A Day in the Life of a Professional Hawk Watcher
Read about how he first became interested in hawk-watching, then what a professional hawk-watcher does on a daily basis, from morning to afternoon, interacting with visitors and spotting birds by David Brown!
October 2023
How did you get started as a professional hawk watcher?
I became interested in birding when I bought a camera after graduating from college. The next year I needed a Merlin (falcon) for my list so I started hawk watching on a mountain near my hometown. I wasn't very good so I had to go back many times before I could identify one, and I got hooked. A few years later I got a message from a friend that the Ashland Hawk Watch in Delaware was looking for a counter. I immediately applied and they hired me. I have continued to be the counter there since 2017. I worked one season at the Montclair Hawk Watch in New Jersey. I have been the spring counter at the Braddock Bay Hawk Watch in New York since 2019.
Photo (left) David Brown at the Ashland Hawk Watch in Hockessin, Delaware
I go to the same spot every day for three months and count how many of each species of raptor migrates past. My day starts by arriving at the hawk watch and getting my quipment set up. A typical start time is around 8 or 9am, but this can vary depending on the weather and time of year. I use binoculars and a spotting scope to spot and identify the raptors. I also take many photographs using a DSLR camera. I record the weather conditions each hour using a handheld weather meter. I enter the raptor and weather data into an app called Dunkadoo. I also keep an eBird checklist each day of all the birds I see and hear.
Here's an example of an eBird checklist from a random day of hawk watching!
Besides the data collection, I also interact with visitors. This varies depending on the situation. Non-birders often have basic questions. With experienced birders, it becomes a team effort to spot birds. On busy days I act as a general interpreter calling out the birds. I stay at the hawk watch until the flight is over which is usually between 4-6pm.
In the evening I process my photos and upload them to my eBird list and social media. I also write a summary of the day on HawkCount. In some seasons I have also made daily summary videos explaining my photos. I upload these videos to the LycoBirds YouTube channel that I run with my brother Bobby.
Database of all the popular designated Hawk Watches across North America. Find one near you!