My Column: Hawk Watches, Else Greenstone
September 03, 2020
My "Bird Watcher" column today is about the new hawk-watching season, and remembering Else Greenstone.
You can read it here:
By Jim Wright
Special to The Record
Now that September is upon us, so is one of nature’s greatest spectacles, raptor migration. Nothing can compare with visiting a local hawk watch on a crisp afternoon and tracking these magnificent birds as they pass by on their thousand-mile-plus journey south.
For those who love to witness the annual fall migration, the Covid-19 pandemic will change things significantly. A large part of the hawk-watching experience is the camaraderie among the folks who gravitate to these places after Labor Day. Not this year.
One of my favorite places nearby, the Montclair Hawk Lookout is closed, and another at Mount Peter in nearby Warwick, N.Y., will have only limited room on a first-come basis.
The one bright spot is State Line Hawk Watch in Alpine. It will likely be open starting Saturday, but check Facebook (State Line Hawk Watch) before you go. The lookout can draw a crowd on a beautiful autumn day.
When I gaze at hawks from a socially appropriate distance in the coming weeks, I will think of Else Greenstone, who died last month after a long illness. Else ran the Montclair Hawk Watch for three decades and mentored generations of young birders.
Although poor health forced her to relinquish that role several years ago, Else embodied the joy you get when you stand on a scenic lookout, watch the raptors, and share the crisp autumn air with like-minded folks.
Many years ago, in hopes of persuading more people to experience the wonders of the fall migration, I interviewed Else for a “Bird Watcher” column about the fall migration. I wanted her responses to questions typically raised by newbie raptor watchers.
Her insights are as true now as they were then.
What should you bring to a hawk watch, and what should you wear?
A pair of binoculars would be very helpful. If you plan to stay for many hours, bring a long-sleeved shirt, sunscreen and a hat for sun protection; perhaps water and a snack. Later in the season, it can be cooler, so dress in layers and always wear a smile in your heart.
What time of day is best? Depending on weather conditions, a flight can occur at any time during the day. But during broad-wing hawk season [this month], birds tend to be more numerous when rising on thermals, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Why should anyone go hawk-watching?
To share in the beauty of the migration and to learn about these precious birds of prey.
What should they expect?
If the conditions are right, beauty lies beneath the wing of every soaring bird, and perhaps a precious view of the glorious colors of an American Kestrel or the majestic flight of a bald eagle, and oh so much more.
Why do you go hawk-watching?
To be in touch with the mystery of migration and to be part of the circle of life.
Amen.
The Bird-watcher column appears every other Thursday. Email Jim at celeryfarm@gmail.com.