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| Broad-winged Hawk |
This weekend is approaching the peak time for viewing the migration of raptors along the mountain ridges of the Lehigh Valley. The weather will be fine for viewing hawks, eagles, ospreys and other raptors that congregate for the autumn migration.
Broad-winged Hawks are the most numerous species reported thus far, being the first raptors to migrate. These small hawks are not often noticed during the breeding season. They usually nest near forest openings and bodies of water, far from humans. But toward autumn, hundreds of thousands fly to their wintering grounds in Central and South America.
If you'd like to enjoy seeing the raptor migration, your best chances of viewing include Little Gap Hawk Watch, Lehigh Furnace Gap and, of course, Bake Oven Knob. The Knob is a popular site because the birds soar above the Kittatiny Ridge, some species coming within easy eyesight.
But keep your eyes to the sky no matter where you are. You never can tell when you'll see one of these remarkable creatures!
Last weekend provided bird watchers with a variety of raptors in many locations. These are the birds that were spotted:
Emrick Boulevard Shopping Center, Northampton County
Red-tailed Hawk, 2 on September 18.
American Kestrel, 1 on September 18.
Minsi Lake, Northampton County
Bald Eagle, 1 on September 18.
Little Gap Hawk Watch, Northampton County
Osprey, 39 on September 17.
Northern Harrier, 5 on September 17.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 36 on September 17.
Cooper's Hawk, 5 on September 17.
Bald Eagle, 32 on September 17.
Broad-winged Hawk, 172 on September 17.
Red-tailed Hawk, 4 on September 17.
American Kestrel, 1 on September 17.
Merlin, 1 on September 17.
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| Broad-winged Hawk |
Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County
Osprey, 5 on September 17.
American Kestrel, 6 on September 17.
Also seen: Cooper's and Red-tailed hawks.
Jordan Lutheran Church, Lehigh County
Merlin, 1 perched near the parking lot, on September 18.
Haafsville, Lehigh County
Red-tailed Hawk, 1 on September 17.
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(at the Allentown rest stop on the Northeast Extension)
Cooper's Hawk, 1 on September 17.
Red-tailed Hawk, 1 on September 17.
Memorial Road, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 1 on September 17.
Lehigh Furnace Gap, Lehigh County
Osprey, 1 on September 17.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 on September 17.
Bald Eagle, 1 on September 17.
Broad-winged Hawk, 22 on September 17.
Red-tailed Hawk, 1 on September 17.
Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Osprey, 45 on September 17.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 18 on September 17.
Cooper's Hawk, 2 on September 17.
Bald Eagle, 20 on September 17.
Broad-winged Hawk, 270 on September 17.
Red-tailed Hawk, 3 on September 17.
American Kestrel, 4 on September 17.
Trexler Nature Preserve, Lehigh County
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 on September 17.
Red-tailed Hawk, 3 on September 17.
American Kestrel, 1 on September 17.
Weather forecast for this weekend:
If you miss this weekend's viewing, don't worry. The migration will continue for a couple more weeks as late-departing species pass through the Lehigh Valley.
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| American Kestrel (male) |
Falcons are characterized by long, pointed wings and swift, powerful flight. Although members off the order Falconiformes, which includes hawks, falcons are part of the genus Falco, which numbers more than 35 species worldwide. They range in size from 6 inches long to about 24 inches. In true falcons, the female is larger and bolder than the male.
The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America. It is a colorful falcon: The male has a slate colored head and wings contrasting with the rusty red back and tail.
They are often seen perching on telephone wires along roads in deserts, grasslands or alpine meadows.
Kestrels may nest in nest boxes or natural cavities. When nature calls, kestrels back up, raise their tail and squirt feces onto the wall of the cavity. The feces dry on the wall and stay off the nestlings. The nest can get pretty smelly with all the poo on the walls plus uneaten parts of small animals on the floor!
The Peregrine Falcon is a powerful fast-flying hunter which preys on medium-sized birds, dropping down from high above in a spectacular dive, called a sloop. In cities, they feast on doves. Elsewhere they feed on ducks and shorebirds.
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| Peregrine Falcon |
Look for Peregrines perching or nesting on cliffs, skyscrapers and other tall buildings. The Peregrine Falcon is one of the most widespread birds in the world. It is found on all continents except Antarctica.
People have trained falcons for over a thousand years. Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. The Peregrine Falcon was always one of the most prized birds.
To learn this sport, there is the New Hampshire School of Falconry. It is one of a handful in the nation devoted to explaining and teaching the art and science of the craft.
Falconry is legal everywhere in the United States except Hawaii and the District of Columbia.
North America's littlest falcon, the American Kestrel demonstrates a fierce predator's intensity packed in a small body. It is a commonly seen resident of the area, seen mainly in open country, according to Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity.
This kestrel is one of the most colorful raptors. The male's slate-blue head and wings contrast with the rusty-red back and tail; the female has the same reddish coloration on her wings, back and tail.
Seen from above, the kestrel presents a pale belly with a black band at the end of the tail. Both sexes have vertical slashes on either side of the face. They are about the size of a Mourning Dove but they have a larger head.
American Kestrels mainly eat insects, small rodents and small birds. Their diet includes grasshoppers, beetles, spiders and dragonflies; voles, mice, shrews and bats; and small songbirds such as sparrows.
They can be seen perched on poles or wires. Or they may stay aloft, facing into the wind, flapping their wings and adjusting their tail to hover. In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips swept back.
Kestrels snatch their prey from the ground but may catch quarry on the wing. Being one of the smallest birds of prey can be tough. They can end up as the prey of larger hawks, Barn Owls, rat snakes or even fire ants.
Kestrels nest in old woodpecker holes, natural tree hollows or nooks in buildings or nesting boxes. To give them a nesting site, nail a nesting box onto a tree 10 to 30 feet above the ground. The appropriate time for the task is early February. The male searches for a spot then shows it to the female, who makes the final choice. During breeding season, males climb then dive uttering short kheee! calls at the top of each ascent.
Birds see ultraviolet light which enables kestrels to see the trail or urine that a vole leaves as it runs along the ground. Like neon dinner signs, this can lead the kestrel to its meal.
Kestrels hide surplus kills in grass clumps, tree roots, bushes, fence posts, tree limbs and cavities, to save food for lean times or to hide it from thieves.
