Hawk-watch trip to Waggoner's Gap, Pennsylvania

On November 3, 2007, DC Audubon will undertake its inaugural hawk-watch trip to the Waggoner’s Gap in Pennsylvania. Participants will meet at the ‘Bread & Chocolate’ bakery in Eastern Market (intersection of 7^th & Pennsylvania Ave.) at 7am for car-pooling to the site.

 Hawk-watching

Site Description

Waggoner’s Gap is a small gap in the Kittatinny Ridge (also called Blue and North Mountain) where PA Route 74 crosses between Cumberland and Perry Counties. This site is owned and maintained by Pennsylvania Audubon and is an excellent place to see migrating raptors. It was named for a family with extensive landholdings at the base of the mountain in Cumberland County, and hawk watching and counting have been done from two sites over the years. A dedicated group of counters are on duty from August 1 to December 31 each year.

In an average year approximately 20,000 raptors are counted during the season. This is an excellent spot to see Golden Eagles as over 200 are seen here annually. The flow of birds out of the north is erratic, depending on weather, wind and other variables, but with a bit of luck we should be hitting migration peaks for the Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Golden Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, and Northern Harrier.

The Kittatinny Ridge, which also includes the popular ‘Hawk Mountain’ site, is a forested upthrust that reaches 185 miles across eastern and central Pennsylvania, and provides stunning views of the fading sun over the valley to the south and neighboring Blue Ridge. In fall millions of songbirds and tens of thousands of raptors—from bald eagles to northern goshawks to now-ubiquitous red-tailed hawks—follow its contours, creating the largest of the state's Important Bird Areas (IBAs), or land that has been designated as critical bird habitat.

Directions

The Waggoner’s Gap site is located 6 miles NW of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where Route 74 (Waggoner's Gap Road) crosses the first ridge on the north side of the Cumberland Valley. On maps it is called Blue Mountain, but locally it is called North Mountain.

• From the DC area, take I-270N.
• After approximately 32 miles, I-270N becomes US-40W.
• US-40 W becomes US-15 N (crossing into PENNSYLVANIA).
• From US-15N, pick up PA-74N in the town of Dillsburg.

Route 74N (Waggoner's Gap Road) begins at the mountain base. Be prepared for two 90 degree turns heading up the mountain. The Hawkwatch parking lot is on the north slope of the mountain, 200 yards beyond the microwave tower at the top of the ridge. Look for the sign on the right.

The Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch can be reached by walking up a rock trail from the parking lot on the north side of the Kittatinny Ridge. The parking lot is off PA Route 74, about 6 miles NW of Carlisle, Pa. The trail leaves the oval parking lot at the right hand (uphill) side. After approx. 100 yards it splits, but both forks lead to the lookout. The right hand trail is less steep but longer. There is a porta-potti in the parking lot. The parking lot is gated and unlocked by the counter for the day. The gate will remain locked over night and during inclement weather when no watch is being conducted.

• The lookout is an angled rock pile. There is very limited space for chairs of any sort and that space is claimed very early in the day. Bring a cushion to sit on.
• If you plan to go for a day, take a lunch and beverages (a thermos of soup or hot beverage is great on a cold day).
• Dress appropriately and layer your clothing. Ridge tops are always several degrees cooler and winds are stronger. Don't forget a hat and gloves.
• Wear warm/sturdy shoes or boots for hiking or sitting.
• Take binoculars and/or spotting scope and a field guide.
• Many of the watch sites are manned by friendly folks who are happy to answer your questions, but please wait for lulls in the flight before asking questions.

• Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch

http://www.waggap.com/

• Hawk Migration Association of North America

http://www.hmana.org/

• Eastern Raptor Migrant Guide

http://www.hmana.org/species/Hawk_ID_Chart.pdf

Books / Field Guides

• "Hawks from every angle: How to identify raptors in flight" by Jerry Liguori. Princeton Univ. Press (2005)
• "Field guide to hawks of north America" by William Clark & Brian Wheeler. Houghton Mifflin (2001)
• "Hawks in flight: The flight identification of north American migrant raptors" by Pete Dunne et al. Houghton Mifflin (1989)