The 26th year of observing migrating raptors as they fly over Acadia National Park has begun!
Volunteer observers will be counting hawks from the observation site on Cadillac Mountain, just off the North Ridge Trail a few hundred feet down from the Cadillac Mountain summit parking area.
Join National Park Service rangers there on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. PLEASE NOTE that between October 1 and October 18, 2020, those visiting the Cadillac Mountain summit parking area by car will need to register in advance with the National Park Service.
Listen to Seth Benz talk about hawk migration with National Parks Traveler.
Here is an example from September 15 (“a banner day!”)
Cadillac Mt., Acadia National Park
Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 15, 2020 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 3 | 14 | 30 |
| Osprey | 22 | 60 | 77 |
| Bald Eagle | 9 | 19 | 34 |
| Northern Harrier | 12 | 29 | 29 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 153 | 293 | 308 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 295 | 457 | 483 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 69 | 210 | 222 |
| Merlin | 5 | 14 | 16 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 19 | 31 |
| Total: | 585 | 1142 | 1262 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Angi King Johnston |
| Observers: | Jim Zeman, Kathy Zeman, Seth Benz, Steve Schellenger |
Non-raptor Observations:
1 Sulphur butterfly species, Red-breasted Nuthatch(1), A. Robin(4), Purple Finch(11), C. Loon(2), C. Raven (4ish), A. Crow(2), A. Goldfinch(2), Blue Jay(2), Red Crossbill(1), Canada Goose(1), Hairy Woodpecker(1), Black-capped Chickadee(3), Double-crested Cormorant(1), A. Pipit(1), Dark-eyed Junco(3) 1 raft C. Eiders(about 80 birds)