(Updated 09/01/2010.  Refresh page for most recent.)

The 2010 Season has Begun!  We counted 88 hawks in August, including 8 Bald Eagles. We have wonderful close views of hawks, the Palisades, the Hudson River, and NYC.  Join us!

2009 Count 2009 Season Summary 2009 Updates 2008 Count

2009 Hawk Watch Luncheon:  Our great hawk watchers! Regional Totals, 2009 Broad-winged Hawks and Weather Patterns  Animation by Arthur Green

New Videos:

Bald Eagles

Golden Eagle

Rough-legged Hawk

SPECIES TRENDS American Kestrel:  Cause for Concern Broad-winged Hawk Northern Harrier Merlin:  Good News Red-tailed Hawk ct: Falcons at FIRE Peregrine:  More Now Red-shouldered Hawk Since 1971

First sighting of a Rough-legged Hawk at the Hook Mountain Hawk Watch since 1991! Dark phase Nov 2, 2009

Up Close and Personal

How Close?

Action Videos at Hook!

This year's Copperhead

Hook on the Radio (start 9:45)

NEHW Hawk ID

Bald Eagle:  NEW RECORD! new BE videos new GE video This season, to     November 19 125! Previous Record, 2008: 82 Average since 1971: 26.6 Average last 10 years: 63.5

2009 Season Summary    Oct 24: Year of the BE         Oct 9: Good Season           Sep 20: BW Season

 

2009:  The best Broad-winged Hawks in 7 Years   2074 BWs on 9/20! 2071 BWs on 9/19! 1411 BWs on 9/15! The Broad-winged Hawks (BW) are flying over and around Hook Mountain!  Tuesday, 9/15, was a big day with 1411 BWs, but Saturday, 9/19, was even bigger, AND Sunday, 9/20 was bigger yet, by 3 hawks, logging in at 2074 BWs.  We counted 2071 BWs in one day, and 2074 on the next!!  That brings our total for this year to 6658 BWs, the best BW count we have had in 7 years.  And, we can still get more, with another week or so before the end of the BW season.   For the year to year trends for BW, see Hook Mountain Broad-winged Hawks:  1971 – 2008. Celebrate our counters!   Click for BW video

Celebrate Our Counters 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!

Copperhead at Hook Sep 19, 2009 It was a treat for our dedicated hawk counters to see this beautifully marked Copperhead after seeing more than 2000 Broad-winged Hawks.  What a day!

Slow motion Red-tailed Hawk on swoop to owl.  (Click for normal speed.)

Join the fun!  Directions.

Photos by Steve Sachs - great stuff!	Cooper's Hawk Video Fall 2008 Count:  SK!! Record BE, 82! Fall 2007 Count:  Record BV, 46! Fall 2006 Count:  Record GE, 20! Fall 2005 Count:  Record CH, 278! Fall 2004 Count:  Record CH, 185
	We are an all volunteer group of hawk watchers, and we need your help!  Please contact Trudy if you can take the count for a day.  If you would like to learn, we will pair you up with one of our watchers.

 

Sited just above the Hudson River, we see Eagles and Peregrines regularly.     The problem is deciding which are actually migrating, and therefore countable.   We often see them flying up and down the Hudson, more than we actually count.  You can enjoy these beautiful hawks, and our spectacular view!  If you can help to count, even for a day, we need you!  Contact Trudy.

Golden Eagle, 10/19/06:  video (6000KB)

Updated:  09/01/2010  

Records (coming soon)	Hawk Watchers	Report forms:  excel,  pdf
Important Bird Area	Directions	Hook Mountain State Park

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	Find the Action here!
	Red tail video Slow motion Broadwing fledglings Bald Eagle:  photos, 10/7/04 Snowy Owl at Piermont Cooper's Hawk at Nest

 

Come to the Hook and watch for the Peregrines!

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Hawk Data for Hook Mountain
Hawks at Hook:  Yearly, since 1971 Bald Eagle:   seasonal data Sharp-shinned:  seasonal data Am. Kestrel:  seasonal data

If you are a hawkwatcher and willing to keep the count, we need you!  Contact Trudy Battaly, merlin@pipeline.com, if you can help.  (Unless otherwise noted, photos by Trudy Battaly.)

Bat's Bytes

Hook

FIRE

NEHW

HMANA

Updated:  09/01/2010