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(Updated 11/1/15 . Refresh page for most recent.)
| Fall 2016 Dailies |
| Hook Update-the Broadwings are Coming |
| Sep 11 2016 |
It’s that time of the year again – the Broad-winged Hawks are about to
descend upon us!
While this is only 12 years of data, there seems to be a pattern of peak days occurring earlier in the season in the years since 2010 than in the years before 2010. Check out the graph of September Dates vs. Years.
The graph suggests that counts of more than 1000 BWs occur about 1/2 day earlier each year.
So, when will our big day be this year? Trudy |
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2016 Fall Season Begins |
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The 2016
Fall Season at Hook Mountain officially begins on Thursday,
Sep 1.
We are looking forward
to a good season ahead.
Join us for the fun and excitement of watching hawks
migrate past the Hook! |
| Fall 2015 Dailies |
Hook Mountain Update |
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Nov 1 2015 The Eagles are Flying! |
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Golden Eagles We have reached 8 Golden Eagles by Oct. 31! Our average for a year is 6, so we are doing well. The First Golden arrived on Friday, Oct. 16, and we have had 2 days with 2 Goldens each, and they were both Fridays! Other days with 1 Golden each were on two Saturdays and a Monday. This is fantastic! And we should be getting more. On average, we get 1 Golden Eagle a week for the first 3 weeks in November.
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Bald Eagles We have not only set a new record for Bald Eagles, but we have reached 2,000 counted since 1971! That is yet another benchmark for this season. The 2,000th Bald Eagle passed by on Friday, 10/30, along with 9 other Bald Eagles and 2 Goldens that day.
Northern Harriers On Tuesday, 10/27/2015, we counted Northern Harrier #7,000 at Hook since 1971. This is the season for the adult males, known as Gray Ghosts to hawk watchers, to migrate. Be sure to get out to see some. They are a special sight. More Big Hawks are Coming this Month The month of November is when the buteos, vultures, and eagles fly over Hook. Come to the Hook to help us count the Red-tailed Hawks, the Red-shouldered Hawks, more Eagles, and maybe a Goshawk or two! Trudy |
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| Unusual Sighting at Hook Oct 15, 2015 |
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| We are calling this gyrocopter the Go Kart Copter | ||||
Hook Mountain Update |
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Oct 3 2015 Half the Broad-wings; Double the Merlins |
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Half our average Broad-winged Hawks Our Broad-winged Hawk (BW) count to Oct 1 is under 2300, less than any year since 2003, and less than half our 10-year average of 4967. Watch sites to our west and to our east have counted lots more this year, so the BWs did come through - just not over Hook. More went west than east – Mount Peter had more than 11,000, but Quaker Ridge had less than 6000. I suspect that prevailing south winds early in the migration window kept many of the hawks north of us, and due North winds during peak week sent the hawks that had passed us south to our west and the hawks remaining in New England went south to our east. At Hook our peak days for BWs were Wed 9/16, when we counted 1399, and Mon 9/21, when we counted 625. |
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Double our average Merlins We have had a good Merlin (ML) year so far, with 54 by Oct 1st, compared to our 10-year average of 26. We have counted MLs on 24 of the 32 days and more than 10 MLs on 6 days! Our record year for MLs was 1990 when we counted 119! Prior to 1990 our highest ML count was 46 (in 1989) and since 1990 our highest ML count was 74 in 2011. So, the 119 MLs in 1990 was truly extraordinary. Is there a chance we can reach that and set a new record? We need 66 more MLs to set a new record. Our average number from now to the end of the season is 28, which would give us 82. If that 28 is doubled, as this season has gone so far, we would reach 110, just shy of the record. So, keep watching the skies over Hook for Merlins. We just might be recording another extraordinary year. Other Species We have counted above average numbers of Osprey, Bald Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon. We have below average numbers of Northern Harrier and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Cooper’s Hawks and American Kestrels are below average, but not very far below. And, of course the Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks are yet to come. [You can see a comparison of this year’s total to the 10-year average to date, posted regularly at the bottom of the 2015 daily counts. Two All-Time Benchmarks Reached! 12,000 Osprey; 20,000 Kestrels Our counters have accomplished 2 grand totals this season – total numbers of hawks since we started in 1971. We reached 12,000 Osprey on Monday, Sep 7th, and the big 20,000 Kestrels on Tuesday, Sep 15th. Congratulations to all who were on the Hook on those days, and also to all who have spotted an Osprey or Kestrel on each day of our history!! You have done a great job documenting these and other species. It looks like we have much to celebrate at our luncheon this year. [See yearly data with records.] May you see many more hawks this season!
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| Hook Mountain Update |
| Sep 12 2015 |
It is September 12th and our Broad-winged Hawks are on delay, waiting for the weather to break. Today there were several hawk watch sites up in New England that had triple digit numbers of BWs, so they are finally headed our way. Watch for them to pass Hook during this week. Most will be flying by when the sun is shining and thermals abound. Also watch for our 20,000th American Kestrel. We only need 10 more Kestrels to reach that magic all-time number! (since 1971) There are exciting days ahead! Trudy |
| Sep 7 2015 |
We have been counting hawks at Hook for about a week, and we are doing quite well in spite of the very hot temperatures on some of those days. Some hawks have been coming through – 162 hawks, 11 species counted by Sep 6 – and of course some have just been flying around, giving us a show. There are a couple of all-time events we know are coming. 12,000th Osprey in the next couple of days. 20,000th Kestrel within the next week or so The Broad-winged Season is almost here Looking forward to seeing you on the Hook!
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***
Hook Luncheon
*** Saturday, Dec 6 2014 Season Summary Video We celebrated our hawks! We celebrate our Watchers! |
| Fall 2014 Dailies |
| 2013 | Count | Season Summary | 2012 | Count | Season Summary |
| 2011 | Count | Season Summary: The BIG Year | 2010 | Count | Season Summary |
| 2009 | Count | Season Summary | 2008 | Count | |
| We Did It!! |
*** New Record of Red-shouldered Hawks!! *** |
The Shoulders are still moving through! Not only did we break the record, but we are ahead of the record by 25! And we have another 10 days to 2 weeks left to their flight season at Hook. There were double digit numbers of RSs in 6 of the last 8 days, with a resounding 64 counted on Halloween. The big questions at this point are: "How many more are coming?" "Does this reflect a real population increase?" |
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Hook Mountain Update Red-shouldered Hawks: A Good Year So Far; possibly a Record Year
American Kestrel at 10-Year Average and Approaching 20,000 all time |
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2014 Dailies Low Numbers of
Sharp-shinned Hawks
At 1147 by Oct 10, our Sharp-shinned numbers are 15 % below our 10-year average. Last year, when we counted our 125,000th SS since 1971, our year total was 2048. Our 10 year season average is 2000. For five of the last 11 years SS have been under 2000, with the lowest at 1592 in 2003. Peak numbers of SSs occur from Sep 10 to Oct 24, so we still have more to come. Sharpies are the thrillers, as they pop up to surprise us and swoop at the owl. So, keep counting those Sharpies! Let's get above average again this year. See the trends graph. |
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2014 Broad-winged Hawks Above Average 5150 Broadwings by Sep 19th! |
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The 2014 Season has begun at
Hook The Broadwings are coming! Sep 11 2014 |
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The graph shows average counts of 100 or more for all days between 9/14 and 9/22. Notice the very high peak on 9/17. That reflects our really big count of 14,670 BWs on 9/17/2011. Last year we started the season a bit earlier with 262 BWs on Sep 9, 2013. This year the 3 digit counts were still north of us in Vermont on Sep 9.
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The Fall 2013 Daily Count ** ** Hawk Watchers, Get Counted! **
| We Made It! |
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Have Counted More than 125,000 Sharpies since 1971!
*** October 19, 2013 |
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Almost 125,000 Sharp-shinned Hawks at
Hook Hook Mountain Update, Oct 7, 2013 |
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First, we are more than half way through the Sharp-shinned season, but there are still many Sharpies to come.
Second, Sharpies are regulars at Hook, beginning the 2nd week in September and continuing through October. We often refer to Sharpies as our "Bread and Butter" hawk, meaning that almost any time you come to Hook you can expect to see Sharpies. They are a staple - a delightful staple, with fun behavior to watch. Third, we can expect 10 to 75 Sharpies on any day during their season, with most days averaging above 20. These numbers are averages of the years 2003 to 2012, so they are recent and a good representation of what we see. For example, on 20 consecutive days this year (9/14 to 10/3) we had 19 days with more than 20 Sharpies, including a max of 310 on 9/26. Our count this year is slightly higher than our 10 year average, so we should reach 125,000 easily. The average season total for SSs is 1994, and the average from Oct 7 to the end of the season is 764. We only need 344. Check out our dailies. Sharpie behavior alone is enough for us to celebrate this species. They zoom at the owl, they flap-flap-glide in characteristic accipiter fashion, and they glare at you when they pop out of the fog, flying by as the rain begins. This is indeed a species to revere - our friend on the Hook! So,
will you be there to see the 125,000th Sharpie fly past
Hook?
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| ** The Fall 2013 Daily Count ** ** Hawk Watchers, Get Counted! ** | ||
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| Thanks to our wonderful counters! | ||
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On Sep 18 2013 the 500,000th hawk was counted at the Hook Mountain Hawk Watch. We have continued with the tradition of the hawk watchers before us, counting those majestic raptors as they migrate past Hook. Stiles Thomas lead the way in 1971, joining along with several other hawk watchers in the northeast who were exploring hawk migration. The outcome of those early efforts include the formation of the NorthEast Hawk Watch, and many years of hawk count data from Hook Mountain and other hawk watches throughout the northeast. The intent was to learn the basics of raptor migration - where, when do the hawks migrate? Which species at what season? Data from Hook has contributed to that understanding. We depend on our counters, who continue in the tradition of those early days, to collect the data in the continuing study of the migratory patterns of raptors, with the hope that we can better understand population trends, and contribute to raptor conservation. Of course, when each of us sees a Bald Eagle fly overhead, or marvels at the flash of color from an American Kestrel, or feels the wind whoosh as a Merlin zooms through, we are impressed by the sheer joy of raptor migration. Isn't it grand that such joy, when counted, also contributes to the conservation of the raptors we love? Thank you everyone. Your contribution matters! |
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September 1,
2013
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| How Close? |
| Copperhead |
Hook on the Radio (start 9:45) |
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Hawk watching is great fun everywhere you watch.
At Hook, we watch hawks with a view of the Tappan Zee Bridge and the
Empire State Building to our south, the Bear Mountain Tower to the
north, and the mighty Hudson River below us. We are fortunate
to have volunteers who are devoted to the hawks. They spot the
hawks, identify them, count them, and keep careful records.
While having fun watching these magnificent raptors in action, they
contribute to the better understanding of raptor population trends.
We celebrate
our counters, with special thanks for every data sheet they
submit. And we thank all the hawk watchers who help us spot
the hawks and accomplish our part of the raptor conservation
mission. If you have helped us count, thank you!
If you have never been up to Hook, come join us! We can use
your eyes! |
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Join the fun! Directions.
 Photos by Steve Sachs - great stuff! |
Cooper's Hawk Video
Fall 2010
Count: Record BV, BE, and CH! |
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