Notes from the
Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch - 2002
By Sean Clawson
It is twenty past five on the 22nd of October at the Chestnut
Ridge Hawk Watch. The sun has sunk low to the west casting the hills before me
in an orange glow.
Dogwood, red maple and sugar maple have changed into brilliant
autumn color and there is a definite crispness to the air. I have been here all
day to count migrating raptors, to be witness to a truly remarkable spectacle in
nature.
Here I have seen people from all age groups and backgrounds
brought together in an appreciation of birds of prey. It has been especially
exciting for me to see young people leave the hawk watch with a new found love
for birds.
In an age of TV’s, computers, and automobiles, watching
migratory hawks connects us with our home. It makes us residents of our
landscape. May the people of this area continue to mark the change of seasons,
and continue to connect with their home, by watching these magnificent birds of
prey on their incredible flight south.
(Sean has been the BAS hawk watcher at the Chestnut Ridge Hawk
Watch, at Butler Sanctuary during this past season.)
Copyright © 2002 Bedford Audubon Society
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