Nature Done Wright

My latest column for The Record, The Herald-News and northjersey.com is all about the legendary Raccoon Ridge Hawk Watch, a great destination for serious raptor lovers this time of year.

A great place to see migrating raptors right now is in western NJ. See where

By Jim Wright

Special to The Record | USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

   Have you heard of Raccoon Ridge? You might think it’s a fancy condo development or a war movie, but you’d be wrong. 

   Raccoon Ridge is a hawk watch above the Delaware Water Gap in western New Jersey that’s  one of the best places on the East Coast to see large raptors migrate this time of year

   “Raccoon Ridge has it all,” says Jim Thomson, the lead raptor counter there. “First and foremost: raptors. Plus gorgeous scenery and abundant wildlife. If you love being immersed in raptor migration and nature in general, the ridge is the whole package.”

    Thus, when a friend invited me to join him for a trip to the ridge and assured me that I’d have an excellent chance of seeing a bird of prey that has long eluded me – the golden eagle – how could I refuse?

    There was just one catch. Compared to Raccoon Ridge, backyard bird-watching is a spa day. To get there, you need to take Route 80 west to the Blairstown exit,  head north along Route 94 and an array of country roads to get to the trail entrance. 

   To reach the hawk watch, you need to trek 2.5 miles (100 minutes) along a narrow, rocky, and sometimes steep path. 

   The good news is that on the day my friend and I went, Raccoon Ridge lived up to its billing. During our five-plus hours at the hawk watch, we saw four bald eagles, a steady string of red-tailed hawks, and umpteen other raptors – including my “nemesis” bird, a golden eagle. 

   No matter that “my” golden eagle was 200 feet above me and that I risked a bad case of warbler neck to watch. It was worth it, especially sharing my joy with the accomplished birders in my midst. 

   (I also saw my first-ever porcupine. Observing nature doesn’t get much better than this.)

    What makes Raccoon Ridge so attractive to migrating birds of prey? “On northwest winds, these raptors use the wind deflection off of our ridge to gain lift and elevation,” says Thomson, who has spent 22 seasons at Raccoon Ridge, including seven as counter-in-charge. “The raptors then ride these winds down the ridge, expending very little energy.”

   As for what draws diehard hawk watchers to the ridge, Thomson says the answer is simple: “After all these years, I still get thrilled by every close raptor that passes the watch site. That excitement has never waned –  and it seems to have gotten even stronger.”

   Me, too.

 Read any new birding books you’d recommend? Email me at celeryfarm@gmail.com

   The Bird Watcher column appears every other Thursday.  

   If You Go 

     *Wear hiking boots and use a pair of hiking poles. 

   *Bring several layers of clothes. In late November, the days can be cold and the breeze atop the ridge can be brisk.

  * Wear a wool cap, not a baseball cap. The winds will make the cap vanish in no time.

This cute young porcupine was hanging out near the Raccoon Ridge hawk watch earlier this month. Photo credit: Harry Quinn