Date: 8/22/26 4:04 pm From: 'PAUL ROBERTS' via Arlington Birds <arlingtonbirds...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] Dispersal vs Migration & Mass Audubon Online Hawk ID Presentation Tuesday Sept 8, 7-8:30 pm.
The past week I've seen Redtails everywhere, and been pleasantly surprised by sightings of juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Osprey, and Carpie/Schoopers (either a Sharp-shinned or a Cooper's, but very challenging to ID!) at the Mystic Lakes. Redtails are the easiest to spot. They grow like fruit on the tops of utility poles. The population seems to double or more "overnight." Basically, August is when most young raptors stop thinking of Dad and Mom as their food delivery system. Or to be more precise, Dad and Mom stop thinking that. They simply stop acting like Uber Eats.The kids have to start fully fending for themselves if they like to eat. When fledglings actually begin dispersing, they can go in any direction. A fair percentage of our birds actually disperse north. Right now hundreds of Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles have been counted migrating up the shores of Lake Ontario to Canada. Ospreys raised on the Vineyard and Nantucket sometimes move to Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut to explore for new food sources before they head to South America. Some adult Broadwings disperse north after breeding. Some observers believe these adults (esp. females) move north to their natal grounds before departing for South America a few weeks later. This is a wonderfully exciting time. A fair number of "migrating" hawks seen now are likely dispersers, who have time to linger in good feeding spots they've just discovered before starting out on the most dangerous journey of their lives. I'd also like to inform anyone interested in learning more about hawk identification and migration that I will be giving a Zoom presentation on hawk identification for Mass Audubon on Tuesday evening, September 8, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Advanced registration is required. $20 for members, $24 for nonmembers. For more information and to register go to massaudubon.org/programs/mass-audubon-education/101818-birds-of-massachusetts-hawk-migration If you think you've seen this presentation before, you're mistaken. I revise every presentation, so no two are exactly the same. Besides, I think I've learned a lot this past year. At least I thought I did until this morning,when I had great views of a Carpie. I'm still working on that bird... Best, Paul Paul M. Roberts Medford, MA <phawk254...>
