The middle of September marks the beginning of the most anticipated time of year for many hawk watchers around the country. Hawk watchers are not always bird watchers. That is to say that there are folks who take their entire vacation every year to watch hawks at Hawk Mountain, Hawk Ridge, or any of the other top locations but may not be particularly interested in other kinds of bird watching.
To be fair, many of us are year-round birders who also happen to like to watch hawks. What Im trying to say is that hawk watching, like any other hobby, can become addictive. Fortunately, it only happens for a relatively short time each year, leaving many months for resuming a normal life.
The hawk migration in the fall lasts from mid-September until early November in our part of the country. For some species, migration starts earlier. Mississippi Kites regularly begin southward migration in early August, with peaks in Texas around the end of the month or early September. Hawk watchers who go to Veracruz, Mexico for the huge fall migrations of Broad-winged Hawks and Swainsons Hawks, usually are too late for the early-arriving Mississippi Kites.
Here in Ohio, the spring migration of hawks provides good watching in March and April along the south shores of Lake Erie, especially at the east and west end of the lake. In the fall, the birds are coming from the north and arrive at Lake Erie, which funnels them southwest until they can turn south at the U.S./Canada border just south of Detroit. Almost all hawks avoid flying over large bodies of water.
The best fall site is at Erie Metropark near Detroit. Here the raptors cross the narrow Detroit River and from there they have smooth sailing, or soaring/gliding to be more accurate. For those who want to stay in Ohio, Toledo is the place to be in the fall, especially if the wind is from the northwest. We have made a number of fall trips to Toledo but so far nobody has really tried to keep track of the birds for an entire season in that area. On certain peak days, the numbers can be amazing, but it often is hard to find the hawks since they tend to spread out once they get around the Lake Erie barrier.
Locally, some of the area hawk watchers have done fairly well in the fall. It is more difficult than in the spring since many raptors are either to the east or west of us because of Lake Erie. This is not a problem in the spring since the birds are coming up from the south, all across Ohio, until they have to make a decision to fly around the east or west of the big lake. Their decision most likely is made based on where they are heading for the nesting season.
If you are interested in trying out fall hawk watching for the first time, Id suggest a trip to Erie Metropark. Plan to go on a clear/partly cloudy day when the winds are from the north if at all possible. There will be a lot of other people there to help and encourage you. The birds are more likely to be flying at lower altitudes earlier in the day.
Good birding!
Contact Bruce Glick at birderbruce@yahoo.com or 330-317-7798.
