I think we are so fortunate where we live that we have a change of seasons. The landscape appearances change, and most important to me is the movement of the bird species. The May migration of warblers and songbirds each year gives me a rush. The trees can be alive with many species and I can sometimes see 80 to 90 species in one day.

But September, October and November offer me the opportunity to see many birds of just a few species, and I’m referring to raptors. We are again fortunate to have two great hawk migration locales almost in our backyard, and they are both nationally known as outstanding places to see the hawk migrations. I’m referring to Bake Oven Knob and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

Both of these hawk watches have begun their official recording of the migrations and I’ve already made a brief visit to the “Knob” this past weekend. I only sat in the parking area but still in an hour and half observed three bald eagles, three ospreys, a few red-tailed hawks and about a half dozen broad-winged hawks. The latter are just trickling through now but will begin peaking about the time you read this column.

If you would travel to either of these sites on a “great day” you could see over 2,000 “broadies.” I was there on days when two or three thousand graced the sky. There are so many swirling around in a thermal that you can only count them when they “peel” away, heading for the next to ride. Thermals are the rising bubbles of air that can lift the birds a thousand feet, and when it cools off, they drift on. These big group of “broadies” are called kettles.

Historically, the peak for them passing through our region is from Sept. 14 through Sept. 20. The vast majority of the broad-winged hawks recorded pass during that one week. They migrate earlier than many of the hawks because they may be traveling from Canada or New England and will need to travel to Brazil or Peru to overwinter.

Broad-winged hawks are our smallest buteos, weighing about 1 pound and have a wingspan close to 3 feet. They even look smaller because they can climb so high in the thermals. If you can’t make the rocky walk up to Bake Oven Knob, you can actually put down a comfortable chair in the parking lot, grab a pair of binoculars and enjoy the show. One caution, your neck may get a little sore …

Last season, the Lehigh Gap Nature Center (official counters at the lookout) recorded 1,651 broadwings on Sept. 15, 1,147 on Sept. 16, and still 254 on Sept. 19. Hawk Mountain’s highest daily total was over 11,000 on a September 1978 day. Unfortunately, the great numbers seem to be a thing of the past. There are two possibilities, the birds may have changed migration patterns and are not following the ridge, or as I suspect, the destruction of much of the Amazon forests in reducing their wintering area.

Don’t think that all you can see from the “Knob” are broad-wings, in August of this year the counters at the “Knob” have already recorded 84 bald eagles. Three of those days more than 20 eagles passed. Osprey counts are going up and they will peak before September ends. Sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper’s hawks, and red-tailed hawks will begin their show soon.

Bake Oven Knob Road can be found after taking Route 895 to German’s Road and in about 1½ miles bear left onto a basically dirt road. The East Penn Township road is rather rutted and you’ll need to drive slowly. So get out close to home and enjoy the show. Maybe I’ll bump into you there.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: Which swallow species (normally insect eaters) will eat bayberries in the winter? A. tree, B. barn, C. cliff, D. rough-winged.

Last Week’s Trivia: In many insects, the adult stage may be shortest. In the case of the mayfly, the adults may only live a few hours; only long enough to mate.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.