Spring Migration Brings Thousands of Hawks to Eastern Great Lakes

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MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, Apr. 16 -/E-Wire/-- Spring migration is now bringing thousands of hawks, eagles and vultures from their wintering grounds to the south shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in New York State and Ontario, Canada. The raptors and vultures are on the way to their nesting sites in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, some from as far away as South America. Spring also brings out a diverse and dedicated crew of hawk watchers to scan the skies for these magnificent creatures.

MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, Apr. 16 -/E-Wire/-- Spring migration is now bringing thousands of hawks, eagles and vultures from their wintering grounds to the south shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in New York State and Ontario, Canada. The raptors and vultures are on the way to their nesting sites in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, some from as far away as South America. Spring also brings out a diverse and dedicated crew of hawk watchers to scan the skies for these magnificent creatures.

Six hawk watches along the south shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are affiliated with the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), which promotes the conservation and study of raptor populations.

Beginning in March and continuing into May, the Ripley Hawk Watch, the Hamburg Hawk Watch, Grimsby Air Park and Beamer Conservation Area (both www.hwcn.org/link/niaghawk/), Braddock Bay (www.bbrr.org), and the Derby Hill Bird Observatory (www.derbyhill.org), submit daily reports of the migrating hawks, eagles and vultures they observe to HMANA. Information about the hawk watches and their daily sightings can be viewed online, along with counts from dozens of other sites in North America, at HMANA's website.

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In the journey to their nesting sites, the migrating raptors are forced in a northeasterly direction at the Great Lakes, concentrating along their south shores. Two raptor watches are located on Lake Erie: the Ripley Hawk Watch near Westfield, NY, and the Hamburg Hawk Watch near Hamburg, NY four raptor watches are on Lake Ontario: Grimsby Air Park and the Beamer Conservation Area near Grimsby, Ontario Braddock Bay, north of Rochester, NY and Derby Hill, near Mexico, NY. At any of these sites during spring migration, it's possible to see hundreds, possibly thousands, of migrating raptors and vultures, representing 15 or more species, from diminutive American Kestrels to commanding Bald Eagles.

If visitors at the hawk watches are lucky, they might see a big Broad-winged Hawk day sometime in the second half of April. Broad-winged Hawks frequently migrate in large groups of a hundred or more that can be seen riding thermal updrafts to gain altitude, then streaming out of the top of the updrafts to find new thermals to help them on their journey. A big Broad-winged Hawk day at any of the watches means thousands of raptors observed in an eight-hour period, frequently more than 1,000 birds in an hour.

Visitors to the Great Lakes hawk watches also can expect to be thrilled by both adult and young Bald Eagles. Bald Eagle sightings at all the Great Lakes hawk watches have increased dramatically over the last few years. Although Bald Eagle sightings have become much more frequent, they continue to excite even the old hands at the watches. When time permits, volunteers, observers, and experienced visitors at the hawk watches usually are available to help newcomers with identification and to help them understand the migration.

The Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) is a scientific, educational and, conservation organization that collects data from hundreds of affiliated raptor monitoring sites throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. HMANA's mission is the conservation of raptors through the scientific study, enjoyment, and appreciation of raptor migration. HMANA is a membership-based organization that publishes the semi-annual journal Hawk Migration Studies, which includes data from participating hawk watches as well as articles on raptor conservation and other issues affecting raptors. For more information on hawk migration and HMANA, visit www.hmana.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Contact Info:

Paul M. Roberts

E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website : the Hawk Migration Association of North America