PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond

Hawks over the Hudson

October 7th, 2018 by Mr. C

(Before I head up to the northern section of the Palisades Interstate Park by the State Lookout, it’s customary that I venture into the Ross Dock area of the Park in Fort Lee to get a glimpse of the glorious George Washington Bridge on this muggy & foggy morning!)

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On Sunday October 7th, I went to a really neat free event called “Hawks over the Hudson” at the State Line Lookout in Alpine, NJ part of the Palisades Interstate Park. The event featured a demonstration – show & tell featuring live birds of prey from the Delaware Valley Raptor Center. The Raptor Center is a wonderful place that cares for wounded birds of prey and rehabilitates them so that they can be released back into the wild or if they find the birds can’t fend for themselves after recovery they become part of the Raptor center to educate the public to better understand these beautiful animals for conservation.

(State Line Lookout at Palisades Interstate Park)

(These observers were watching this falcon perched on a tree branch out yonder)

(They were focusing here. My camera was not as powerful as these pros!)

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Before this event & if weather permits which it did, visitors got a chance to stop by an ongoing hawk watch to see if they can spot hawks, eagles, & falcons as they migrate south. The State Line Lookout is Hawk watch central as volunteer observers meet at the Lookout throughout the fall to identify passing raptors which is part of a continent wide study held by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. There is even a Hawk Watch board listing the species of Hawks identified in this area! All through September, October, & into early November, the State Line Lookout Hawk watch welcomes visitors who want to learn more! Pretty cool! It was amazing watching the experience bird watchers spot the birds of prey and identify them! How do they do it?!

(The Hawk watch board listing the species that was spotted on the State Line Lookout in Alpine!)

State Line Lookout
Alpine, NJ 07624
Exit 2 off the Palisades Interstate Parkway North

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Now here comes the main event! The Delaware Valley Raptor Center with their Hawks over the Hudson presentation! They introduced us to some of their little and not so little birdies! Say hello to my little friends!

(Meet little guy chester, a Kestrel which is one of the smaller species of the Falcon family! They hover in the air anywhere from 30-60 feet and like to hunt for small mammals, lizards or large insects.)

(Next, Jim introduces us to a Peregrine Falcon)

(a Red tailed Hawk, a monster compared to the Kestrel & Peregrine Falcon!)

( a great horned Owl)

(the crowd pleaser as witnessed by all the “aw, how cute” comments from the audience! a Saw-whet Owl, I think one of the smallest if not the smallest species of the Owl. And yeah, he really is cute!)

(Last but not least was the big girl bald eagle! Jim says the most difficult thing about his big friend is getting her back into the cage. It looks intense! He’s been scratched by her in the face several times but she’s still a good bird!)