Follow the Raptor Migration
Two Cooper’s Hawks over Pack Monadnock (photo © Chuck Carlson)
Biologists regularly record up to 15 different raptor species from platform at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory. From mid-September through mid-October, significant daily and seasonal flights of Broad-winged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Goshawks, Peregrine Falcons, Ospreys, and Bald Eagles are possible. Mid-October through mid-November often brings Golden Eagles and Northern Goshawks.
During the migration season, detailed reports — including hourly raptor count and weather data, non-raptor observations, special notes, season totals, and next-day forecasts — are posted at the end of each day on hawkcount.org, an online database managed by the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA). Historic migration data are also available via hawkcount.org, and you can find annual summaries of Pack Monadnock migration data from recent years here. Hawk Watch Coordinator Phil Brown also provides regular in-season updates below.
The Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory is a project of the Harris Center for Conservation Education, in partnership with the State of New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. It was founded by New Hampshire Audubon.
Updates from the 2024 Season
Mid-October at the Observatory: A Changing of the Seasons
A rare gathering of Harris Center raptor counters on Pack Monadnock in 2024. From the left: Caroline Fegley, Julie Brown, Levi Buford, Katrina Fenton, Phil Brown, and Henry Walters
(photo © Mark Timmerman)
October is a month of transitions at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory. While many of the thousands of visitors who hike up or drive the auto road now come to admire fall foliage (and deservedly so!), others are drawn to the thrilling spectacle of migrating raptors and the impressive diversity of species seen at the Hawk Watch. But there’s one species of raptor which is now distinctly in the rearview mirror at this midpoint of the season.
Broad-winged Hawks: A Look Back
In 2024, Broad-winged Hawks posted their second-lowest showing in the Observatory’s 20-year history. Even so, no other species even comes close to our season total of over 3,000 individual Broad-wings. We typically average around 8,800 each fall, so it was a shock to Hawk Watch regulars when September passed without that expected big push. The population has not crashed, however, at least as far as we can tell.
Pack’s sister site, Putney Mountain Hawk Watch in Vermont, recorded its highest-ever total of Broad-winged Hawks this September, with several days exceeding 1,000 birds. Experts suspect that the shift in migration was due to the lack of strong cold fronts and a lingering offshore low-pressure system, which pushed Broad-wings westward. Of all the species we track, Broad-wings show the greatest fluctuation, with numbers varying widely each year.
In 2024, Broad-winged Hawks posted their second-lowest showing in the Observatory’s 20-year history. (photo © Chuck Carlson)
High Tallies of Ospreys, Kestrels, and Harriers
Other species seemed less impacted by the weather pattern, though. Strong seasonal tallies are underway for a number of raptors that have declined in recent years and decades. Among them, Ospreys are a notable surprise, bouncing back from a low of 122 in 2023 to a solid 186 and counting (as of 10/11). Northern Harriers (91) and American Kestrels (173), both species of regional conservation concern, are also showing higher numbers than in previous years. While these are encouraging signs, data from one hawk watch isn’t enough to indicate any trends, as each species faces its own complex conservation scenario.
Why Does Pack’s Count Matter?
So why are these numbers important? Pack Monadnock data are periodically analyzed by conservation biologists from some of the world’s leading raptor research organizations through a tool called the Raptor Population Index (RPI). As one of several dozen hawk watches collecting data systematically, our birds truly ‘count’ when viewed in concert with data from other hawk watches, bringing raptor population trends across the Western Hemisphere into clear focus. To learn more about the RPI data analysis, visit the Raptor Population Index website.
What to Expect into Late October
As the Hawk Watch moves into late October, we can expect the season’s greatest flights of Turkey Vultures and Red-shouldered Hawks, as well as increasing daily tallies of Red-tailed Hawks. Colder late fall conditions should also bring a few Golden Eagles and American Goshawks, two prized species of the northern forests that migrate through our area in small numbers. Several of each have already been tallied this month.
Be prepared for cold weather at the summit, and dress for the conditions if you hope to spend some time watching hawks with our team of staff and volunteers. Barring poor weather conditions, we’ll be there from 9 to 5 daily throughout October. We look forward to greeting you!
A Merlin chasing a Turkey Vulture over Pack Monadnock this migration season (photo © Chuck Carlson)
Raptor Release on Sunday, September 22
A rehabilitated Red-shouldered Hawk, taking flight after being released back to the wild at Pack Monadnock (photo © Judd Nathan)
The birds are soaring over Pack today, so swing by and visit our Hawk-Watch team.
We also invite you to join us at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. for the 1 p.m. release of rehabilitated raptors back into the wild.
These hawks, injured early this year, have been cared for by Maria Colby’s Wings of the Dawn, and will be set free to join their fellow hawks on migration. (We won’t know what species or how many will be released until shortly before the event itself.) Don’t miss this uplifting, breathtaking experience. We recommend arriving by 12:30 p.m., as the release will be at 1 p.m. sharp.
After the raptor release, stick around (or come early) and enjoy the Hawk Watch. Scan the skies with our staff and volunteer raptor counters, as we identify and count migrating birds. It could be a big migration day—a chance for you to witness the greatest show above Earth.
Reserve your spot on the mountain with Miller State Park today because this event will fill up fast!
Raptor Biologist Katrina Fenton releases a Red-tailed Hawk on Raptor Release Day. (photo © Martha Duffy)
We’re Celebrating 20 Years!
Hawk watchers on Pack Monadnock observed this Broad-winged Hawk descending from the top of a thermal early in the 2024 migration season. (photo © Chuck Carlson)
This past Sunday, the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory officially soared into its 20th consecutive season of raptor migration monitoring and education at Miller State Park. Migration has been underway since August, however, and the count is off to a good start.
Through an annually renewed special use permit, the Harris Center partners with Miller State Park and the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to operate the Observatory. We rely on various funding sources, especially private contributions, to support this work — so thanks in advance for your continued support of this important conservation research and education project, which directly reaches more than 6,000 people and tallies an average of over 11,000 migrating raptors each season.
This fall, we welcome Caroline Fegley as the new full-time lead Raptor Counter five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday). Read more about Caroline, the 2024 hawk watch season, and the Harris Center’s other raptor-related projects in this recent raptor conservation update.
Volunteers Iain MacLeod (Mondays), Julie Brown (working with me on Tuesdays), and a combination of several other stalwart volunteers are some of the faces you’ll encounter on the platform. We also welcome additional staff from the Harris Center and partnering organizations to help us accomplish our dual mission of science and education. Harris Center naturalist Nikko Gagnon will again be on the summit at least once a week between mid-September and mid-October to greet visitors and work with school groups. An educator from the SCA New Hampshire Conservation Corps, Carolyn Sill, will also be on hand Friday through Sunday in the early part of the season. A big thanks to our team of staff, volunteers, partners, and community supporters, who keep us aloft year after year!
As usual, we’re gearing up for a number of key events — a raptor identification Zoom program with me on September 12, a Birding for All event at the Observatory on September 24, an online Lunch & Learn talk with biologist Diego Gallego García and the Hawk Migration Association of America (HMANA) on September 24, the Big Sit birding event on October 12, and possibly a raptor release (stay tuned for more information on that). Otherwise, it will be business as usual, and we welcome bird lovers of all ages to learn about the science and spectacle of migration with us! While the Hawk Watch is free to visit, as always, reservations to visit Miller State Park are strongly recommended to guarantee your space on the mountain.
Throughout the season, I’ll keep you updated on the migration, special events, and more in these periodic Field Reports. I also encourage you to read the daily postings from hawkcount.org, which include a special feature to celebrate our 20th anniversary — “On this day in Pack’s history….”
For more information about the Observatory, including how to contribute and make reservations, and to read the final report from the 2023 season, visit our Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory page.
—Phil Brown, Bird Conservation Director
Hawk watchers kick off the 20th season at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory. (photo © Phil Brown)
Contact Us
For more information on the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory or to volunteer, please contact Bird Conservation Director Phil Brown.
