Broad-wingd Hawk migration video

Click on arrow to view Broad-winged Hawk video

Yesterday we saw 2,618 raptors, most of them Broad-winged Hawks, migrate past Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory, in southern NH, it was awesome! To give you a little taste of what it is like to see Broad-winged Hawks circling in a rising thermal then peel off and glide, I took this video while we were watching one of the "kettles" (rising groups) of Broad-winged Hawks yesterday late in the day. This is only part of the kettle, which had over 180 birds in it. In the background, official hawk counter for the day, Ian MacCleod, and Don, are heard describing how we count migrating Broadwings. (Note, to view this video again, not the other youtube videos, hit the left most reverse arrow symbol, in the video bar). Broad-winged Hawks soar up on rising thermals of hot air, then glide to the next thermal, as an energy efficient method of getting to their wintering grounds in Central and South America.

Here's a close-up of a Broad-winged Hawk, adult.

Here's part of a "kettle" of Broadwings rising on a thermal. Some of the kettles had over 150 birds in them.

It was fabulous to see so many migrating hawks, we're happy birders!

Julie Brown (monitoring site coordinator for the Hawk Migration Association of North America) and daughter, Laurel, were spotting the hawks.

On Saturday, Henry Walters, one of the official counters for NH Audubon's Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory, release a rehabilitated Broad-winged Hawk at Pack. The enthusiastic crowd was thrilled to see a Broadwing close-up.

Many of these hawks will be passing hawk migration sites south of NH, so get out and look, you might become addicted to hawk watching, like we are! Support your local hawk watch and also become a member of the Hawk Migration Association of North America.