DCNR Secretary Mike DiBerardinis (center) and Environmental Educational Coordinator Mike Jones (right) presented an educational display during the recent dedication of the new Militia Hill Hawk Watch tower at Fort Washington State park. Accepting the display are (left to right) Friends of Fort Washington State Park President Dick Flavell, Hawkwatch Coordinator Marylea Klauder and ParkSuperintendent [...]
Eagles, Accipiters and an Anhinga By Jane Henderson with Marylea Klauder 2005 was an excellent year at the hawkwatch on Militia Hill. Once again, some records were broken between the first day, September 1 and the last day, October 31. A total of 62 Bald Eagles were sighted, more than on any previous year. 140 [...]
Militia Hill Hawkwatch: 17 Years and Counting by Jane Henderson A gala Halloween party at the park pavilion marked the end of another great hawk watching season. Over 70 people attended, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch buffet of everything from Marylea’s famous soup to Eva’s special wild mushroom dishes. Special guest falconer Tom Stanton arrived [...]
Isabel Sends Broadwings to Central Flyway by Jane Henderson From September 1 through October 31, five Militia Hill Hawkwatch records were broken. We had the largest number of Bald Eagles ever, 51; we had the largest number of Northern Harriers, Cooper’s Hawks and Bald Eagles in a single day; and we had the smallest total [...]
15 Years on the Hill: Militia Hill Hawkwatch Report 2002 by Jane Henderson It rained on September 1st, the first day of the official hawkwatch season at Militia Hill in Fort Washington State Park. Not an auspicious way to start. But the weather and the birds cooperated on September 2nd, and, in the course of [...]
2001 Season Report by Jane Henderson A small American flag, attached to the railing of the Militia Hill Hawkwatch platform and bravely blowing in the breeze, served as a grim reminder of the terrible events that took place on September 11, 2001. Conversations on the Hill often focused on those events and their aftermath, even [...]
2000 Season Report by Jane Henderson 14,526 Broad-winged Hawks, 35 Bald Eagles, 2 Golden Eagles, as well as Pipevine Swallowtail and Variegated Fritillary butterflies combined to make 2000 a "wonderful year" at Militia Hill Hawkwatch, according to founder Marylea Klauder. September 22 was the biggest broad-wing day this season, with 4613 birds identified and counted. [...]
1999 Season Report by Jane Henderson Two hurricanes, the lingering effects of the summer drought, and the appearance of a Swainson's Hawk on September 6 dominated the early part of the final hawkwatch of this millennium. Hurricane Dennis moved off the coast and stalled, keeping weather conditions stagnant and humid and migrating raptors elsewhere. Hurricane [...]
1998 Season Report by Jane Henderson Although the autumn of 1998 at the Militia Hill Hawk Watch at Fort Washington State Park could not be said to have been spectacular in terms of numbers of migrating raptors, there were some very good days on which a large number of birds came through. There were also [...]
(1988-1998) by Marylea Klauder On September 7th, 1988 a small number of people scanned the sky over Militia Hill in Fort Washington State Park. They were looking for the first migrating raptor of the first official Militia Hill Hawk Watch. Bill Kershner was the compiler that day, he recorded 8 migrants and enjoyed the activity [...]
