Issuu

SPRING 2022

ONGOING

ARCTIC RAPTOR RESEARCH Snowy Owls, pg. 12 Rough-legged Hawks, pg. 16

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association is to conserve birds of prey worldwide by providing leadership in raptor conservation science and education, and by maintaining Hawk Mountain Sanctuary as a model observation, research, and education facility.

Photo by Michelle DiNicola

CONTENTS SPRING 2022 NUMBER 136

2 TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN The Conservation Torch

4 RIDGE CURRENTS

READ THE

News & Notes New Board Chair Tom Kerr Successes Along the Corridor

AUTUMN MIGRATION REPORT

8 APPALACHIAN TRAILS

Recovery of the Peregrine Falcon

pg 22

12 FIELD NOTES

Snowy Owls South of the Tundra

16 IN FLIGHT

Rough-legged Hawk Project

20 HAWK MOUNTAIN HAPPENINGS Spring Benefit for the Birds Summer Nature Camps

22 MIGRATION REPORT Autumn 2021

34 SCHOOL IN THE CLOUDS

Virtual Educator Workshop Series Autumn 2021 Education Trainees

36 ON THE WING

Autumn 2021 Trainees

38 LEAVE A LEGACY

James Kushlan Leadership Donor Events

40 MOUNTAIN FRIEND Photo by Bill Moses

Peter Perreten

COVER PHOTO by Joe Endy

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TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN Dr. Rebecca McCabe with a male snowy owl.

THE CONSERVATION TORCH Hawk Mountain is the best investment in conservation today. At Hawk Mountain the fires of conservation burn more brightly now than at any time in our history, from a flame that was started by our founders nearly 90 years ago. Hawk Mountain stewarded a mission to save majestic raptors that migrate down the Kittatinny Ridge, from as far north as the Arctic circle all the way through Central and South America. Initially, little was understood about the secret lives of raptors. Today, we know more about raptors than ever before, yet with wisdom comes the understanding of how much more there is to learn. At the core of developing that understanding lies our network of the best and brightest raptor conservation scientists across the globe. In 1976 we began our acclaimed Conservation Science Traineeship that now boasts nearly 500 graduates. I like to think of it as giving them a burning coal that needs to be tended to, and each piece 2 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

of coal becomes a burning flame of scientific skill. The collaborative outputs are significant, and now the flames of raptor conservation burn around the world. This network of collaborators has resulted in our graduates founding the mega count sites across the globe, such as Batumi along the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the Veracruz River of Raptors in Mexico, Kéköldi in Costa Rica, the Panama Coast-to-Coast count, and the new site in Tolima, Colombia. We continue to break scientific ground, launching a comprehensive study of the decline of the eastern United States population of the American kestrel with graduate student Mercy Melo at the center of that work, along with several organizations all collaborating to uncover what is behind the significant decline. The newest member of our science team is the recently anointed Dr. Rebecca McCabe, a former trainee conducting seminal work on the winter movement patterns and survival of snowy owls (see page 12), while Rebekah Smith, a former education trainee, was hired in 2019 as our Science and Education Outreach Coordinator and helped initiate our podcast. In each case, and many more, we invest in these brilliant young people, and

Sean Grace & Ana Castaño

STAFF PRESIDENT

BUSINESS MANAGER

SARKIS ACOPIAN DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION SCIENCE

BOOKSTORE MANAGER

SENIOR SCIENTIST AND GRADUATE STUDY DIRECTOR Jean-François Therrien, Ph.D.

Thank you for investing in the base of the “conservation pyramid,” where your dollars go further and have a longlasting effect. With your support, Hawk Mountain is shaping the future of raptor conservation. Yours in Conservation,

Annie Trexler

Sean Grace

Laurie Goodrich, Ph.D.

the results are impressive collaborative science. In the last year the return on investment resulted in inviting two Latino scientists, both products of our traineeship, to our board. Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza, who founded the Veracruz River of Raptors, and Ana Castaño, who helped to establish several raptor counts and banding stations and was the first female president of the Colombia Ornithological Society. These two powerhouses will now help us expand our efforts to conserve raptors along the world’s most significant raptor migration flyway.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

SENIOR RESEARCH BIOLOGIST David Barber

BIOLOGIST-NATURALIST Bracken Brown

RESEARCH BIOLOGIST

Rebecca McCabe, Ph.D.

SCIENCE-EDUCATION OUTREACH COORDINATOR Rebekah Smith

ACOPIAN CENTER OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Wendy Nicodemus

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Jamie Dawson

EDUCATORS

Riley Davenport Aaron Prince

DIRECTOR OF SANCTUARY STEWARDSHIP Todd Bauman

SANCTUARY STEWARDS Stephen Wade Noah Rauch

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Mary Linkevich

MEMBERSHIP & VOLUNTEER MANAGER

Tammy Jandrasitz

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Gigi Romano

Shelley Davenport Mary Therese Grob

BOARD CHAIRMAN

Tom Kerr

VICE CHAIRMAN

David Bonenberger

TREASURER

Peter Bennett

SECRETARY

Wendy McLean, Esq. Edwin Baldrige Gillian Bowser, Ph.D. Ana Maria Castaño Deborah Edge, M.D. Stephen Edge, M.D. Peter Fontaine Jeff Goldenberg Ken Hawkinson, Ph.D. Diane Husic, Ph.D. Richard W. Holt Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza, Ph.D. Solomon Lausch, Ph.D. Holly Merker Sara Nicholas Sally O’Byrne Dan Rubenstein, Ph.D. Amy Ruszala Scott Weidensaul Jeff Weil Ferdinand Thun, Emeritus Member Minturn Wright, III, Emeritus Member

PRINTING • ALLEGRA LEHIGH VALLEY DESIGN • TAYLOR VAN KOOTEN A U T U M N 2 0 2 1 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 3

NEWS & NOTES

COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION The relationship between humans and vultures is ever evolving. In summer 2021, Hawk Mountain completed two new informational pamphlets, “Backyard Black Vultures” and “Meet Black Vultures,” to provide background on black vulture behaviors and offer nonlethal methods to reduce human-vulture conflicts from home. These publications will be used in farmland raptor programming and local landowner outreach, and they are also available for download at hawkmountain.org. The collaborative American kestrel research project continues to expand, now including more than 60 partners of various backgrounds from 10 states and provinces across eastern North America. Hawk Mountain biologists are now gearing up for the summer breeding season to continue collecting population data. Additionally, an upcoming issue of the Journal of Raptor Research will be focused on the American kestrel, highlighting the work Hawk Mountain and its collaborators have accomplished so far, and co-edited by HMS Senior Research Biologist Dr. JF Therrien.

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Hawk Mountain held a strong presence at the Raptor Research Foundation 2021 Conference with several staff, trainee alumni, and current research associates hosting or participating in presentations throughout the virtual conference. Several trainee alumni and current graduate students received awards and financial support for their raptor research projects: Mercy Melo received the James R. Koplin Travel Award for her proposed work with American kestrels; Sandra Cuadros and Esther Vallejos received the Oscar Beingolea Raptor Research Grant for their individual raptor field research projects in Latin America; and Kudzi Dhliwayo received the Leslie Brown Memorial Grant for her proposed work with white-backed vultures in Southern Africa.

STEWARDSHIP UPDATES Sanctuary Steward Stephen Wade successfully passed his test to become a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), which in addition to his Wilderness First Responder certification makes him an official WEMT. A portion of the Skyline Trail has received a makeover and relocation, now detouring around the original entrance to East Rocks Overlook in order to protect the sensitive wildlife habitat found on and around this rocky outcrop. The stewardship team used the typical winter “down time” to lay the foundation for the adjusted trail that will be ready for springtime hikers. Additionally, the new connector path to East Rocks includes a hand-hewn railing to keep hikers safely on track.

NEW WAYS TO SUPPORT Over the last year, Hawk Mountain’s development team worked with various other departments to create a series of “Adoption” programs, which give potential donors the option to “adopt” a bird and fund a specific aspect of a research project. This includes banding, telemetry units, monitoring or observation efforts, data collection, and more. So far, Adoption programs are available for research on broad-winged hawks, black and turkey vultures, and American kestrels. Learn more at hawkmountain.org/adoptions.

BOARD UPDATES This autumn, Hawk Mountain welcomed a new member to the Board of Directors, Sally O’Byrne. Sally has been a teacher naturalist for the Delaware Nature Society since 1986 and has taught a wide variety of subjects to all ages, but she now focuses on adult education, including Master Naturalist classes. She has served twice as the president of the Delmarva Ornithological Society and helped establish Delaware’s two hawkwatch sites. She is currently also a board member of The Christina River Conservancy and assists as a compiler for the Rehoboth Christmas Bird Count. In addition to Tom Kerr stepping up as the new Board Chair, David Bonenberger was selected as Vice Chair and Wendy McLean as Secretary. Jeff Weil and Sara Nicholas were added to the Executive Committee.

ACADEMIC INTERNS This winter and spring, the Development and Communications Department welcomed Veronica Rosenberger from Kutztown University as a Communications and Public Relations Intern. Veronica assisted with writing press releases, creating marketing emails, designing promotional graphics, researching fundraising opportunities, soliciting and processing donations for the Benefit for the Birds online auction, and more.

This August, Hawk Mountain is once again hosting Birds & Brew, welcoming visitors to unlimited tastings of beers, ciders, and more, along with high-class dinner sponsored by The Brickhouse Grille, raptor encounters, and live music by local band The Radioactive Muensters. Registration will open soon at hawkmountain.ticketleap.org.

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RIDGE CURRENTS

TOM KERR Selected as New Hawk Mountain Board Chair By Mary Linkevich

The board of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has selected former Wildlands Conservancy leader and conservation awardwinner Tom Kerr to serve as chair of the board of directors.

Kerr served 20 years as the president and CEO of Wildlands Conservancy, one of the largest and most successful land trusts in Pennsylvania. Known for his expertise in balancing natural-resource conservation with outdoor recreation, Kerr helped to design and complete several public parks, and he championed a campaign to raise $67 million for open-space conservation in Lehigh and Northampton counties. He was also among the founders of the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, now WeConservePA. Tom has lived in Kempton for nearly 50 years and is no stranger to the Sanctuary. He served previously as director of administration and has remained connected as a board member for more than two decades, including positions as interim president, vice chair, and chair of the board’s Land Conservation Committee, among others. His service includes former volunteer positions on the PA DCNR Citizens Advisory Council, including as second vice-chair. His long-standing membership

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in the Kempton Lions Club involved helping to design and find funding for an ADA-compliant kayak “launcher” at Leaser Lake. More recently, he worked to establish and serve on the Albany Township Environmental Advisory Council. Accolades include receiving the Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, L.L. Bean’s Outdoor Hero Award, a Lifetime Conservation Leadership Award from WeConservePA, and most recently, the Thomas P. Shelburne Environmental Leadership Award from the Northeast Environmental Partners organization, which includes PA DCNR, PA DEP, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, PPL Corporation, Proctor & Gamble, and Wilkes-Barre University. “I’ve been involved with Hawk Mountain in one way or another for almost five decades. I believe I’ve got more from it than it has from me, but I’ve never spent an unhappy moment in this special place,” Kerr says. “To be chairing a board of dedicated, enthused leaders and working with an equally dedicated and enthused staff is an honor of a lifetime.”

Successes Along the Migration Corridor By Gigi Romano

Throughout 2021, Hawk Mountain worked collaboratively to facilitate a strategic Conserve the Corridor initiative to advance raptor conservation throughout the Western Hemispheric flyways. The goal is to strengthen networking opportunities between count sites, share resources and effective strategies to protect raptors where they are most at risk, and build long-term sustainability. The world’s most biodiverse region for birds, Central and northern South America witness the largest and most concentrated flights of migratory raptors in the world. The collaborative grassroots network along this vital corridor has already made progress, including drafting a Central and South American raptor field guide in both English and Spanish, inducing outreach and awareness via social media and the latest season of The Hawk’s Call podcast, and garnering support for both new and established hawkwatch sites. Hawk Mountain helped to facilitate the first Conserve the Corridor meeting in Spanish, which connected 19 leaders from hawkwatch sites in Veracruz, Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela to share educational resources, such as Hawk Mountain’s broadwinged hawk curriculum, coloring books, and more. Despite pandemic-related obstacles, the newly established hawkwatch site in Tolima, Colombia, started in 2020 by trainee alumna Esther Vallejo, continues to learn new information about the migratory raptor populations of the region in addition to training and educating the local community. In Spring 2021, the site tallied over 625,000 raptors. In tandem with the watchsite, Esther founded TROPICOS Colombia, which encourages citizen science and community involvement.

In autumn 2021, the Kèköldi, Costa Rica count site experienced a conservation comeback, finally being reestablished after a 15-year hiatus due to lack of funding. Volunteers rebuilt the watch tower, and with support of the Sanctuary and other partnerships, the Kèköldi site was back up and running to observe over 2.75 million migrating raptors. Financial support guarantees that these raptor monitoring and education sites along the Western Hemispheric corridor remain active. Both count sites mentioned have active GoFundMe pages, or donations can be made through Hawk Mountain’s website. Contact Director of Development Mary Linkevich at 610-756-6000 x 212 or linkevich@hawkmountain.org with any donation questions. You can also support the effort by following these organizations on social media and sharing their vital work. Social media and website links, along with exclusive interviews with the conservationists involved, can be found at hawkmountain.org/the-hawkscall-podcast.

Want to experience first-hand the impressive spectacle of raptor migration in Mexico? Join Director of Conservation Science Dr. Laurie Goodrich for a birding experience of a lifetime to the Pronatura Veracruz River of Raptors hawkwatch site. Dr. Goodrich and Pronatura Monitoring Coordinator Kashmir Wolf will guide you through the world’s largest concentration of migrating raptors at the peak of Swainson’s and broad-winged hawk migration, October 6-14, 2022. Details and itinerary available at hawkmountain.org/ecotours. S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 7

APPALACHIAN TRAILS

Celebrating the Recovery of

Peregrine Falcons By Dan Brauning and Art McMorris

They generated a buzz of excitement. For the first time, a pair of Peregrine Falcons was on territory in Williamsport, within sight of the Genetti Hotel where young had been released over 15 years earlier. The Lycoming Audubon membership was ecstatic; their conservation efforts affirmed. Volunteers organized an intense nest-watch stationed at key vantage points during almost all daylight hours. When two young fledged, Wayne Laubscher was there to observe and confirm that they made it to safety. That nest on the Market Street Bridge in 2013 was one of 40 sites occupied by a recovering population in Pennsylvania. Peregrines really inspire a following! Peregrine Falcons had disappeared from the eastern United States by the 1960s and declined across their worldwide range, primarily due to contamination of their food chain by the pesticide DDT. The decline of peregrines was evident in the data collected at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary; their decline, along with that of other species, moved Rachel Carson to publish her seminal work, Silent Spring, in 1962. Her outcry spurred the environmental community and led to the enactment of the US Endangered 8 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

Photo by Bill Moses

Species Act and the banning of DDT. These actions played key roles in the recovery of these falcons and many other critically imperiled birds, such as bald eagles and brown pelicans. Tom Cade formed the Peregrine Fund at Cornell University to save the species. After success with captive breeding was achieved in the 1970s, reintroductions were initially tried at historical cliff eyries using ancient falconry techniques. Due to problems with predation and difficult logistics, the Peregrine Fund shifted releases to buildings. In 1981, with support from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Dan Brauning took a break from his master’s studies and joined Mark Shields to be part of a release in Philadelphia. Part of the pioneering reintroductions of peregrines at urban sites, they monitored a hack site on a high roof of the Philadelphia National Bank, caring for and monitoring the released young birds. Similar efforts were undertaken across the continental United States and Canada, resulting in the release of more than 7,000 young falcons. Surviving birds started to establish nesting territories in the early 1980s, first on artificial structures (buildings and bridges) and increasingly at natural cliffs. By the late 1990s, more than

Photo of a peregrine falcon by by Joe Kosack, PGC.

Art banding a nestling peregrine, by Joe Kosack, PGC.

Adult peregrine with egg and chick, by Mario Giazzon, PGC.

225 pairs were nesting in mid-western and eastern states where they had been extirpated, leading to removal from the federal Endangered Species list. After three decades of effort, the peregrine falcon was on the road to recovery. However, recovery was slower in the East than in western states, and most eastern states retained the species on their statelevel Endangered Species lists as their small populations grew. Following the initial excitement, nesting attempts in Williamsport repeatedly failed. A pair was present and seemed to make annual nesting attempts, but only one additional young falcon fledged in the following 7 years. We knew that one thing was missing: a suitable nesting substrate. In a bucket truck provided by PennDOT, Wildlife Diversity biologists Mario Giazzon and Dan Brauning of the Pennsylvania Game Commission placed a simple tray of gravel on the pier of the Market Street bridge in the fall of 2020, where the nest had repeatedly failed. The following spring, the pair tried again, and this time fledged four young. All the site needed was a suitable nesting substrate of gravel to cushion the eggs from the cold concrete pier. We again demonstrated a critical component of S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 9

APPALACHIAN TRAILS

With tenacity and a clear goal, large conservation gains are achievable.

a successful nest site and our ability to provide it. While nest boxes or trays were unable to be placed everywhere for good reason, the substrate was the missing link to nesting success in Williamsport. Predation, another critical component, is harder to address. Predation continued to be a problem at natural cliff nest sites, even as the cliff-nesting population gradually grew. Monitoring and protection of the growing population were key to their recovery. By 2021, Pennsylvania’s population grew to 73 pairs, including 22 on cliffs—the culmination of 50 years of conservation work. Art McMorris has been coordinating the statewide effort since 2004, when Pennsylvania had just 11 pairs. Art searched for nest sites, monitored nests, banded young, documented fledging success, and coordinated hundreds of volunteers whose help in all aspects of the work was absolutely essential. Art oversaw the banding of 745 birds and production of almost 1300 fledglings. Having achieved all recovery targets, the Game Commission removed the peregrine falcon from the state Endangered/ Threatened species list in 2021. Delisting is the formal recognition that the species has been restored, the tangible “finish line” after years of effort.

Photo by Bill Moses

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Restoration of the peregrine falcon was a lifetime dream for us. When Art started working with peregrines 18 years ago, he told Dan, “My goal is to make myself obsolete,” meaning that his objective was to assist the recovery of the peregrine population to the point where it was secure and no longer needed human assistance, and the species could be delisted. Dan cut his teeth on endangered species restoration by releasing falcons in 1981, conducting further releases, and monitoring the slowly recovering population over 40 years. For Dan, “Seeing the federal delisting in 1999 and the Pennsylvania

delisting in 2021 is extremely gratifying.” This accomplishment follows similar trends for other listed species, such as bald eagle and osprey. It demonstrates that with tenacity and a clear goal, large conservation gains are achievable and can reverse years of failure.

Photo by Joe Kosack, PGC

Photo by Cal Butchkoski, PGC

Removal from a list is more than a symbolic gesture; it marks a milestone, an achievement capping a half-century of work. Although delisting removes some legal protections, peregrines are still protected by other state and federal

laws, and the state penalty for harming peregrines has been increased. Conflicts will inevitably continue to occur and need to be resolved when peregrines nest on artificial structures in need of maintenance or repair. A 10-year program of post-delisting monitoring is in place, and continued monitoring beyond that at nests and hawk watches will be important. Beyond the achievement itself, the delisting of peregrines frees up resources that can now be devoted to other species that need help. Plenty of challenges remain in the world of wildlife conservation, but we can remain hopeful because of success stories like that of the peregrine falcon.

About the Authors: Art McMorris fell in love with the natural world from the moment he was able to stand up and walk. Art studied biology at Brown University (BA) and Yale University (PhD) and did biomedical research for 30 years before retiring, and then started a second career as the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s peregrine falcon Coordinator. Art has been involved with many bird conservation projects, and is a past President of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC). Art thanks Dan for the opportunity to work with these amazing creatures. Dan Brauning received a BS degree from Geneva College and MS at Penn State, worked for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia as coordinator of Pennsylvania’s first breeding bird atlas and then 31 years for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. He co-authored the Birds of Pennsylvania (2000) with Jerry McWilliams, co-edited the state’s second Breeding Bird Atlas with Andy Wilson and Bob Mulvihill (2012), and then retired in 2021. Shortly thereafter, he was elected as the President of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology.

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FIELD NOTES

Uncovering the Mysteries of the South of the Tundra By Rebecca A. McCabe, Ph.D., Research Biologist

“The Power of Collaboration”

For many of us, our first encounter with a snowy owl was quite memorable. Whether you caught a glimpse of an owl flying low over an open field or found yourself looking directly into those big yellow eyes from behind your binoculars, the minutes or hours spent observing this “life bird” feel magical, as if you are witnessing some type of mythical creature from a far off land. I recall my first memory like it was yesterday. Becca’s first encounter with a snowy owl back in 2014.

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I was attending the Raptor Field Techniques workshop in Wisconsin back in 2014, and the instructor Gene Jacobs surprised us with a special outing to go band and release a rehabilitated owl. I jumped at the opportunity to assist Gene in banding the snowy owl and felt a sense of wonder watching the owl leave human hands and take flight back into the wild. In that moment, I had no idea that two years later I would by offered the opportunity to study snowy owls while sitting at North Lookout counting passing migrants alongside Dr. JF Therrien. It was a slower flight day, and in between the occasional sharpies flying by, we chatted about life and what was next for me now that I finished my master’s. JF asked if I would be interested in starting a Ph.D. on snowy owls, collaborating with him and the rest of the Project SNOWstorm team. Who can say no to snowy owls? Definitely not me! For readers who are not familiar with Project SNOWstorm: it took flight back in 2013, when Hawk Mountain Board Member Scott Weidensaul and two other notable raptor researchers Dave Brinker, Norman

Smith, and Steve Huy co-founded the organization during a historic snowy owl irruption year. Project SNOWstorm is one of the world’s largest collaborative research projects focusing on snowy owls and is staffed by a volunteer team of banders, wildlife veterinarians, and scientists. In 2017, I started my Ph.D. at McGill University in Québec, Canada in Dr. Kyle Elliott’s Arctic Ecology Lab, studying this remarkable species alongside JF, Project SNOWstorm, and other scientists, veterinarians, banders, and various organizations. For my Ph.D. research, I primarily used Project SNOWstorm’s extensive dataset of fine-scale telemetry data to quantify the overwintering movements of snowy owls and to study how their movement patterns relate to the habitat composition within their wintering areas and influence winter survival. I also assessed factors impacting the success of translocations of owls from airports across eastern North America and provided management recommendations to private industry and federal wildlife agencies to optimize relocation efforts.

Movement in Humandominated Landscapes

First, I studied winter movement patterns of snowy owls and revealed that owls wintering near their southern range limit across North America showed large variation in space use, with some individuals remaining resident on ranges of a few square kilometers and others moving nomadically over hundreds of kilometers. In addition, our findings show that mobility of wintering owls increased west to east, and north to south, and nomadism was more common along bodies of water than in cropland habitats (see infographic on the next page for more details or read the scientific publication at hawkmountain.org/ technicalpublications, #338).

Close up of Alderbrooke, juvenile snowy owl.

snowy owls in North America. I found that mortality was more than four times higher in irruption years than non-irruption years, but only for immatures, and occurred disproportionately in early winter for immatures, but not adults. Mortality was also higher in eastern North America, where owl abundance fluctuates considerably between years, compared to core winter regions of the Arctic and Prairies where populations are more stable. In addition, mortality was associated with human activity, especially vehicle collisions (read the scientific publication at hawkmountain. org/technicalpublications; #355).

Relocating Owls from Airports

To aid in active management of owls at airports, I assessed relocation data of 42 telemetry-tracked snowy owls from 2000 to 2020 in the US and Canada. I found

The view f rom a snowy owl nest.

Survival Throughout the Winter Months

Secondly, I examined winter survival by combining telemetry and necropsy data from more than 20 years to record timing and causes of mortality for wintering S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 13

FIELD NOTES that snowy owls that returned to the airport after relocation (33%) frequently crisscrossed and perched near runways where they were at risk of strikes. Adult females and immature males were more likely to return than the other sex and age classes, and returns were less likely to occur as the distance between the release site and the airport increased. Owls relocated in open habitats with a greater proportion of wetland and cropland (including grasslands and pastures) land cover classes were also less likely to return. During the last four years, I explored how individual movements influence the survival and distribution of a species across a range of both spatial and temporal scales. By harnessing fine-scale movement data and statistical modelling, this research helps to fill in the knowledge gaps of a top predator undergoing potential threats from human disturbance and climate change. I hope that by shedding light on an understudied stage of the full annual cycle, the findings from this work provide a foundation for the expansion of research not only on snowy owls and other top predators but also on nomadic and irruptive species around the globe. This type of research is massively collaborative, and I would like to acknowledge all of the people who contributed to this work from Project SNOWstorm (USA), Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (PA, USA), McGill University (QC, Canada), University of Saskatchewan (SK, Canada), Université Laval (QC, Canada), University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (PA, USA), University of British Columbia (BC, Canada), Boise State University (ID, USA), Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Snowy Owl Project (MA, USA), Falcon Environmental (QC, Canada), Union québécoise de réhabilitation des oiseaux de proie (QC, Canada), Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (YK, Canada), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (Tromsø, Norway), and BirdLife Norway (Trondheim, Norway). 14 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

Rebecca in Saskatoon, SK, Canada with a snowy owl.

A gathering of Project SNOWstorm members at an annual meeting in 2017 at the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning.

Rebecca releasing an adult male snowy owl that was relocated from the Montréal-Trudeau Airport in Québec, Canada.

Recently fledged juvenile snowy owl from a nest on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada.

I have been fortunate enough to continue studying this enigmatic species with fellow researchers, students, and owl enthusiasts, and currently one of my main tasks here at Hawk Mountain is to compile a snowy owl global status assessment to inform management and conservation decisions for the snowy owl across its circumpolar range. To learn more or support, visit projectsnowstorm.org. If you or someone you know is interested in supporting Hawk Mountain’s effort to conserve and study snowy owls in the Arctic and beyond, contact mccabe@ hawkmountain.org or therrien@hawkmountain.org.

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IN FLIGHT

The Rough-legged Hawk Project: Continent-wide Tracking to Unlock Secrets of Migration By Neil Paprocki

Neil Paprocki holding a tagged rough-legged hawk. January 2014 marked the beginning of an expansive effort to track the unknown migratory and movement patterns of a relatively common but understudied North American buteo, the rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus). Jeff Kidd of Kidd Biological, Inc. founded the research project and deployed the first GPS transmitters on rough-legged hawks in California and Nevada during the winters of 2014 and 2015. Since these beginnings, and with generous support from Kidd Biological, Inc. and other partners, the Rough-legged Hawk Project has expanded dramatically, having deployed well over 150 GPS transmitters on the species throughout the entirety of their North American range. I came onto the project in January 2016, at the time working for HawkWatch International in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Jeff enlisted my help to expand the project eastwards, and I began deploying transmitters on rough-legged hawks in Utah over the next three winters. Soon after my initial involvement, I began thinking about pursuing a Ph.D., and the growing rough-legged hawk movement dataset we were compiling seemed like a goldmine for scientific inquiry. Jeff was incredibly supportive of this idea.

Adult male rough-legged hawk equipped with state-of-the-art solar powered transmitter on its breeding grounds on Bylot Island, Canada.

With the ever expanding rough-legged hawk movement dataset in hand, I began my dissertation at the University of Idaho under the advisement of Dr. Courtney Conway in January 2019. Dr. Conway and his students have a rich history of exploring questions related to why individual birds migrate, a topic we still know surprisingly little about given how common migratory behavior is. For example, many birds exhibit differential migration whereby some individuals migrate further than others, and the causes of differential migration is a topic of debate. Annually since 2007, Hawk Mountain’s Senior Scientist Dr. JF Therrien has been monitoring nesting activity of rough-legged hawks on the long-term study site of Bylot Island in Nunvaut, Canada. In addition to color-banding adults and juveniles as well as deploying a few GPS transmitters over the years, it was really in 2019 that Hawk Mountain officially began collaborating with Jeff, myself, and The Rough-legged Hawk Project. That year, the team deployed some of the Project’s high-resolution GPS transmitters on hawks nesting on

Bylot Island. Dr. Therrien has since joined my dissertation committee, providing valuable feedback and guidance during my academic journey. Our Project hopes to continue working with Dr. Therrien and Hawk Mountain on additional GPS deployments from Bylot Island. Advances in remote (e.g., GPS) tracking technologies have greatly enhanced our ability to answer migration-related research questions. For my Ph.D., I am using this technology to understand why individual rough-legged hawks migrate different distances – some venturing as far south as Texas while others eke out a winter existence in places like North Dakota, some 1,000 miles further north. This movement dataset will provide a foundation allowing rigorous testing of a suite of hypotheses to explain why rough-legged hawks exhibit differential migration. I will assess the relative importance of up to seven hypotheses meant to explain variation in migration distance among rough-legged hawks. Not only will our GPS transmitters provide us with precise

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 17

IN FLIGHT Dr. JF Therrien holding a tagged roughleg on Bylot Island.

migration distances (because we will know both wintering and breeding locations), but they will also allow the calculation of important factors that may influence how far an individual hawk migrates. Things like breeding season arrival times as well as nonbreeding season locations can be used to calculate nonbreeding temperature exposure, snow depth, and frequency of prolonged storms utilizing remotely sensed weather data.

why mortalities occurs (e.g., persecution, infections, predation, etc.). For example, during the winter of 2020-21 we had several hawks die of apparent bacterial infections. This has led to the subsequent collection of immune function data on hawks captured during the 2021-22 winter to better understand how immunocompetence and exposure to pathogens may be influencing both migration distance and hawk mortality.

We also collect additional information from each hawk at the time of capture that may help us explain variation in migration distances. Morphometric data to determine body size, standardized photographs to determine flight-related morphometrics such as wing area, trace prey remains from beak and talon swabs to get a snapshot of winter diet, and blood to assess immune function are all collected to inform our various differential migration hypotheses.

The winter of 2021-22 was our biggest transmitter push to date. We focused on expanding our research efforts into eastern North America, where we’d previously conducted very little work outside of the Bylot Island transmitters deployed by Hawk Mountain. In total, we deployed 35 GPS transmitters on wintering rough-legged hawks in December 2021 and January 2022 in 9 states and provinces including places like Vermont, New York, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.

Throughout our data collection efforts, much of our information gathering may also help explain the probable negative population trends being observed in rough-legged hawks from both longterm migration count and Christmas Bird Count data. Remote tracking allows us to determine where and when hawks die and follow up information can also inform

These deployments will give us a much better understanding of rough-legged hawk migratory behavior and breeding origins in the eastern half of the North American continent. We are already seeing evidence of some eastern individuals moving further south because of severe winter storms. However, other individuals seem to stay put at their more northerly

18 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

These deployments will give us a much better understanding of rough-legged hawk migratory behavior and breeding origins in the eastern half of the North American continent.

winter locations. The question then comes back to: why are some individuals migrating farther than others? With our expansive movement dataset and the support of organizations like Kidd Biological, Inc. and Hawk Mountain, we hope to answer this and many other research questions in the coming years. Stay tuned! For more information on the project, visit The Rough-legged Hawk Project page on Facebook or at hawkmountain.org/ research/rough-legged-hawks.

Talon (top) and beak (bottom) swabs collect trace genetic material from prey remains to better understand winter diet.

If you or someone you know may be interested in funding this collaborative study, please contact Neil Paprocki (neilpaprocki@gmail.com) or Dr. JF Therrien (therrien@hawkmountain.org; 570-943-3411 x104)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neil Paprocki is Ph.D. Candidate at Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho.

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 19

HAWK MOUNTAIN HAPPENINGS

SPRING EVENT Thursday, May 12, 6 PM Online Auction • May 12 – June 30 On Thursday, May 12, join us for an evening of mingling, live music, and chef’s delights, featuring a wonderful selection of hors d’oeuvres, all to benefit Hawk Mountain. For the first time, the event will take place at Folino Estate Winery in Kutztown, PA, just 20 minutes from the Mountain. This year, the accompanying online silent auction will kick off the night of the Benefit and run through June 30. Browse a diverse selection of art, apparel, experiences, and more to support the Sanctuary. Stay tuned to hawkmountain.org/benefit for details, and those interested in attending or sponsoring the event can contact Tammy Jandrasitz at jandrasitz@hawkmountain.org.

Come visit the Mountain and experience the beauty of nature and live performances of local musicians. Performances take place in the Hawk Mountain Amphitheater and will be followed by light refreshments and meet-and-greet. Limited seating is available, and bringing your own chair is encouraged. Admission is $25, $20 for Mountain Members, and registration is at hawkmountain.ticketleap.com.

Berks Sinfonietta Saturday, June 11 • 2-4 PM

20 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

Gabriel Chamber Ensemble Saturday, September 10 • 2-4 PM

Member Exclusive Events

Appalachian Ecology Course

Earth Day Celebration Fri, Apr 22 • 10 AM – 12:30 PM • $15

Celebrate Earth Day with a raptor meetand-greet, light breakfast, guided walk, and interactive game.

American Red Cross First Aid Course Sun, May 15 • 9 AM – 4 PM • $65 Receive two-year certification following a full day first aid & cardiac emergency training.

Sounds of Summer Walk Tue, June 21 • 8 – 10 AM • $10

A guided walk with President Sean Grace searching for late spring and early summer wildlife.

Vulture Encounters Fri, July 15 • 10 AM – 12 PM • $15

Learn about vultures’ role in nature and how Hawk Mountain is researching and conserving the species.

This June, Hawk Mountain is offering a brand new 10-day, immersive course experiencing and learning about the ecology of the Appalachians. Designed for teens ages 15-17 who are interesting in becoming a future conservation professional, this course is based on the principles of service learning and will expose students to a variety of conservation field skills. The course will cover several disciplines, including raptor and songbird field research, forest ecology, habitat management, GIS/GPS, herpetology, entomology, native plant propagation, and more, along with a focus on building valuable life skills. This is a residential course, where all participants will live on site for the full duration. Details and information on how to apply can be found at hawkmountain.org/ AppEcologyCourse.

Summer Nature Camps

Designed for youth entering grades 1 – 6, these week-long day camps get kids outdoors, developing a deeper connection with the natural world through fun and educational activities. Campers can choose one week or join us for the entire summer! Registration closes two weeks before start of chosen camp. Discounted price available for Mountain Members and those signing up for more than 4 weeks. Visit hawkmountain.org/ summercamps for details.

WEEK 1 June 20-24 1st-3rd: Creative Creations 4th-6th: Art of Nature

WEEK 3 July 4-8 1st-3rd: Fascinating Creatures 4th-6th: Predators & Prey

WEEK 5 July 18-22 1st-3rd: All Creatures Big & Small 4th-6th: All About Animals

WEEK 7 August 1-5 1st-3rd: Nature Games 4th-6th: Woodland Games

WEEK 2 June 27-July 1 1st-3rd: Wild Survivors #1 4th-6th: Surviving in the Wild #1

WEEK 4 July 11-15 1st-3rd: Wild Survivors #2 4th-6th: Surviving in the Wild #2

WEEK 6 July 25-29 1st-3rd: Wild Discoveries 4th-6th: Nature Scene Investigators (NSI)

WEEK 8 August 8-12 1st-3rd: Young Naturalists 4th-6th: Nature Adventure

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 21

AUTUMN MIGRATION REPORT

SETTING RECORDS

By David Barber, Senior Research Biologist

I always get goosebumps as I approach North Lookout on my first count day of the new season. How will this year’s flight unfold? Which species will be up, and which will be down? Will any unusual species show up? Did I bring enough food? All these questions run through my mind as I step out onto the rocks. I am sure I am not the only counter who ponders these questions at the beginning of the season. Whether you’re a counter or a first-time visitor to North Lookout, that is the magic of the migration; you never know when something unusual might happen, and each year is filled with surprises. This year was no different with new count records set and new species added to the Hawk Mountain bird list. Read on to see how this year’s count unfolded.

Broad-winged Hawk by Bill Moses

AUGUST 2021 Day

Weather

Wind (mph)

BLVU

TUVU

OSPR

BAEA

NOHA

SSHA

COHA

NOGO

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

NW/NNE/N, 1-12

Overcast/Haze

ESE/SE, 3-10

Fog/Overcast

SE, 0-7

Fog/Rain/Haze/Mostly Cloudy

SE, 9-20

Fog/Drizzle/Mostly cloudy/Partly cloudy

WNW, 5-15

Rain/Overcast/Mostly cloudy

NW, 1-7

Partly cloudy/Overcast

VAR/SE/E, 0-4

Rain/Fog/Overcast

NW, 1-5

Fog/Overcast/Mostly cloudy/Rain/Partly cloudy

NW, 4-13

Haze/Clear

NW, 1-3

0 0

Haze/Overcast/Mostly cloudy/Partly cloudy

VAR/S, 0-2

Haze/Partly Cloudy

VAR, 1-5

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

VAR, 1-5

Fog/Rain

E/ESE, 1-8

Overcast/Mostly cloudy

SE/ESE, 1-7

Fog/Haze/Mostly Cloudy/Rain/Partly Cloudy

VAR/ W

Overcast

NW/SW

Total

22 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

AUGUST • Counters had to wait almost four hours for the first raptor to appear on the 15th, but an adult broad-winged hawk soared over the lookout and streamed to the southwest at 9:54 AM, marking the first official migrant of the 2021 season. By days end, a total of 34 birds were tallied, a good count for the first day that included 4 bald eagles, 2 Cooper’s hawks, 25 broad-winged hawks, and 3 American kestrels. Greeted by fog on the 19th, Director of Conservation Science, Laurie Goodrich, had to wait out an approaching cold front before being rewarded with a steady flight of bald eagles; 13 adults and 3 immatures were counted heading south. A strong cold front on the 23rd produced the biggest flight of the month. Biologist/Naturalist Bracken Brown tallied 66 raptors, including an August high of 21 osprey, 10 bald eagles, 26 broad-winged hawks, and 7 American kestrels.

However, the raptor flight was not the only highlight of the day. Bracken observed four unusual looking waterfowl headed south over the ridge and after getting them in the scope he quickly realized he was looking at blackbellied whistling ducks—Hawk Mountain’s first record of the species. Light winds and several days of overcast skies slowed the raptor migration the last week of August, but woodpecker, songbird, and swallow migration started to pick up. Fifteen species of warblers were observed during the last week along with season firsts of red-headed woodpecker, yellow-bellied flycatcher, and yellow-throated vireo. On the 31st, volunteer counters Holly Merker and Karen Lutz tallied 378 common nighthawks, including a flock of 105 nighthawks, numbers not seen in over 40 years.

UNAC

RSHA

BWHA

RTHA

RLHA

UNBU

GOEA

UNEA

AMKE

MERL

PEFA

UNFA

UNRA

TOTAL

169

333

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 23

AUTUMN MIGRATION REPORT

Bald Eagle by Bill Moses

SEPTEMBER • The remnants of Hurricane Ida drenched the lookout on the 1st, and as skies cleared on the 2nd, birds were on the move early. Volunteer counter Jon Levin recorded the first migrant, an osprey, at 7:58 AM, followed by four bald eagles in a span of 10 minutes. The eagle parade continued throughout the day but really picked up steam after 4 PM, when 26 bald eagles streamed past the lookout. By day’s end, 41 bald eagles were recorded, the second highest day in Hawk Mountain count history. The parade continued the next day when an additional 27 eagles were tallied, the tenth highest single-day count. Cedar waxwings were also on the move in early September, with 2,343 counted during the first week, including a season high 720 waxwings counted on the 3rd by volunteer counters Paul Heveran and Chris Farmer.

SEPTEMBER 2021 Day

Weather

Wind (mph)

BLVU

TUVU

OSPR

BAEA

NOHA

SSHA

COHA

NOGO

UNAC

Rain

NE, 5-10

Clear/Partly Cloudy

NW, 5-15

Clear/Partly cloudy/Overcast

NW/WNW, 5-10

Mostly cloudy/ Partly cloudy

NW/SW/W, 0-8

Overcast/Drizzle/Rain/Fog

S/WSW, 1-7

Fog/Haze/Clear/Partly cloudy

W/WNW, 0-15

Clear/Partly Cloudy

SW/W, 1-3

Partly Cloudy/Haze

SW, 1-10

Overcast/Fog

NW, 0-2

Clear/Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

NW, 1-12

Clear/Partly cloudy

SW, 0-8

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

SW/W/VAR, 1-7

Overcast/Haze/Partly cloudy

WNW/W, 3-15

Clear/Partly cloudy

E/W/SW, 0-4

Haze/Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

VAR, 1-7

Haze/Partly cloudy/Overcast

E/SE/SW, 4-15

0 0

Fog/Drizzle/Overcast

E, 1-7

Fog/Haze/Partly cloudy

NW, 0-8

Clear

N, 4-7

Haze/Partly Cloudy/Clear/Mostly Cloudy

SSE/S/SE, 3-12

Overcast/Mostly cloudy/Partly cloudy

SE, 1-12

Fog/Rain/Overcast

SE, 6-11

Rain

Clear/Partly cloudy

NW/W, 1-7

Haze/Overcast

SW, 0-5

Clear/Partly cloudy

WNW, 4-7

178

Clear/Partly cloudy

WNW/W, 5-18

Rain/Overcast/Haze/Partly Cloudy

WNW/NW, 0-20

Clear

NW, 1-8

167

Mostly cloudy

NW, 3-8

178

246

198

1007

108

Total

24 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

Numbers of broad-winged hawks started to build the second week of September with counts of 548 on the 11th and 621 on the 13th. The first big flight occurred on the 14th when volunteer counters Rob Feldman and Karen Lutz recorded 1,437 broadwings with 681 passing over the lookout between 11 AM and 12 PM. In addition to the broadwings, Rob and Karen also scored the falcon trifecta with 13 kestrels, 4 merlins, and 4 peregrine falcons. Triple-digit broadwing flights continued over the next week before peaking on the 20th when a season high 1,534 broadwings streamed over the lookout. Light winds and clear skies on the morning of the 25th made for perfect songbird migration conditions as was evident from the numerous small flocks of rose-breasted grosbeaks passing the lookout. At the end of the morning flight, volunteer

counters Matt Wlasniewski and Holly Merker tallied 183 grosbeaks, shattering the old daily record of 62. The record was short lived, however, when Bracken Brown recorded 189 grosbeaks two days later. That impressive morning flight also included 77 northern flickers, 33 blue-headed vireos, and 121 scarlet tanagers. The species composition of the raptor flight shifted the last week when sharp-shinned hawks began to outnumber broad-winged hawks. On the 26th, volunteer counters Scott Morrison, Jeremy Scheivert, and Anne Wallace tallied 317 raptors, including 178 sharp-shinned hawks, 15 Cooper’s hawks, 38 broad-winged hawks, and a season high 57 American kestrels. Strong sharpshin flights continued through the end of the month with 167 on the 29th and 178 on the 30th. Also counted on the 29th was a season high 7 northern harriers.

RSHA

BWHA

RTHA

RLHA

UNBU

GOEA

UNEA

AMKE

MERL

PEFA

UNFA

UNRA

TOTAL

126

220

240

139

113

186

279

548

583

126

150

621

656 1545

1473

143

228

201

234

452

459

715

814

281

343

1534

1595

171

143

846

906

317

125

264

276

258

8053

100

260

10194

Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Northern Goshawk Unidentified Accipiter Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Unidentified Buteo Golden Eagle American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Unidentified Falcon Unidentified Raptor

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 25

American Kestrel by Bill Moses

3 0

BLVU TUVU OSPR BAEA NOHA SSHA COHA NOGO UNAC RSHA BWHA RTHA RLHA UNBU GOEA AMKE MERL PEFA UNFA UNRA

AUTUMN MIGRATION REPORT

Photo by Cameron H. Fowler

OCTOBER 2021 Day

Weather

Wind (mph)

BLVU

TUVU

OSPR

BAEA

NOHA

SSHA

COHA

Clear/Partly cloudy

NW, 1-5

NOGO 0

Haze/Overcast/Partly cloudy

NW/W, 3-10

Overcast/Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

SW/S/NW/W, 1-7

Fog/Rain/Overcast

SE/VAR, 0-5

Fog

SE/ESE, 1-7

Fog/Overcast/Mostly cloudy

VAR/SSE, 1-3

Fog/Haze

SSE/SE/VAR, 1-3

134

Fog/Haze/Overcast/Partly cloudy

NW/VAR/SSE/SW, 1-3

167

Fog/Overcast

ESE/ E, 6-12

Fog/Overcast/Rain

SSE/SE, 4-17

Fog/Overcast/Partly cloudy

NE/E/VAR/ESE, 0-18

Fog/Overcast

E, 0-5

Fog/Haze/Overcast

NNW/VAR/NW, 0-3

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

NW/W/VAR, 1-12

Haze/Partly cloudy/Clear

SW/WSW/SSW, 1-7

Haze/Overcast/Partly cloudy

SSW/SW/W, 5-20

100

Clear/Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

NW, 8-12

277

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

NW, 5-20

409

Clear

NW/WNW, 4-12

357

Clear

W, 1-12

357

Clear/Partly cloudy

SW, 1-7

111

174

Clear/Partly cloudy/Overcast

NW/W, 1-12

169

Fog/Overcast/Drizzle/Rain

SE/S/W, 0-5

Overcast/Fog

SW, 0-3

SW, 0-10

155

0 0

Fog/Haze/Overcast

Rain

Overcast/Clear

NW, 3-16

Clear/Mostly cloudy

SE/S/SW, 0-6

Overcast/Rain

E, 15-20

Rain/Fog/Mostly cloudy

SE/S, 0-5

Fog/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

W/NW, 1-12

Total

26 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

458

137

3012

348

OCTOBER • Morning fog and light winds hampered the raptor flight for most of the first half of the month with count totals under 100 most days. A large flight of blue jays occurred at the end of the first week with 1,693 jays counted on the 8th, along with 272 raptors including 36 turkey vultures, 6 bald eagles, 167 sharp-shinned hawks, 28 Cooper’s hawks, a broad-winged hawk, a golden eagle, and 12 kestrels. The blue jay flight continued the next day with 1,232 tallied. A shift in weather patterns finally occurred on the 17th, and migrants took advantage of the ideal conditions. Volunteer counters Paul Heveran and Rudy Keller observed 400 migrants, including 24 bald eagles, 277 sharpshins, 23 Cooper’s hawks, 13 red-tailed hawks, 13 kestrels, 12 merlins, and a season high 6 peregrine falcons. The accipiter parade continued the next day when Bracken

Brown and Hawk Mountain President Sean Grace counted season highs 409 sharp-shinned and 51 Cooper’s hawks. Strong northwest/west winds persisted over the next two days, and the raptor flights did not disappoint; accipiter flights continued, and numbers of turkey vultures and redtailed hawks increased. On the 20th, 490 raptors were observed, including 47 turkey vultures, 5 bald eagles, 357 sharp-shinned hawks, 20 Cooper’s hawks, and 34 red-tailed hawks. Winter finches started to migrate through later in the month. A pine siskin was counted on the 24th, and two purple finches were seen on the 25th. Strong northwest winds on the 27th produced the last big push of accipiters with 155 sharpies and 28 Cooper’s hawks. Senior Scientist JF Therrien also counted 19 bald eagles and season highs of 16 redshouldered hawks and 103 red-tailed hawks.

RSHA

BWHA

RTHA

RLHA

UNBU

GOEA

UNEA

AMKE

MERL

PEFA

UNFA

UNRA

TOTAL

106

163

272

145 148

181

400

531

432

490

354

221

103

118

103

365

20 86

369

4801

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 27

Coopers Hawk by Bill Moses

UNAC

NOVEMBER • Counts of American robins often increase later in the season, and on the 1st, waves of robins flew past North Lookout late in the day. A season high 2,335 robins were counted, and more were heard and seen streaming over the forest as the counter walked down from the lookout. Robins continued to be seen throughout the month with counts of over 1,800 on the 15th and 17th. Volunteer counter Jason Deeter recorded an adult northern goshawk on the 3rd, the only goshawk seen this season and the lowest count in Hawk Mountain’s 87 years of counting. Jason also counted a season high 13 golden eagles along with 9 bald eagles and 37 red-tailed hawks. Light and/or southerly winds dominated the weather for the first half of the month. Despite the

winds, migrating black and turkey vultures were recorded most days with notable black vulture totals of 32 on the 11th, 38 on the 14th, and 43 on the 27th—all top ten high counts. Red-tailed hawks also were seen most days, although not in particularly large numbers. Higher counts occurred on days with northwest winds, such as the 23rd when a month high 75 redtails were counted along with 8 bald eagles, 11 golden eagles, and the last American kestrel and peregrine falcon of the season. The northwest winds also produced the first large flight of Canada geese, 2,200 in total. One of the skeins of geese contained a smaller whiter goose with black wingtips. Photographer Bill Moses was able to get a photo of the bird, and when enlarged it was identified as a Ross’s goose, a new record species for the Sanctuary!

NOVEMBER 2021 Day

Weather

Wind (mph)

BLVU

TUVU

OSPR

BAEA

NOHA

SSHA

COHA

Clear/Partly cloudy

W, 5-15

NOGO 0

Overcast

W/WNW, 1-7

Clear/Partly cloudy

WNW, 4-7

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

VAR, 0-3

Clear

NNW/WNW/NW/N, 1-7

Clear

SE, 0-5

Partly cloudy

VAR, 0-3

Clear

NW, 0-8

Clear

W/WNW, 0-10

Haze/Clear

WNW, 3-15

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

S/SE, 5-15

Rain/Overcast/Mostly cloudy/Clear

W, 4-12

Mostly cloudy/Rain/Fog/Sleet/Clear

SW/NW, 5-30

Clear/Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

NW/W/S/SE, 1-3

Mostly cloudy/Overcast/Mostly cloudy

W/WNW, 5-25

Clear/Partly cloudy

W/NW, 1-7

0 0

Overcast

SE/SSE, 1-7

Haze/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

SW, 4-7

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

NW, 1-12

Clear/Partly cloudy/Overcast

S, 0-5

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

SE/SSE, 1-7

Fog/Haze/Overcast/Partly cloudy

WNW/NW/WNW, 3-15

Clear/mostly cloudy

NW, 3-10

Clear

W, 0-5

Haze/Overcast/Mostly cloudy

WNW, 0-5

Mostly cloudy/Overcast

NW, 15-20

Overcast/Partly cloudy

WNW, 10-25

Fog/Overcast

SE/SW, 1-5

Mostly cloudy/Snow/Overcast/Clear

NW, 3-15

Overcast/Snow/Fog

VAR, 1-3

185

137

142

162

Total

28 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

On the 24th, a loud, bugling call was heard high over the lookout. The origin of the call was a flock of 16 sandhill cranes headed south, only the tenth record for the fall count. Another noisy flock of six sandhill cranes was seen on the 29th. A strong cold front on the 26th brought blustery winds, scattered snow showers, and a first for me, a kettle of eagles. Not long after arriving at North Lookout, I looked up to see eight bald eagles, a mix of adults and immatures, fly from behind the lookout and soar together above me, making slow lazy circles. They eventually flew back to the southwest from the direction they came, and although I couldn’t count them as migrating, I had plenty of chances to count migrating eagles throughout the day. I counted a total of 21 bald eagles that day along with 7 turkey vultures, a

Cooper’s hawk, 26 red-tailed hawks, 8 golden eagles, and a merlin. Blustery conditions continued the next day and so did the eagle parade. Laurie Goodrich tallied 23 bald and 7 golden eagles, along with 43 black vultures and 47 red-tailed hawks. Another cold front two days later on the 29th produced another pulse of eagles, a light-morph rough-legged hawk, and an impressive waterfowl flight. Season highs were recorded for snow geese (551), Canada geese (4,233), common loon (54), red-throated loon (4), American black duck (4) and green-winged teal (18). Other nonraptor highlights included a flock of 18 common redpolls and a flock of 8 snow buntings.

RSHA

BWHA

RTHA

RLHA

UNBU

GOEA

UNEA

AMKE

MERL

PEFA

UNFA

UNRA

TOTAL

190

103

115

108 13

64 128

589

1480

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 29

Black Vulture by Bill Moses

UNAC

DECEMBER • Black vultures were the most numerous migrant in December with migrating vultures counted most days. Two flocks totaling 62 birds were seen on the 2nd, and on the 5th, Scott Morrison tallied 95 vultures, including a flock of 77 birds, the largest single day total in Hawk Mountain history. Heading up to North Lookout in the dark on a cold, windy morning on the 12th, volunteer counter Doug Wood pondered whether he was getting too old to do this. Within the first hour, Doug counted 11 bald eagles and 1 golden eagle and had an answer to his question— definitely not! The next hour brought another 9 bald eagles along with 3 black vultures and a red-tailed hawk. Although the pace of migration slowed, by the end of the day Doug had tallied 39 bald eagles, the third highest single-day count for Hawk Mountain. The last official day of the count dawned overcast with light southeast winds, not the best migration conditions. But despite the weather, raptors were on the move, and counters recorded 21 birds, including 4 black vultures, 8 turkey vultures, 2 sharp-shinned hawks, 1 Cooper’s hawk, 5 red-tailed hawks, and a merlin, the last bird of the official count.

Merlin by Scarlett Gutierrez

DECEMBER 2021 Day

Weather

Wind (mph)

BLVU

TUVU

OSPR

BAEA

NOHA

SSHA

COHA

NOGO

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

WNW/W/WSW, 1-7

Overcast/Mostly cloudy

SW/W/NW, 1-3

Clear/Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

NW, 4-12

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy

W/NW, 1-4

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

W/SE, 0-7

Overcast/Fog

SW, 1-4

Mostly cloudy/Overcast

WNW/W, 1-3

Overcast/Snow

S, 1-3

Partly cloudy/Mostly cloudy/Overcast

WNW/NW, 1-3

Overcast/Mostly cloudy/Partly cloudy

SSE/S, 1-7

Rain/fog

Clear

NW, 4-12

0 0

Partly cloudy/Clear

WNW/W/WSW

Clear/Partly cloudy

WNW

Overcast

SSE/S/SE

Clear

NW, 8-12

Total

30 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

245

Other Migrants of Note • Autumn 2021 Date

Peak #

Species

Monarch by Bill Moses

Total

AUGUST 23

378

Black-bellied Whistling Duck Common Nighthawk

4 515

SEPTEMBER 4

720

Cedar Waxwing

12,106

849

Monarch

3,080

109

Chimney Swift

1,051

189

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

603

OCTOBER 2

1,693

Red-headed Woodpecker

Blue Jay

5,180

Common Raven

683

NOVEMBER 1

2,335

American Robin

23,773

Bonaparte’s Gull

Ross’s Goose

Sandhill Crane

Robin by Bill Moses

UNAC

RSHA

BWHA

RTHA

RLHA

UNBU

GOEA

UNEA

AMKE

MERL

PEFA

UNFA

UNRA

TOTAL

107

2 11

518

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 31

Ross’s and Canada geese by Bill Moses MIGRATION SUMMARY • In the autumn 2021 season, Hawk Mountain counters tallied 17,326 raptors over 120 days and 1,114 hours of counting. The total number of raptors counted was 6% above the 10-year average, and eight species had above average counts. Most notable were black vulture, 217% above average, and bald eagle, 32% above average. Both species set new season-long count records, and the counts of black vultures included 5 of the top 10 highest single-day counts. This trend is not surprising given populations of both species are increasing in the East, but the magnitude of the vulture increase is surprising. Other species with above average counts include sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, broadwinged hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, and peregrine falcon. In contrast, four species had below average count: osprey, 7% below average, northern goshawk, 95% below average, red-shouldered hawk, 15% below average, and red-tailed hawk, 35% below average. The northern goshawk total, 1, was the lowest in Hawk Mountain’s 87 years of counting. Goshawks are an irruptive species; large numbers move south when their prey populations crash. However, prey population of snowshoe hares and ruffed grouse have remained stable in Canada, so decline in numbers at hawk watch sites may be due in part to goshawks not migrating. The same may be true for red-tailed

hawks. Christmas Bird Count data suggests that red-tailed hawks in the East are not migrating as much or are migrating shorter distances than in the past. Counts of osprey continue their short-term decline. The cause for these declines is currently unknown, although some have suggested an increase in the number of bald eagles, a competitor, may contribute to this decline. Hawk Mountain is not alone in the decline of the species mentioned above. Virtually all watchsites in Pennsylvania are showing similar declines in their counts. Hawk Mountain counters also tallied 100,963 non-raptors, including 3,177 butterflies and 1,170 dragonflies. The most abundant non-raptor was American robin with 23,733 counted, followed by Canada goose (15,160), cedar waxwing (12,106), common grackle (6,245), and blue jay (5,180). Counts of winter finches were well below numbers seen last year, however we did observe a flock of common redpolls and a few flocks of white-winged crossbills, and counts of purple finches (674) were above average. The count of 3,080 monarchs was the largest season count since 2012, and the high day of 849 monarchs was the second highest single-day count. In addition, quite a few uncommon non-raptors were observed this fall, including Bonaparte’s gull, black scoter, sandhill crane, and first-time records of black-bellied whistling duck and Ross’s goose.

2021 AUTUMN MIGRATION SUMMARY Month

Days

Hours

NOHA

SSHA

August

156.1

169

September

294.5

246

198

1007

108

8053

100

October

286.8

458

137

3012

348

369

November

259.8

185

137

142

162

589

December

117.3

245

120

1114.5

490

649

339

611

122

4200

514

145

8227

1157

145

10-year Average

123.9

1108.9

170

640

365

464

125

3788

464

171

7382

1771

135

15 Aug - 15 Dec Official Count

119

1110.1

490

649

339

605

122

4199

514

145

8227

1153

142

TOTAL

BLVU TUVU OSPR BAEA

32 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

COHA NOGO UNAC

RSHA BWHA RTHA

RLHA UNBU GOEA U 0

Thank You

TO OUR COUNTERS

STAFF: David Barber, Bracken Brown, Laurie Goodrich, Sean Grace, Jean-Franҫois Therrien.

VOLUNTEERS: Jason Deeter, Chris Farmer, Rob Feldman, Greg George, Paul Heveran, Rudy Keller, Jon Levin, Karen Lutz, Holly Merker, Scott Morrison, Beth Sassaman, Jeremey Scheivert, Bill Wallace, Matt Wlasniewski, Doug Wood.

COUNT ASSISTANTS AND DATA VOLUNTEERS: Frank DeFazio, Steve Clark, John Hilbish, Ann Lessel, Bill Moses, Lee Simpson, Ann Wallace, 2021 Conservation Science Trainees.

UNEA AMKE

MERL

PEFA

UNFA UNRA 0

TOTAL 333

260

10194

4801

1480

518

371

172

17326

337

169

16292

371

172

17312

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 33

SCHOOL IN THE CLOUDS

WILD ABOUT RAPTORS Virtual Educator Workshop Series Professional training for formal and non-formal educators! Hawk Mountain hopes to inspire public, private, formal, and non-formal educators with new tools, activities, and curricula for the classroom. For 2022, we are collaborating with Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and the PA Department of Environmental Protection to create this FREE workshop series, all virtually. Act 48 hours are available! Registration is required for each session and closes 2 hours before the start of the program. Register at hawkmountain.ticketleap.com.

THE AMERICAN KESTREL Tuesday, June 14 • 1:30 – 2:30 PM Learn all about Pennsylvania’s smallest falcon, the American kestrel, with Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Discover Hawk Mountain’s expanded research aimed to understand why kestrel populations are in decline and what we all can do to conserve this colorful and ecologically important species. Meet a LIVE kestrel ambassador and explore Hawk Mountain’s free, standardized American Kestrel Webcam Curriculum designed for elementary and middle school grade levels.

THE PEREGRINE FALCON:

DEP FalconCam, Role of Banding, and a Species Recovered

Tuesday, June 21 • 1:30 – 2:30 PM Join the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for a behind the scenes look at the DEP Pennsylvania FalconCam and the annual banding of the eyasses. A further look into the importance of banding for biologists will be outlined. The program will conclude with information on the recovery of the world’s fastest animal, as it was delisted from the state list in 2021. This information can be adapted to various grade levels. 34 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

PENNSYLVANIA’S OTHER EAGLE: Golden Eagles in the Keystone State Tuesday, June 28 • 1:30 – 2:30 PM Join Shaver’s Creek, Penn State’s nature center, to unravel the mysteries of golden eagles in Pennsylvania. These large avian predators migrate through the state in late fall and early spring, with some individuals staying for the winter, living a largely unseen existence. Learn about the science, technology, and conservationists studying this majestic raptor. This information can be adapted to various grade levels.

Autumn 2021 Education Trainees The Hawk Mountain education traineeship is an investment in the next generation of conservation education leaders. The education trainees live onsite and work full time with the education team to work on curriculum, group programs, and event materials. They also engage with the science trainees and experience hands-on conservation research.

CHEYENNE SMITH Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cheyenne is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee with a degree in conservation & environmental science. She has had various opportunities in the field, including a year as an intern working with captive raptor training and education, volunteering at MAPS banding sites, and most recently working as a research assistant studying raptors in urban Milwaukee.

ALEJANDRO GILLESPIE Morristown, New Jersey

Alejandro graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a minor in Spanish from Susquehanna University in May 2021. From 2015 to 2019 he worked in the Springbrook Country Club as a tennis camp counselor organizing activities, running drills, and collaborating with a team to manage as many as 30 campers, ages 5 to 15. In the summer of 2020, he worked in Dogwood Farms as a livestock manager caring primarily for pigs and chickens, a harvester, and a seller at several different farmers markets. S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 35

ON THE WING

Autumn 2021 Conservation Science Trainees AERIN DAVIS

Morgantown, West Virginia

Aerin is a 2020 graduate of West Virginia University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries resources, and he also has a degree in education from Meridian Community College. Aerin has gained experience working with raptors at the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, providing care and training for a diverse selection of avian species, and at the West Virginia University Brzotek Forest Ecology, collecting field samples, preparing for experiments, and gathering data. After his traineeship, Aerin would like to continue working in the field of wildlife rehabilitation and gaining experience in the conservation field.

PATRICK MAURICE

Atlanta, Georgia

Patrick graduated from the University of Georgia in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science. Patrick has worked as a field trip leader with the Biggest Week in American Birding Festival and with the UGA Outdoor Recreation Center. Patrick was also an intern at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, monitoring coastal bird populations, participating in bird banding population counts, and nest searching and monitoring. Patrick would like to work as a bird guide and travel the world connecting people with nature.

GRACE ORAM

Lemont, Pennsylvania

Grace is a 2021 graduate from Franklin and Marshall College with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Spanish. Grace also recently completed a cultural immersion experience at the National University of Costa Rica. Grace’s research includes an independent study on raccoon populations with the Urban Ecology Lab Biology Department in Lancaster, PA, and she also worked as a Summer Research Scholar with the Center for the Sustained Engagement with Lancaster where she designed virtual public outreach events. Grace was also a 2019 HMS Summer Trainee and worked with American kestrel and broad-winged hawk data. 36 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

A group shot of the trainees at the North Lookout in August 2021.

AUDREY RANDAZZO Glenwood, New Jersey

Audrey is a 2021 graduate of Delaware Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in conservation and wildlife management. Audrey has experience working with bats and mist-netting. Additionally, she volunteers at the AARK Wildlife Rehab, working with raptors, and has banded waterfowl with the PA Game Commission. In the future Audrey would like to work with wildlife, creating research projects to help protect animals and wildlife.

MICHAEL ROWLEY

Waldorf, Maryland

Michael is a 2021 graduate of Villanova University with a master’s degree in science. Michael’s thesis at Villanova University focused on the “Impacts of Irruption and Hybridization on Chickadee Social Stability.” Michael is also a 2018 graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and minored in bioinformatics. Michael worked a research assistant with the Robin Migration Project, assisting with field work operations, including capturing and processing American robins, resighting color bands, and conducing nest surveys.

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 37

LEAVE A

LEGACY By Mary Linkevich

James A. Kushlan, Ph.D. A writer, researcher, ornithologist, educator, and conservationist, Dr. Jim Kushlan’s work has left a significant impact both on Hawk Mountain and the field of avian conservation. His accolades include positions as a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution, director of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, professor of biology at the University of Mississippi and Texas A&M, Commerce, and wildlife biologist with the U.S. National Park Service. Jim connected with now-retired Director of Conservation Science Dr. Keith Bildstein through their mutual service as presidents of the Waterbird Society, and with former board member Frank Gill, who with Keith, introduced him to Sanctuary board service. During his tenure, Jim chaired the science committee with Steve Edge, guiding the program to its current leadership level, and helped to plan with Wendy McLean the design and construction of the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, which this year celebrates 20 years of serving raptor scientists, trainees, post-docs, and graduate students.

“Hawk Mountain provides the unique opportunity for research both at the Acopian Center and through its global network of monitoring sites and conservation programs populated by several generations of students and interns who, after their foundational experience at the Sanctuary, return to their home countries to continue their work through programs and conservation approaches that Hawk Mountain helped create. Supporting the studies of such students provides a way to help nurture the next generation of young scientists and conservationists,” he says.

Jim recognized that trainee graduates would need follow up and support, and so he made a visionary gift to establish the Kushlan Endowment Fund, the interest from which provides the annual James A. Kushlan Award. Established in 2005, this competitive award supports the Sanctuary’s growing graduate student program by funding research that will advance Hawk Mountain science goals and mission. It also qualified Jim as one of our earliest members of the Rosalie Edge Society.

If you, too, would like to make a gift to support endowment at a leadership level or would like to help bolster the Kushlan Endowment Fund, please contact us today. Your gift can advance raptor conservation for generations to come.

38 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

Learn more about the Rosalie Edge Society: Mary Linkevich, Director of Development 610-756-6000 x212 linkevich@hawkmountain.org

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

LEADERSHIP DONORS

While all donors ensure Hawk Mountain remains strong and secure, it is Leadership Donors who embody what it means to be a hero for raptor conservation. Leadership Donors help to sustain Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, inspire the next generation, and safeguard raptors globally. Entry to leadership giving begins at the $250 or the Merlin-Club level, and we celebrate your support by offering exclusive events and benefits that connect you with other leaders, the Sanctuary you protect, and its professional scientists and educators.

LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP DONORS

Merlin or $250+ Complimentary invite to a spring and autumn President’s Circle

Golden Eagle or $500+ Invitation to select opportunities to interact with scientists and educators

Gyrfalcon or $1000+ Standing invitation to observe in-the-field experiences with live raptors

Peregrine Partner or $2500+ Overnight accommodations once a year as available and behind-the-scenes tours

UPCOMING EVENTS Leadership Donors receive exclusive invites to the following events. You also may participate in special zoom webinars presented by former trainees to our current trainees. To learn more, contact Mary Linkevich at 610-756-6000 x212 or linkevich@hawkmountain.org.

Spring President’s Circle Saturday, May 21 • 10 AM ACOPIAN CENTER

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of our headquarters for raptor conservation science, the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning. Complimentary brunch, tours, and presentation by Dr. Laurie Goodrich.

Mountain Magic and Mystery: Scenes Real and Imagined Jon Bond Reception and Art Show VISITOR CENTER

Browse artwork inspired by Hawk Mountain and scenic Albany Township and meet the artist Jon Bond and staff. Enjoy light appetizers and wine.

Autumn President’s Circle Saturday, September 10 • 10 AM AMPHITHEATER

Join us during early migration season for an update by Sean Grace and presentation by Dr. JF Therrien and Jamie Dawson. Complimentary boxed lunch included.

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 39

MOUNTAIN FRIEND

Peter Perreten By Veronica Rosenberger

A yearning to learn Pennsylvania’s native plants was the seed for Peter Perreten to start volunteering in the Native Habitat Garden in 2013. He was welcomed warmly by Ryan Beltz, the staff member in charge at the time, and other enthusiastic volunteers. Previously a Mountain Member of many years, he had often visited to watch the fall migration. “I would say overall the education is my favorite part,” Peter noted, discussing the growth of his identification and gardening abilities thanks to knowledgeable peers. A life lesson Peter learned early on is the natural world’s value. Having grown up with amateur birders in the family and time spent identifying and foraging plants, his childhood on a dairy farm in Minnesota later lent itself to an environmental career.

the many species. Also every year, Peter is awestruck by the spring ephemerals that explode by the bird feeder watch station. During the fall migration and other occasions, he greets guests merrily as a member of the parking crew. A surprising benefit to volunteering that Peter noticed is the community. “The great advantage at Hawk Mountain is interacting constantly with the other volunteers, the great staff, and the public. Especially as one grows older, it’s a great bonus to make a whole new set of friends.” You can learn more about getting involved in the Native Habitat Garden or other aspects of the Sanctuary by visiting hawkmountain.org/volunteer.

Peter’s career in environmental education makes him an exceptional naturalist in the garden. After retiring from his position as a professor at Ursinus College where he taught “The Environment and Literature,” he put the conservation philosophy into action with Hawk Mountain. Every spring comes with preparing for the Native Plant Sale where those including Peter offer advice and information on

If you, too, would like to bolster Hawk Mountain’s conservation mission and become a volunteer, contact Tammy Jandrasitz, Membership and Volunteer Manager, at jandrasitz@hawkmountain.org. 40 S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G

TALE WIND Wood Frog by Linda Dugan Partridge, 2021 Photo Contest Winner

S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 • H AW K M O U N TA I N . O R G 41

HAWKMOUNTAIN.ORG/SUMMERCAMPS

8 WEEKS OF WILDLIFE ADVENTURE!

2022 SUMMER NATURE CAMPS

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www.hawkmountain.org 610.756.6961

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