Meet & Discover North America's Largest Bird of Prey on Eagle Day
Posted on October 28, 2022 in Visitors
On Saturday, November 5, Hawk Mountain visitors will have a guaranteed opportunity to see both a bald and a golden eagle up close during the Eagle Day event. The one-day-only eagle programs will be presented by Carbon County Environmental Education Center at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary's Amphitheater. The program is free for Members or with a trail pass, which can be purchased here. Visitors can also visit the Eagle Discovery Station to learn about Hawk Mountain's long-term eagle migration data and check out bio-facts about these species.
Eagle Day coincides with the peak of golden eagle migration at Hawk Mountain. The golden eagle is rare to see throughout the northeast, but during the autumn, an average of 134 are spotted at the Sanctuary. Fortunately, bald eagles are no longer a rare sight from North Lookout, with a record average of 438 seen in a season. Early November is the best time to catch both a golden and bald eagle migrating past the Mountain in the same day.
After a day of eagle discovery and fall foliage appreciation, stick around for the Sanctuary's final Autumn Lecture of the season, Veracruz River of Raptors: Conservation Along the World's Largest Raptor Migration Flyway, presented by the site's founder Ernesto Ruelas, who is also a Hawk Mountain former trainee and current member of the board. The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Visitor Center Gallery at 5 PM.
Visitors in early November can also expect large numbers of red-tailed hawks, the Sanctuary's third-most numerous migrant, and there is the possibility of sighting the rarer northern goshawk. The official Hawk Mountain raptor count will continue until December 15, and weekend programs are held until Sunday, November 20. Check out other upcoming programs at hawkmountain.org/events.