Winged Wonders
• By Philip Morgan
This September, as sure as the leaves will fall from the trees, raptors from throughout the Northeastern United States and Canada will start to head south for the winter. This migration will bring thousands of raptors within sight, and often directly over, the top of Putney Mountain. As they pass by, a group of hawkwatchers will identify them, count their numbers, and send this data to the Hawk Migration of North America Association which compiles data from many sites. This allows ornithologists to study and compare migrations to past years.
The chance to see any of 16 species of raptors soar by, sometimes seemingly within arms reach, and often in large numbers, fuels the imagination and addiction that causes the volunteer hawkwatchers to spend many happy hours, often in difficult weather, watching and waiting. Throughout September and October, except for days with excessive rain, hawkwatchers strive to have someone on the top of the mountain to watch and record that day’s flight.
The Putney Mountain Hawkwatch is located on the ridgeline that extends across Putney. A dirt road transects the ridge and at the summit is the parking lot for the Putney Town Forest. (See the end of this article for directions.) From the end of the parking lot a well marked trail will lead you 3⁄4 mile to the exposed summit watch point. If you hike up to join the watchers, be sure to carry binoculars, water, a hat, and maybe even a folding chair if you can spend a bit of time waiting and watching. But do be warned, if you get to see a Bald Eagle soar by or a swirling kettle of Broadwing Hawks, you too may develop a desire to spend hours sitting, watching, and waiting. And truly good things come to those who wait. All of the watchers have a favorite sighting or day on the mountain which they love to talk about, but these days often come after hours of patient observation.
Perhaps the most often asked question is “When?.” When are they flying? When can I see them? When should I come? Although raptor migration is a natural event with wild birds of prey, years of collected data allows watchers to predict (with consideration of the weather) the arrival of flights. Because the Broad Winged Hawk makes up the highest number of raptors seen (some years over 3,000) and because they often gather together into large groups and most travel within a 10 day period, watchers know that between Sept. 10th and Sept. 20th on clear windy days, hundreds and even perhaps 1,000 raptors can be seen soaring in a single day. But in early September or late October a watcher is often rewarded with great sightings of Eagles (sometimes even Golden Eagles), Falcons and often 10 or more species of raptors can be seen in a single day, though perhaps not in great numbers.
Besides the opportunity to experience these soaring raptors, the hawkwatching also brings a chance to see the seasons change. I’ve never had a bad day at the mountain, even after sitting 8 hours in fog to see a single hunting Red-tailed Hawk. The chance (perhaps excuse) to sit and watch a small part of this amazing natural phenomenon brings joy to my heart and soul, pulls me away from the “real” world and lets me spend time in the natural world which, though often ignored, is vital to our lives.
So this September take a little hike and join us as we become witnesses to one of nature’s greatest show. The fascinating world of freedom and flight seen in these passing raptors. To find out more about raptor migration across the country, go to the Hawk Migration Association of North America’s website, www.hmana.org. There is a link there for Hawk Watch sites across the country.
To find Putney Mountain From I-91: Take exit 4 (Putney). Go north on Rt 5 into the town of Putney. In the center of town make a left onto Westminster West Road and follow for about 1 mile. Look for West Hill Road on the left and take that road for another few miles. Look for Putney Mountain Road on the right and take that road (dirt) for a few more miles until you reach the high point. There will be a parking area off to the right through the trees. Park there and then follow the dominant trail along the ridge until you get to the clearing. Walking time is about 15 minutes.