Map |
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General Site Information |
The Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch is a fall observation site that sits on an east-facing ridge in The Nature Conservancy's 363-acre Arthur W. Butler Sanctuary in Bedford Corners, New York. The site affords views of the hills of both Dutchess County and Putnam County, New York to the north, the townships of Bedford, Pound Ridge, and North Castle within Westchester County, New York and the town of Fairfield, Connecticut to the east, of the Long Island Sound to the southeast, and of Greenwich, Connecticut to the south. The site offers a proper watch platform with bleacher seating, and is open to the public year-round. | |||
Site Contacts |
Name | Role | Phone | |
Tait Johansson | Coordinator | tjohansson@bedfordaudubon.org | 914.232.1999 |
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Site History |
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch (née Robert J. Hammershlag Hawk Watch) has been jointly sponsored by the Bedford Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy since 1983.
Site Topography |
The hawkwatch platform is stationed 770 feet above sea level, and faces due east from the highest point in Arthur W. Butler Sanctuary. The panorama to the east is nearly unobstructed for miles. Interstate 684 runs north-south below the ridge alongside the sanctuary's eastern edge. Trees enclose the site to the west, sheltering it from the sun by early afternoon. The Long Island Sound stretches across the southeasterly horizon 15 miles away, and is the primary diversion line for the migration witnessed in fall.
Directions to Site |
Take Interstate 684 to Exit 4 (Bedford / Mount Kisco) and turn west off the ramp toward Mount Kisco on Route 172. (This is a left turn if you were heading northbound on I-684; a right turn if you were southbound.) Drive one-quarter of a mile and take the first left onto Chestnut Ridge Rd. About one mile down the road, the entrance to Arthur W. Butler Memorial Sanctuary will be on your right-hand side. Cross the bridge and park in front of the sanctuary.
The hawkwatch is up the hill to the left (see sign just inside the fence). Follow the orange blazes up the hill to the observation area.
Migratory Raptors Observed at Chestnut Ridge | |||||||||||||||
Species | Season Counts | Max. Daily Counts | Timing (Average spring / fall weekly counts) | ||||||||||||
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) |
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Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) |
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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) |
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Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) |
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Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) |
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Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) |
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Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) |
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American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus) |
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Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) |
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Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) |
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Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) |
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Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) |
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Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) |
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American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) |
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Merlin (Falco columbarius) |
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Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) |
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Unknown Accipiter (Accipiter sp.) |
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Unknown Buteo (Buteo sp.) |
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Unknown Falcon (Falco sp.) |
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Unknown Eagle (eagle sp.) |
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Unknown Raptor (Accipitridae sp.) |
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Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) |
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Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) |
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Data Inventory (at hawkcount.org, as of Dec 10, 2023) |
Data Summary | Data Years Click year links for year's data calendar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 years (1786 days) of data saved: 19 years of hourly totals, 0 years of daily totals, and 1 years of mixed hourly/daily totals. |
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Raptor Population Index Analysis |
Trend Graphs | |
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Select Species: | Please select a species to view the trend graph. |
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