Betsy Lewis
Numerous raptors make their homes in the Jocassee Gorges. On a visit to Lake Jocassee you will certainly see vultures, you have a good chance of seeing a bald eagle, and if you’re very lucky, you might get a glimpse of a peregrine falcon.
As these late summer days fade into autumn, though, fall raptor migration begins, and those who look up throughout the season may see dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of raptors on their journeys southwards. The end of September is the perfect time to look for migrating raptors: nearly the entire population of broad-winged hawks will migrate during the next few weeks. These small forest-dwelling hawks migrate in large groups called kettles, swirling up in thermals or rising in updrafts and then gliding towards their wintering grounds in Central and South America. No one can predict exactly when it will happen, but it is a thrilling spectacle for those who are fortunate enough to be watching when a kettle flies over.
Volunteers at Caesar’s Head State Park and Sassafras Mountain conduct raptor counts for the Hawk Migration Association of North America almost every day from now until Thanksgiving. If you go, take binoculars, and introduce yourself to the person with the clipboard. They’ll be happy to have another pair of eyes. And keep your fingers crossed that it will be your lucky day! ~Betsy Lewis, JLT guide and Hawk Watch volunteer