It's Prime Time at the Park Commission Hawk Watch

From now through November, residents are invited to venture to the Washington Valley Park Hawk Watch Area, off Vosseller Avenue at the end of Miller Lane in the Martinsville section of Bridgewater, New Jersey, to experience the migration of raptors on their annual journey south.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parking at the Miller lane lot will be limited to 50 percent capacity, masks and social distancing are requested. Somerset County Park Rangers and Somerset County Sheriff’s Officers will patrol the area.

The Hawk Watch is host to hundreds of people from all over the northeastern United States who gather to witness the thousands of hawks, falcons, and eagles flying overhead, sometimes just over the treetops.

Armed with binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras, hawk watchers enjoy the passage of numerous raptors, counting and identifying these extraordinary birds as they make their journey south to far away places in Central and South America. Endangered and threatened birds like Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, and Bald Eagles are some of the most noteworthy of the birds soaring above the area.

Following a cold front, the winds shift from the northwest, setting the stage for a day of effortless flight. When the condition occurs in mid-September while the Broad-winged Hawk migration is at its peak, over 10,000 raptors can be seen in a single day.

On Saturday, September 19 and Saturday, September 26, 2020 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. birders are invited to the Washington Valley Park Hawk Watch Area for a free “Open House” offering by the Park Commission. Join a staff member from the Somerset County Park Commission at the Hawk Watch on each day for a narrated presentation as thousands of hawks, falcons, and eagles fly overhead.

Information on this and other Somerset County Park Commission events may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200.