wing, following their appetites south for the winter. Animal migrations are one of nature's most spectacular phenomena. Think of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope charging across the African plains, or the caribou crossing the Arctic. Most of us may never get to witness these magnificent movements of herds of animals but here in the fall, we can just lift our eyes to the sky, and see a river of raptors on the wing, heading for distant lands. This fall, no matter where you are, if you can see the sky, look up. You might just see an eagle circling up above you, or catch a glimpse of the fastest animal on the planet — the peregrine falcon — streaking past you like a shooting star. But if you want a really good chance to see migrating raptors, the best place is on top of a mountain with good views all around. A great place to do this is Pack Monadnock Mountain at Miller State Park in Peterborough. The Harris Center for Conservation Education has a Raptor Observatory on the peak with a full-time raptor biologist, 7 days a week during hawk migration season, which runs from the beginning of September to the end of November. The biologist, along with a slew of avid and experienced hawk-watchers, counts every migrating raptor soaring over the mountain. Having such an expert crew on hand enables all viewers to know what they are seeing and to share in the excitement. Pay attention to the weather to find the best hawk-watching days. Look for sunny skies, winds out of the north, and a high-pressure system right after a rain event. The cool air and winds from the north combined with the sun creating pockets of rising thermals, press the raptors forward, helping them conserve their energy on their long journey. It's like surfing a wave and letting the force of nature propel you forward. If you see a day like this in mid-September, it is broad-winged hawk season. Call in sick to work and school, cancel your plans, and get yourself to a mountain top. You might get a chance to experience a "Big Day." Broad-winged hawks, one of the common woodland raptors that make their summer home in our forests, migrate in large groups. These flocks of raptors are called kettles perhaps because they resemble the swirling and bubbling air that rises out of a kettle. Kettles can number in the hundreds and thousands and if you see one, you will never forget it! There is something thrilling about seeing such a mass of raptors all at once that will set your heart on fire. Even if you don't hit a big day, the autumn sky always has something to deliver. From the bold behavior of the diminutive sharp-shinned hawk chasing eagles across the sky to the flash of an osprey's distinctive black and white plumage, hawk-watching offers something to all of us, no matter the age. It reminds us to look up and take notice, to slow down and spend a day together on a mountain, filled with hope. For more about the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory visit the Harris Center's website at www.harriscenter.org/conservation-research/wildlife-research/birds/pack-monadnock-raptor-observatory and keep your eyes on our calendar events for raptor related programs at www.harriscenter.org/events.&emsp;&emsp;