The Lighthouse Point Park Hawk Watch in New Haven is one of the most important hawk migration sites in the eastern US — and New Haven Bird Club members have been counting hawks there for almost 50 years! This year Lighthouse Hawk Watch has an urgent need for volunteer counters. Please consider committing to enjoying a few days of hawk watching this Fall, meeting visitors from throughout Connecticut and beyond, and becoming a contributor to the understanding of migration at this famous site.
The count runs from Labor Day through Thanksgiving. Days needing coverage include Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The day typically starts at 7 am but often significant numbers of hawks aren’t observed until later in the morning. The watch ends when the hawks stop flying. There is no typical day; coverage may last for 2-10 hours. But flights are so weather-dependent that it is easy to estimate when the day’s count effort is sufficient. Counters are asked to commit to counting on a specific day but obviously do not have to travel to Lighthouse on days with unfavorable weather, such as rain or fog. Counters record total hawks seen passing each hour, and also note some basic information about hourly weather, wind, and visibility. This information is easy to gather. It’s provided to the site compiler who immediately uploads it to a popular, national website called HawkCount. You do not have to be an expert at hawk identification to be able to count. There are often excellent birders present who can assist, especially on days with favorable weather. There can be an amazing migration of other birds as well.
If you are interested, please call or text Steve Mayo at 203 551-1707 or send an email to scmayo999@gmail.com.