Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch

01/21/2026

Here is Lead compiler Dave Grove's summary of the 2025 watch season.

AUDUBON HAWKWATCH AT WAGGONER'S GAР
2025 FINAL REPORT
The migration continues! The year 2025 had 18,267 raptors counted during 1,078.25 hours over 143 days of observation. Observation hours climbed back over the thousand-hour mark while the total count decreased by 529. The two eagle species had meaningful increases versus last year and the long-term averages, while PG, NH, and TV increased from last year ending close to the averages. Other species decreased but the losses for SS, CH, RS, RT, AK, and ML were noteworthy. SS, CH and RT had their lowest October counts since the observation hour starved numbers of the early 80's. Easily winning the Raptor of the Year was a Swallow-tailed Kite seen by Ron Freed and Jess Cosentino on August 27, the first kite specie in the history of the watch. Runner up was a Juv GE that attempted to roost in the upper pine on 11/23 until it saw us nearby admiring it. The Monarch count increased from 551 to 933. The Hummingbird count decreased to 126 from 191. The Lantern Flies Extinguished (LFE) count increased from 4,130 to 4,542, a count we hope decreases. The year will also be remembered for the diapered goat, I'm watching the bears, the shattered platter, Booteo, the pickleball court/putting green, Lavella returns, the Great Waggap bloodbath, PGC power outage, and finding a safe spot.
August started with a yawn as only 16 migrants were counted by the 14th. The action picked up after Jess Cosentino made his appearance as paid counter on the 16th, with some double digit days beginning thereafter. The last week of the month produced 235 birds with the 27th being the highest total, also including the Swallow-tailed Kite. Double digit totals for the month were BE, OS, SS, BW, and RT. Abby Sentz joined the crew as Education Specialist as we moved to September.
September began slowly with no triple digit days until the 11th when broadwings put in an appearance on a day with 500 migrants counted. The flight sustained at a high level until the 16th and 17th produced nearly 6,000 birds in a 24 hour period, beginning with 2,000 late on the 16th, 1,000 on the morning of the 17th, followed by another 2,000 late that day. This burst gave us half of September's flight and a third of the season total. Good days of BWs continued until the 24th, then SS carried the bulk of the load to the end of the month. The second half of the month also gave us a good NH flight. The best BW (10,101) flight since 2012 pushed the month to over 12,000 and optimism reigned into October. Last year October disappointed, what would this year bring?
October, in a good year, averages about 300 raptors a day. This year we only had two days above that number the entire month. The first two weeks featured light winds with a lot of easterly components and few clouds The usual Accipitrine count didn't appear on the ridge. The only good cold front of the month on the14th was followed by the best days for October, topping out at 569 on the 15th. Nine GE also moved through at this time. Light winds returned for the remainder of the month along with warm temps and below average clouds. This weather regime seems to move some of the flight to a north south orientation rather than following the ridge. As warming continues, the Kittatinny may lose some of its concentrating power and lower our migration numbers. On to November.
November was largely about eagles. Eagles were more than 25% of the monthly count. We counted 527 eagles, led by a monthly record of 358 BE with 3 days above 34, approaching the daily record. We usually tell folks that the first week of November is the peak for Goldens, but this year it occurred two weeks later. The second half of the month featured three days of more than twenty big machines and 108 of the 166 counted. Bald Eagle Mountain also reported a later than normal flight, which if it is a continuing trend may lead to a shorter wintering period for Goldens in the east. The only non eagles to reach triple digits were TVs and RTs and those totals were not stellar. Abby returned to grad school as we moved into December.
December was colder than normal with snow and ice that didn't want to melt rapidly. The same four species that were the bulk of the November flight were also the most numerous in December. TV, BE, RT and GE were the only ones to reach double digits for the month. BE set another monthly record with 94, including two that graced Ron Freed speaking on the 31st. An impressive group of hawkwatchers attended the end of season celebration that honored Ron and Pat Freed for their 20+ years of six days of the week counting in the morning. Their contribution to our community has been beyond measure, but they will still be coming up to the mountain, just not as much. Thanks Ron and Pat.
Counting this year was done by Jess Cosentino, Dave Grove, Ron and Pat Freed, Gene Wagner, Paul Fritz and Ian Hess. The regulars - Pete Biasucci, Jeff Thompson, Joe Yoder, Meredith Lombard, Joe Sabo, Tim and Karena Johnson, Eric Gogola, Carolyn Hoffman, Steve Dunwoody, Paul Kosten, Betsy Shaver, Katherine Weber, Jay and Michael Jarvis, Heather O'Hara, Laura Minnich, Robert McLaughlin, Debbie Spinelli, Gary LaBelle, Kennedy Sullivan, Brandon Brogle, Jim Binder, Dave Stimeling and Andy Frank help create the experience that brings us back every year.
An endowment, administered by Hawk Mountain, has been established to support the count. It was used to buy a spotting scope and tripod for the site this fall. You may contribute by sending a check made out to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, annotated for the Waggoners Gap Fund.
Send to Acopian Center Attn: Laurie Goodrich, 410 Summer Valley Road, Orwigsburg, PA 17961
The Game Commission completed an expansion to the parking lot and an easier to navigate trail from the lot to the lookout this fall. New signage and a new roof on the pavilion are in the works before the 2026 hawk watch season. We will look forward to seeing these changes and you then.

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01/01/2026

The 2025 watch season is over and here are the final species totals, showing mixed results. There were some highlights but overall the season shows some concerns and questions about certain raptors. Of the sixteen species being counted, only six finished above average (green on the chart). Although broad-winged hawks had a very good count, the overall total for all raptors was below average, mainly due to low counts of sharp-shinned and red-tailed hawks. American goshawks and rough-legged hawks continue to show decline as fewer birds migrate this far south.
Bald eagles broke the previous season record of 855, and likely would have reached 900 if we hadn't been shut out by fog for several days in the final week. Golden eagles also had a solid flight. A real highlight was the swallow-tailed kite that migrated through in late August.
We thank all of the people who helped count and observe the raptors during the season, as well as our hired counter, Jess.
You can check our daily and monthly counts at Hawkcount.org and follow our activities at Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch

12/20/2025

We've had a low but steady daily flow of Bald Eagles in December and today the count passed the previous season record (855 in 2022), as we counted the 858th BE, with eleven more days still to go.
The remarkable recovery and increase of BE populations is a testament to all of the individuals, organizations and agencies that worked to bring them back.
Photo from a prior date by Jess Cosentino.

12/16/2025

December 15 was Jess Cosentino's last day as lead counter at Waggoner's Gap. We thank him for his excellent raptor spotting, ID-ing and data management, along with his narratives that so many enjoyed. We wish him the best as he hits the road to his next wildlife adventures.

12/04/2025

This photo by Ron Freed (click to expand) shows the current state of the hawk watch. With the ongoing string of cold temperatures it will be a while before the snow/ice melts from the rocks and the parking lot.
Photo of Fisher tracks by Jess Cosentino.

12/01/2025

Here are species counts as of the end of November, compared to last season's totals and the ten-year averages. Species now over average include Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Broad-winged Hawks, Golden Eagles and Peregrine Falcons. Northern Harriers are tied with their average. It is likely that the ten other species will finish below average for the season; however, a sighting of just one Rough-legged Hawk would equal its average.
Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle counts are above last season totals and averages, although neither are likely to reach previous season highs of 855 for BEs and 275 for GEs. We'll see what December brings.

11/24/2025

"Bird at the Upper Pine" is a common callout by counters at the watch, but yesterday the landmark white pine became even more famous, as a young Golden Eagle landed in the tree.

Lead counter Jess Cosentino described it this way in his report on hawkcount.org:

As the glow of day diminished, the final Golden Eagle of the count appeared distant up the ridge. A juvenile bird on a steady glide along the north side, as the north winds had diminished to a light breeze. The large bird rode the winds low over the tree line with little effort. Despite many late evening Goldens moving quickly south, this Golden took its time to slowly float low over the treeline, pointing its head directly down towards the ground as if in search of something.

For the next minute, the large eagle lingered north of the ridge without passing, pausing at times to sit into the headwind and briefly kite as if it were an oversized Red-tailed Hawk. Until it finally tucked its large wings inward and began a descent directly towards the rockpile and overlook. Hawkwatchers below locked in on the bird as it extended both of its legs outward while dropping in descent, lower with each passing second.

The final drops of sunlight illuminated the young Golden's head and bright white plumage as it dropped from the sky, before it fully extended its legs in the final seconds until landing in the upper pine directly up the ridge!

A collective gasp from hawkwatchers below shuffled the silence, as the Golden took a few seconds to find its footing deep in its new conifer roost for the evening. The large pine tree appeared to swallow the large eagle in a sudden moment, as it tucked itself deep under the blanket of green needles. Only a few more moments passed before the bird launched itself back skyward, out of the pine tree and back down the north side of the
ridge below the tree-level. Cutting low, the young Golden continued to drop along the north side until it continued steadily southward below eye-level and out of view.

Photo series by Jeff Thompson.

11/19/2025

We had very productive strong, northwesterly winds on two recent days, November 16 and 17. The result was 55 Golden Eagles over the two days, along with 46 Bald Eagles and 192 Red-tailed Hawks. The season total GE count so far is 158 and our ten-year average is 206, so there should be more on the way. Check the daily counts, along with Lead Counter Jess Cosentino's excellent narratives of each day's flights, at hawkcount.org.
Photo of juvenile Golden Eagle by Meredith Lombard and photo of GE flying in a snow squall by Jess Cosentino.

11/02/2025

An auto key fob was found in the parking lot on October 31. If yours, send a message to arrange for retrieval.

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11/01/2025

Here are counts at the end of October, compared to last season's totals and the ten year averages. Other than the Broad-winged Hawk count, it appears other species may finish below averages this season. Sharp-shinned Hawks, normally one of the high counts, are nearing the end of their flight time with low numbers. November's focus will be on Golden Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks. Hopefully we pick up some Rough-legged Hawks and American Goshawks too.

10/24/2025

With the Regulars getting up in years, it's important that we recruit younger hawk watchers.
(With thanks to Paul Fritz)

10/01/2025

Another month is in the books and the counts for September were very good, driven mainly by an excellent Broad-winged Hawk flight of over 10,000 birds. Counts for this species have only gone over 10k in three previous years, going back to 1952. October will bring more species diversity, including an increase in Sharp-shinned, Cooper's and Red-tailed Hawks. With two Golden Eagles already counted, chances to see these magnificent raptors will also improve.