The 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 $10 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.

Aug. 11 Kick Off

Hawk Mountain will kick off the 2018 season with an open house celebration on August 11 that includes naturalists in the Native Plant Garden, Raptors Up Close! programs in the amphitheater at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and raptor identification at South Lookout, and the annual Mountain Raffle drawing taking place at noon.

The bird feeder station, Education Building open house, membership table, and optics specialist station are also available for guests.

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

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 wheelchair-accessible Silhouette Trail.

During the fall migration, there will also be weekend programs included free with paid admission that run from September 1 through November 4.

Additionally, on Saturdays during September and October, several speakers will give talks on their experiences and expertise as part of the Autumn Lecture Series.

Click Here for a calendar of events coming up.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary website 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.  Click Here to support Hawk Mountain.

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[Posted: July 24, 2018]

7/30/2018