Kettles over Mahogany Rock

This past weekend is historically the peak migration time frame for Broad-winged hawks over Mahogany Rock in Alleghany County, NC.  So…BRDC staff and volunteers spent Saturday through Monday looking up! We were not disappointed.

Saturday was cloudy and cold and sitting (or standing) looking up into the sky for 7 hours is not for everyone. For those who love it though, the chance to see the mass migration of Broad-winged hawks is worth it. Unfortunately, we were only presented with around 13 Broad-winged hawks along with a couple of other raptors. With the predicted improvement in the weather for Sunday, everyone left looking forward to the sunshine, warmth, and another chance!

Sunday was indeed a better day with 1,413 Broad-winged hawks showing up over a couple of hours. Several large kettles circled above us (only visible with binoculars as they were so high) before souring away to Central and South America. Monday however was spectacular!

There were a couple of 300-600 bird kettles early in the day but around 12:30 pm, they showed up in mass! In a matter of minutes around 1,900 Broad-wings came up over the tree line and just kept coming; some coming down low enough for identification with the unaided eye! By the end of the day, we had 3,140 Broad-winged hawks recorded for the Hawk Migration Hawk Watch data bank.

Huge kettle over Mahogany Rock (photo credit Allen Boynton)

Along with the Broad-wings, Bald eagle, Merlin, Peregrin falcon, Osprey, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawks, American kestrel, Copper’s hawk, and Sharp-shinned hawks were seen.

Official Count for September

Many thanks to the many counters and observers this weekend! Special thanks to Allen Boynton, Harrol Blevins, and Bill English for your time, dedication, and expertise!