Spring Hawk Watching on Plum Island - A Different Type of Birding!

April is the time you can see a variety of spectacular hawks unusually well on the refuge as they migrate through our area. Join Paul Roberts, Founder of the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch (EMHW), for a narrated slide presentation about the amazing birds of prey you can see in spring. The hour-long presentation will be held in the refuge visitor center auditorium, beginning at 7:00 PM on Friday, April 12^th. Admission to this program is free and preregistration is NOT required.

Spring hawk watching on Plum Island provides opportunities to see a number of hawk species unusually well, and occasionally in highly unusual numbers. Have you ever seen 28 adult male Northern Harriers – one of our most spectacular hawks – at eye level or below in one day? We have at Plum Island, where we have had 56 harriers in one day. How about American Kestrels, perhaps our most beautiful hawk? A number of times we have seen more than 100 of our most colorful falcons in one day, and on two occasions we have had more more than 300, and once more than 500! Or seeing several dozen Merlins, including adult males, exploding north? Those are days you never forget, and they are possible on Plum Island. Of course, there are also those days when there may be more fingers on your binoculars than there are hawks on your tally sheet. This program will show you what you have an opportunity to see on Plum Island and the best times and conditions to look for them.

Friends of Parker River Coffeehouse Series

Join the Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for an excellent coffee house and lecture series! Coffeehouses are held the 3^rd Thursday of the month unless otherwise noted. Usually, the lecture runs from 7:00PM to 8:00PM with Coffee at 6:30PM. Bird-Friendly coffee and pastries will be available for sale with proceeds benefiting the Friends of Parker River, a non-profit organization that supports the refuge. Lectures will be informative and entertaining and will be held in the Visitor Center Auditorium, 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport.

 

REGISTRATION
All programs are FREE but space is LIMITED and advanced registration is required for all programs, unless otherwise indicated.  Please call 978-465-5753 (press “0” to talk to a staff member) to register.
Registration is not complete until you receive confirmation from a staff member.  Please note that outdoor programs may be cancelled if there is inclement weather.  Visit us on the web for more information http://parkerriver.fws.gov

 

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