On November 12, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary visitors will have a guaranteed opportunity to see North America's largest predatory bird, the golden eagle, up close.
The one-day-only eagle programs will be presented by Shaver's Creek Environmental Education Center at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. in the Outdoor Amphitheatre. The program is free for Members or with paid trail fee.
Golden Eagle Day coincides with the peak of golden eagle migration at Hawk Mountain. The golden eagle is a solitary bird and is rare to see throughout the northeast, but during the autumn, an average of 127 are spotted at the Sanctuary.
Early November is also the best time to catch both a golden and bald eagle migrating past the Mountain in the same day.
"Golden and bald eagles may fly close to the lookouts, particularly on windy days," says Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Director of Long-term Monitoring at Hawk Mountain. "Migration in November is the best time to see the species," she adds.
Visitors in early November can also expect large numbers of red-tailed hawks, the Sanctuary's third-most numerous migrant, as well the rarer northern goshawk. The official Hawk Mountain raptor count will continue until December 15, and weekend programs are held until November 13.
Vibrant fall color continues to cling to the Mountain, and the temperatures have not dropped too low quite yet. It is a great time to make one last visit to Hawk Mountain for a hike, program, and day of bird-watching.
The 2,500-acre Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County is the world’s first refuge for birds of prey and is open to the public year-round by trail-fee or membership, which in turn supports the nonprofit organization’s raptor conservation mission and local-to-global research, training, and education programs.
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