RAPTORS up-close and personal

By Mary Kiesau, Program Coordinator

On Sept. 21, 2011, we took a fieldtrip to the Chelan Ridge Raptor Migration Project site with 12 folks. Just like last year's fieldtrip, we had an amazing day seeing raptors up-close and personal and learning about raptor conservation with our wonderful guide and instructor Kent Woodruff. We highly recommend a visit to this site which is open to the public daily. The raptor project usually runs from late August through mid to late October.  Check out http://www.hawkwatch.org/conservation-science/migration-research-sites/74-chelan-ridge-raptor-migration-project for details on the site, including how many and what species of birds have been counted there.  These photos were taken by Mary Kiesau.

A Sharp-Shinned Hawk at the Chelan Ridge Raptor Migration Project site.

Kent Woodruff, Chelan Ridge project coordinator (works for the Forest Service) and a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. The FS works in partnership with HawkWatch International to monitor and learn more about raptors migrating through the eastern Cascade Mountains of Washington. The project has been running for 15 years.

A female Sharp-Shinned Hawk, weighing in at 184 grams. A male caught earlier weighed just 91 grams. For raptors, females are always larger than males.

Ellen Lamiman holding a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

Ellen Lamiman releasing a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

By looking at the faint colors within the wing of this Cooper's Hawk, Kent can tell that it is a "2nd year" (2 year old) bird. It still has a tiny bit of brown (juvenile) feathers in it's wings.

A female Cooper's Hawk, weighing in at 453 grams. This bird was significantly larger than the Sharp-Shinned Hawk, but they are similar in that they are both Accipters. These birds are short-winged and long-tailed, and they are forest hunters. They are quick and agile, able to pursue small birds through trees and shrubs.

The views and trail to the Observation Deck.

This is known at the Observation Deck. At least two people stand here all day watching for raptors and writing down info on what they see. A plastic owl, which raptors hate, on a pole helps bring raptors in, but it's the high density of willows on the ridge that brings in "food birds" (aka song birds) which in turn brings in raptors...much more here than other places.

Kent Woodruff tells us about the beak of a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

Kent Woodruff, Chelan Ridge project coordinator (works for the Forest Service) and a juvenile Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

Placing the very calm Sharp-Shinned Hawk in the hand of Heide Andersen, our Stewardship Director.

Heide Andersen releasing the Sharp-Shinned Hawk.