Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County invites visitors to watch and monitor the annual passage of raptor migrants as they move south during the Autumn Hawk Watch, held daily August 15 through December 15 at the Sanctuary’s famous North Lookout.

Trail fees apply for non-members and cost $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Members are admitted free year-round, and memberships can be purchased online or at the Visitor Center.

During the count, Sanctuary staff, trainees, and volunteers will be stationed at the lookouts to help visitors spot and identify raptors including broad-winged hawks, kestrels, vultures, ospreys, and bald eagles.

An average of 18,000 raptors pass the Sanctuary each autumn. For raptor enthusiasts and those who cannot make it to Hawk Mountain, daily counts are posted online throughout the season.

Equipped with binoculars and a full daypack, visitors are invited to spend the day at North Lookout to enjoy the breathtaking autumn colors and soaring raptors. Binoculars can be rented at the Visitor Center, and staff members there can offer tips and suggestions for trails and lookouts.

The nearby South Lookout may be preferable to those with small children or with limited mobility, and it can be reached using the new wheelchair accessible Silhouette Trail.

"Hawk Mountain's lookouts give people an unparalleled view of hawks in flight," said Laurie Goodrich, Director of Long-term Monitoring. "On windy days, hawks and other migrating birds hug the ridge passing close to watchers below. It's an amazing sight."

During the fall migration, there will also be weekend programs, free with paid trail fee, on Saturdays and Sundays, September 3 through November 13.

Additionally, on Saturdays in September and October, several notable speakers will give talks on their experiences and expertise as part of the Fall Lecture Series. Information about all of these programs can be found on the Hawk Mountain Events webpage.

The 2,500-acre Hawk Mountain Sanctuary 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.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary or call 610-756-6961.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Sanctuary, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, visit them on Flickr, be part of their Google+ Circle and visit their YouTube Channel.

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8/1/2016