September 21 Hawk Watch at Birch Ridge Community Forest

Thanks to Larry Boise, Stefanie Thornton, Bonnie Dodge and Virginia Long for photos from last year's hawk watch at Birch Ridge.

Birdwatchers of all experience levels are invited to join MMRG for a Hawk Watch at Birch Ridge Community Forest in New Durham on Saturday September 21, from 11 am to 2 pm.  Although the event requires no walking and lawn chairs are appropriate, there is the option for participants to explore some trails around the Birch Ridge area. An update will be provided at the outset about the Birch Ridge Community Forest vision, goals and planning process.

The Hawk Watch site consists of a clearing onthe shoulder of Birch Ridge that has excellent visibility for observingmigrating raptors heading south for the winter. At over 1,000’ elevation andoverlooking Merrymeeting Lake, Birch Ridge has scenic views of nearby surroundinghills and of farther mountains such as Chocorua in the southern White Mountains.

Staff member Virginia Long is an experienced birder and the trip leader for this outing. “We had a great time at our Hawk Watch on Birch Ridge last year. We saw half a dozen species of raptors, including a couple small kettles (groups) of broad-winged hawks, which are fun to watch as they circle high in the sky on rising thermals of warm air to gain altitude before flying south. I’ll have handouts of raptor silhouettes to help in identification.  It’s always helpful to have many eyes on the sky so I hope we’ll get a good turnout again this year!”

Please bring binoculars, telescopes (optional), sturdy walking shoes (if planning to explore the trails), a portable chair, and a snack or picnic lunch. The event is free and all are welcome but pre-registration is required. For directions and to register, call Education Coordinator Kari Lygren at (603) 978-7125 or email info@mmrgnh.org. Please leave pets at home.

The Birch Ridge Community Forest (BRCF) wasrecently conserved in perpetuity by the Partnership for Birch Ridge, which iscomposed of three partner organizations: Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG, mmrgnh.org/), Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (SELT, seltnh.org/) and Merrymeeting Lake Association (MMLA, mmlake.org/). As a community forest, BRCF will be managed to promote conservation,community, and economic development through community participation in themanagement of the land.