On April 16 join the Presque Isle Audubon Society as they partner with the naturalists from Presque Isle State Park, for the first annual Hawk Watch.

Skilled birders with spotting scopes, binoculars and field guides will be on hand to help view and identify the birds flying overhead to all who attend. Live raptors, children’s activities, nature walks and displays will also be featured at the free event. Kickoff is at 9am but come anytime between 9am and 2pm.

The newest Pennsylvania State Park, Erie Bluffs, is 540 acres of Lake Erie shoreline in western Erie County, twelve miles west of the city of Erie. It is the largest undeveloped stretch of Lake Erie shoreline remaining in Pennsylvania

Hawks, in contrast to other migrating birds, are diurnal migrants; they depend on currents of rising warm air to lift them to high altitudes where they glide on their broad wings without flapping, thereby conserving energy.

During these flights, hawks use their keen eyesight to recognize landmarks, follow landforms that provide rising thermals, and steer a course to their ancestral wintering grounds. In some places these migrating hawks gather in huge numbers, and people gather to watch them with binoculars and data sheets in the phenomenon known as hawk watch.

Counting hawks during migration is more than a competitive pursuit for list-oriented birders. The data collected at hawk watch’s helps experts monitor the health of various ecosystems. Because hawks are top predators -- that is, they occupy the top of the food chain -- they're very sensitive to changes that affect prey species. Comparing hawk numbers from year to year reveals trends that offer insight into the well-being of the environment in both the breeding and wintering areas.

But more than simply counting hawks, there's the spectacle of it all. Standing atop a ridge at Erie Bluffs State Park on a spring day while hundreds of hawks circle and stream past is an unforgettable experience.

Hawk Watch is more than watching the skies. This event will offer a variety of programs and activities to celebrate the annual hawk migration. And will offer an educational opportunity for families and outdoor enthusiasts. This event is an opportunity for to visit the new Erie Bluffs State Park this coming spring.

For more information, contact Susan A. Smith, Presque Isle Audubon Society in Erie by email to: ssmith@velocity.net

(Contributed by Susan Smith, Presque Isle Audubon Society)