Recent Sightings

Tiarella cordifolia L., the heartleaf foamflower, is now in bloom, displaying as a sea of delicate white as you enter the Native Plant Garden. Provides excellent groundcover for shady, wooded sites. Photo by Mary Linkevich

Native Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans) is a first-rate groundcover. Trying pairing with wild ginger, anemone and coral bells for woodland magic.

Packera aurea, the golden ragwort sends erect flowering stems 1 to 3 feet high, and a bright yellow flower. Offshoots creep horizontally and create a ground cover effect over time, as we have here in the Native Plant Garden, near the bird blind (follow pathway that extends beyond the pond. Photo by Mary Linkevich.

Springtime on the Mountain means the May blooms of the native dogwood tree, which line Hawk Mountain Road, and also can be found throughout the forest. Dogwood typically blooms in time for Mother's Day. Photo by Mary Linkevich.

The showy native orchid, the Pink Lady's Slipper is now in bloom, and can be found along the trailsides if you watch closely. This is a threatened native plant in pennyslvania, so please look but don't touch! Photo by Mary Linkevich.

Laura Weishaupt caught this great close up of a Red Spotted Newt in the eft stage, which is its terrestrial stage, during a cold spell. We expect the chilly weather had it lethargic, adding to its willingness to 'pose.'

The newt is a specific type of salamander (so all newts ARE salamanders) and has three distinct post-hatching stages: The aquatic larva, the terrestrial eft, which is the juvenile stage, and then the aquatic adult. So if you're curious the difference between a newt and an eft, they are one in the same. "Eft" just means it is seen on the ground, and it is a juvenile.

Near the East Rocks, photographer Brian Repa caught this overnbird singing its heart out. Ovenbirds are forest nesting birds, and the subject of long-term research at Hawk Mountain.

Photo of this native orchid of the forest floor, the Pink Lady's Slipper, was taken by Hankyu Kim. If you look carefully, you can spot a few of the orchids on the North Lookout Trail, but be careful not to disturb them.

A great close-up of a millipede by Laura Weishaupt, which at this angle looks almost alien! Watch for millipedes along the trails during spring and summer, and into the fall.

Another view of the black and white warbler, this time facing the camera. Photo by Brian Repa. Look and listen for them along the North Lookout Trail, and any other trails at the Sanctuary.

Spring trainee Hankyu Kim caught this fast-flying merlin that swooped at the owl decoy on May 13. Very exciting for all the visitors at the North Lookout! The merlin is one of three falcons seen at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: the peregrine, the American kestrel and the merlin.

The distinctive ring-around-the-neck makes this snake one of the easiest to identify. Photographed by Hankyu Kim.

A common reptile in Pennsylvania, the five-lined skink grows about 8 inches long, and likes to bask during the day on rocks like those at the North Lookout. They prey upon insects, and are interesting to watch, so keep an eye out! Photo by Hankyu Kim.

Photo by Brian Repa near East Rocks.

An ovenbird politely perched for Brian Repa to share this shot

Scarlet Tanager by Brian Repa

This adult bald eagle soared by on April 30. Photo by spring trainee Hankyu Kim, South Korea.

Swallow-tailed Kite glided high over North Lookout on Sunday, April 28th at 4 pm.  Observed by Puan, conservation science trainee, and member Joe Binder, the bird glided off to the northeast along the ridge.

Spotted Salamander was seen moving at night on April 29. Photo by Hankyu Kim.

Black and White warbler look back at the camera, and was captured by photographer Brian Repa. Seen near East Rocks on April 27.

Brian Repa photographed these two duskywing butterflies on a branch. Research Biologist David Barber believes they are sleepy duskywings, but says it's difficult to confirm from this angle. The other possibility he suggested is the dreamy duskywing, but he reports that dreamy duskywings usually are seen a little later.

Gray comma butterfly spotted and photographed by Brian Repa on April 27.

Look for native blooming bloodroot in front of the Visitor Center. Photo by Mary Linkevich.

This mourning dove was photographed by Brian Repa from the bird blind in the Native Plant Garden.

Black and white warblers, one of our more common spring migrants here at Hawk Mountain, can be seen along the trails, and near East Rocks. Photo by Brian Repa.