We were prepared for our migration south. Our journey would not take us to Florida or the Bahamas, but to east central Pennsylvania. You may ask why we chose the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country to journey to. Well, as raptor maniacs, we wanted to witness one of the world's largest natural phenomena - the fall migration of diurnal birds of prey at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Hawk Mountain boasts the largest North American concentration of migrating raptors.
Raptors use updrafts created by winds hitting ridges and surging upward.
Many hawks follow these air patterns south to Central and South America. As we neared our destination, excitement grew. We started fidgeting and peering out the windows in search of hawks. Often Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels can be seen in trees and on utility poles along roads. Both are very conspicuous since they favor edgeland and openland habitats, and don't rely heavily on stealth to capture prey.