Date: 9/1/26 6:31 am From: Ian Stewart <istew...> Subject: [de-birds] Hawk watch season starts today!
1. Hi everyone, 2. 3. September marks the start of hawk watch season, where professional hawk counters and skilled volunteers record the numbers of a variety of hawks, vultures, falcons and eagles as they pass through Delaware on their southward migration. These data are important for assessing population trends among species and their migration routes and timing. There are two long-time hawk watches in Delaware resulting from a partnership between DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, the Delaware Ornithological Society and the Delaware Nature Society, with support from several generous donors. 4. 5. One count takes place from the hawk watch platform at Cape Henlopen State Park (counter Emma Hovland) and the other from hawk watch hill at Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin (counter David Brown). These sites are at opposite ends of the state and positioned on different migratory routes so the hawk composition at each one is quite different. The hawk watches run 7 days a week from September 1st to November 30th, currently from 9am to 4pm. They are free to visit with no need to register (though you have to pay to enter Cape Henlopen state park if you do not have a pass). Hawk watches are open to all ages and levels of experience with beginners welcome. They are a great place to learn about hawks and how to identify different species, and both sites are excellent places for seeing lots of other kinds of birds passing overhead or in the nearby vegetation or on the sea. The company is very friendly and both are beautiful places to relax and watch wildlife. Just bring something to eat and drink, maybe a hat, and perhaps a friend or two! 6.
Enjoy the hawks, Ian Stewart Delaware Nature Society
