Head to the top of Pack Monadnock this fall and you might just see a bald eagle soaring through the sky. Play your cards right and there could even be a red-tailed hawk passing over head.
It’s migration season and the raptor observation area at the summit is the only official hawk watch in New Hampshire – run by the N.H. Audubon and Harris Center – where data will be collected for the 14th year and used to track migratory patterns when it comes to various species heading south for the winter.
There have been other spots used over the years (the Audubon just completed a 10-year study at Carter Hill Orchard in Concord last year), but this is where the efforts are currently being concentrated according to Phil Brown, hawk watch coordinator. This is the first year of the partnership between the Audubon and Harris Center, which has expanded the program to offer even more educational opportunities during the next two months.
“We just decided it was best to focus efforts on Pack Monadnock,” Brown said. “It’s really important to have long-term data.”
The biggest event of the season will happen Saturday with the annual raptor release at 3 p.m. Rehabilitated migratory birds of prey will be set free to coincide with peak of the broad-winged hawk migration, which make up about 75 percent of the season tally.
The summit of Pack Monadnock is the ideal spot to capture the raptor migration process unfold. It’s along a 22-mile, north-south, ridgeline that “they love to cruise above,” Brown said. That’s why the identification board is filled with almost two dozen species that the contingent of volunteers are constantly on the lookout for seven days a week (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. before daylight savings, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. after).
“Right through the middle of October is a great time to see migrant birds,” Brown said.
Observation officially began Sept. 1, and at that time, the process of heading south was in its early stages. But right about now, things are really starting to pick up and will continue through the middle of October. The volunteer counters will be stationed on the summit through Nov. 20 – depending on the weather, of course, since there could be snow up there by that point in the season.
“We’ve lengthened the season over the years,” Brown said.
On a day early in the season, less than 100 migratory birds will be tallied (those actually heading south), while peak time can translate into a total that can be hard to keep up with.
“They’ll pass through as groups of hundreds in their peak migration,” Brown said. “On those days, you’ll see thousands of birds come through here.”
Chad Witko, a seasonal raptor biologist through the Harris Center, has been watching and studying birds since he was a young child, but is getting his first taste at this kind of observation.
“The distance a hawk watcher has to identify birds at is much different than the typical birder,” Witko said. “So you definitely need as many eyes as possible because it’s a lot of sky to cover.”
That’s why there are multiple watchers and counters at the observation area throughout the season, and it’s all because of the 50-plus volunteers available to help out. Some volunteers have been helping out since the beginning, while Levi Burford of Antrim is just entering his second year.
“It’s more of a hobby for me, but I am dedicated to good data,” he said.
The volunteers rely on each other for identification and to discuss what they’ve seen. They use both telescopes and binoculars, but depending on the distance it can be hard to always know what you’re looking at. That’s why there’s also a category for others.
“It’s great for raptors for so many reasons,” Witko said. “But non-raptor wise, this is a great place to see warblers, finches – all kinds of birds,”
There is a $4 fee adults and $2 fee for children ages 6 to 11 to visit Miller State Park. Children ages 5 and under and N.H. residents age 65 and over are free. Donations are also accepted at the observation area. To get to the summit, you can either drive or hike one of three trails.
Guests are always welcome to visit the area, ask questions and try to be the first one to spot – and identify – a bird. There will be a limited number of binoculars available for use as well. Hundreds of students visit the site each year. Groups can still be scheduled by contacting Miller State Park at 924-3672.
In addition to all the birds, even ones that call that area home and don’t migrate, the views from the summit can be rather impressive this time of year. On a clear day, you can see as far as Mount Washington, which can be an interesting sight when there’s snow at the top when looking past all the foliage colors.
“It offers such a great vantage point,” Brown said.
For more information, visit harriscenter.org.