Migration

Our experience this year suggests there may not be a hawk migration at Harvey's Knob, but rather a random occurrence of hawks. In fact, thinking back, very few hawks actually use the ridge - most are crossing. Broadwings seem to use the ridge late in the evening when they are trying to get the last possible southward movement - otherwise they occur randomly all over the place. Redtails use the ridge in November when there are strong NW winds only - otherwise they are hunting or crossing. The most consistent hawks on the ridge are Ospreys in the Spring on SE winds.

bj

It is my experience that all hawkwatching sites are experiencing a random occurance of migrating hawks both in the spring and the fall. A hawkwatching site with a purview of two to three miles cannot claim to be a site that is collecting data for a final determination of the whys and wherefores of hawk migration. Such a site is merely gathering data for appeasing those at that site in competition with those at another site. Ha Ha, we saw more than you!

The topography and weather ,on any given day, of the site within the two to three mile purview absolutely dictates what the hawkwatcher will see on any given day. If the weather is static the hawks will be moving on solar induced thermals and if the territory within the two to three mile purview of the site is not conducive to solar induced thermals then few migrating hawks will be seen. If the weather is dynamic such as after a cold front passage the weather within the two to three mile purview will be strong northwest winds. Such winds will produce a ridge lift soaring condition on which the migrating hawks will congregate.

Migrating hawks will only congregate in areas that are conducive to soaring flight. If your site is lacking of the terrain that produces thermals then your site is lacking in the count of hawks. If your site is level withot a bump in ita course then ridge lift flying hawks will not congregate. But, each of these condintions will exist at any site. And they will produce3 a congregation of migrating hawks. The only questio0n is: How much of a congregation?