Castlegar hawk watch

In late September, the North empties of raptors. At this time of year, raptors from Alaska to northern Alberta flow down along the coastlines and mountain ranges of BC. Some pass through the West Kootenay and so present the astute viewer with species not seen at other times.

Michael McMann is the person with the insight to watch a ridge across the Columbia River from Castlegar. Some years ago, he reasoned that any raptors travelling south along the Arrow Lakes would move past Castlegar. So too it seems do the raptors that come down the Slocan Lake, and those that arrive from the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. The question was: which local ridge might they follow? He started watching ridges and found that the one just east of the airport was the most fruitful. From his watch location on a bench above the airport, he has seen up to thirty raptors an hour at the height of the migration season: falcons, accipiters, buteos, eagles, ospreys, and vultures—spread across more than a dozen species.

Raptor watching must be something akin to celebrity watching: rare sightings always at great distances. In the case of the Castlegar hawk watch, raptors travelling along the ridge will be anywhere from 1.2 to 1.8 kilometres from the viewing point. Often they are not even visible to the naked eye—binoculars are necessary. But, once spotted, a scope usually enables identification. Body shape, wing profile, colour, manner of flying, all allow the skilled observer to say that this was a Red-tailed Hawk, a Golden Eagle, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, or a Turkey Vulture. It is a skill not mastered quickly.

Those who follow my musings, know that this blog relies heavily on images. Alas as much fun as it is to watch the migration of raptors, I am incapable of taking detailed pictures of birds that are over a kilometre away. Fortunately, occasionally a raptor leaves the ridge and flies closer to the observer. Of the 73 raptors seen yesterday, only one bird did this. I show its picture, below.

I am indebted to Michael McMann for the opportunity to share a few Castlegar hawk watches with him.

A Cooper’s Hawk seen with Michael McMann at the Castlegar Hawk Watch yesterday.