That didn't count several turkey vultures, which probably were just hanging around and not migrating. Four or five thousand raptors will be counted during a that lasts from September into December. It certainly is for Hall, an Ilion native and long-time Remington Arms employee who has been visiting the mountain for about six years and has been a compiler for the society for the last three. A hunter and fisherman, he has been a bird watcher for about 15 years. If you've paid attention to raptors in the past, you have a chance to identify the birds quickly.
Shape is a big key.
Friday, Hall identified birds that were miles out and nothing but specks above the folded ridges stretching out to the east and north above the Susquehanna Valley. Having paid attention in the past, I had a bit of a chance to ID some birds, but not with the naked eye. At one point, a bird suddenly materialized about a mile off, rising out of the valley against a green carpet of hardwoods. Hall quickly identified it as a sharp-shinned hawk, the little killer that frequents backyard feeders. You might see deer and bears, and if the raptors aren't flying much, there are nature trails on the 100-acre property that are worth hiking.