Andy Mason will present a program on the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch, one of New York state’s premier fall raptor migration sites, as part of Otsego County Conservation Association’s (OCCA) Be Informed Lecture Series Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. He will discuss the data gathered at the site as part of a largely citizen science effort to monitor hawk and eagle populations and movements in North America.
Mason will present the findings at the A.J. Reed Science Discovery Center, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta - SUNY Oneonta’s campus. This presentation is free and open to the public.
Franklin Mountain is noted for late-season flights of red-tailed hawks and golden eagles. In 2018, 323 goldens were tallied at the site, the highest total in the 35-year history of the hawkwatch. At the presentation, Andy will also give a brief overview of the Audubon chapter’s other citizen science efforts.
In conjunction with the program, OCCA will sponsor a visit to the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch Sunday, Sept. 15 at 9:30 a.m. This time period coincides with the peak movement of broad-winged hawks, a species that can travel in flocks of up to a 100 birds under the right conditions.
Trip participants can carpool from the Price Chopper parking lot in Emmons for the 15 minute drive to the hawk watch. The lookout is a 10-minute uphill walk through a field. An accessible toilet is available at the site. An extra layer of clothing is suggested, along with binoculars if possible.
Participants who want to go directly to the site can find directions to the Audubon Sanctuary at bit.ly/4cT1B3B For information on the trip, contact Andy Mason, 607-267-8491, AndyMason@earthling.net
Mason is co-president of the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society and a founder of the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch. He is past chair of the Audubon Council of NY State, and past president of the NY State Ornithological Association. He has been an active birder for over 35 years, participated in the NY State Breeding Bird Atlases, and has lead bird workshops for the Appalachian Mountain Club.
To register for the September 11 presentation, please visit the web link bit.ly/3VXeDpY
