Located just six miles inland from Long Island Sound at an elevation of 510 ft, Quaker Ridge is SW Connecticut's premier fall hawkwatching site at Audubon Greenwich. Since 1971 birders and nature enthusiasts alike have enjoyed QR as an observatory to the annual fall passage of thousands of hawks, eagles and falcons on their journey to Central and South America. Starting in 1985, an official counte
r has been present seven days a week from late August to late November in order to compile data on these birds and hopefully discover trends in each species' populations. Following the passage of cold fronts with winds out of the N-NW, thousands of hawks can been counted on a single day at QR. In mid-September all eyes are on the spectacle of migrating Broad-Winged Hawks. On days when hot air rises to create thermals, groups of hundreds of these birds can be seen spiraling in unison together in these funnels of air, often called a 'kettle' of hawks. Over 35,000 Broad-Winged Hawks have been counted here on a single day! The peak of Broad-Wing migration usually occurs in mid-September between September 14-20, so if winds are out of the NW or NE on any of these given days you might be in for a real show. Besides Broad-Wings, 15 other species of diurnal raptors can be seen during migration at QR. Bald Eagles are now a near daily occurrence at the watch due to now-thriving populations of this once critically endangered bird. As colder weather arrived in late October-early November, large numbers of Red-Shouldered and Red-Tailed Hawks can be seen. If you're very lucky, you may even see a Golden Eagle! The hawk watch is open to the public from August 20th to November 20th with an official staff member counting Monday through Friday. Volunteers will be counting on weekends and any new volunteers are strongly encouraged. All you need to bring is a pair of binoculars and sharp eyes. QR's experienced hawk watchers are always eager to answer your questions and show you not only how important these birds are to our environment, but how awesome it can be to spot and identify them in flight. Audubon Greenwich also hosts its annual Hawk Watch Weekend in Late September, which offers a variety of education programs on hawks & nature as well as food, entertainment and exhibits from local environmental organizations. Our daily totals can be viewed at
http:www.hawkcount.org
under Quaker Ridge
For more information on the hawks we see here and on their migration visit the Hawk Migration Association of North America's website:
http://hmana.org
You can also check out all of Audubon Greenwich's upcoming programs and events at their official website:
http://greenwich.audubon.org/
