The Fall 2025 season – the 27th year – of the Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch (RTPHW) ran daily from September 1 – November 14, wrapping up on a blustery autumn day. This long-running, community-science endeavor was a success thanks to a tremendously dedicated team of hawk enthusiasts. Counters spent more than 400 hours scanning skies to record the presence – or absence – of migrating hawks, eagles, ospreys, falcons, vultures, and other raptors. They counted ravens, swallows, swifts, and Monarch butterflies, too!
Check-out the 2025 season summary featuring interesting insights and info by RTPHW leader Dave Eberly. The data spreadsheet has been updated, too – click on the yellow button below.
Many thanks to all the volunteer counters, spotters, and supporters of the Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch for your commitment to raptor conservation and science. 2025 RTPHW counters include: Debbie Beer, Adrian Binns, Tom Bush, Bruce Childs, Dave Eberly, Craig Hedlund, Sheryl Johnson, Ethan Kang, Bob Kelly, John Mercer, Chris Pugliese, Chuck Root, Drew Schmidt, and Alan Simon. Special thanks to expert leaders Chris Pugliese, Dave Eberly and John Mercer for their hard work in organizing counters, providing training and mentorship, teaching school groups, and submitting data to HMA. We’ll look forward to seeing everyone again next fall at Rose Tree Park, 1671 N Providence Road, Media, PA 19063.
Fall 2025 pre-season message from RTPHW leaders Chris, Dave, and John:
The Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch (RTPHW) has functioned as an organized Fall migration hawk watch since 1999. We are much more than just a group of folks who enjoy counting raptors. We are an important part of a nationwide network of over 300 hawk watches that span the continent from Canada through Central America and even to Colombia and Venezuela in South America. The results of our annual counts are compiled into a database managed by The Hawk Migration Association (HMA).
The 2025 fall season will be our 27th consecutive year of operation and our 25th year of submitting data to the HMA database. The data collected from RTPHW has contributed to invaluable research that informs understanding of not just raptor migration but bird migration in general, and conservation efforts across the globe. RTPHW is among a relatively small set of official hawkwatches with more than two decades of consistent data collection. We even count Monarch butterflies, reflecting community science at its best!
Each season RTPHW hosts groups of students from local schools who come out to the park to learn about raptors, migration, and the importance of community science projects. Initiated by Holly Merker, this educational program has been ably led by John Mercer for many years. Counters love to share info and point out “big birds” to the kids. Of course, Bald Eagles are a fan favorite!
Hawk watching is uniquely exciting as well as challenging. There is nothing quite like the exhilaration of witnessing a strong flight of raptors, especially when kettles of Broad-winged Hawks stream overhead by the hundreds or even thousands in mid-September. The potential of that spectacle keeps us coming back. There are also many days when migrants trickle through one or two an hour, or even none at all on luckless days.
In general, hawk count totals are down, and scientists are trying to understand why. Habitat loss, pesticides and other toxins reduce raptor populations. Climate change may be altering migration patterns. These are just a few possibilities. Helping the effort to figure this out is why we are there counting hawks at Rose Tree Park.
Volunteer participation in organized hawkwatches has dwindled across the country in recent years, for myriad reasons. RTPHW, like others, has shortened its count period, and experienced a reduction in daily observation hours due to a shortage of counters. This, too, is a factor that affects hawk count totals.
This year, the Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch runs from September 1 to mid-November. Counters are at the small gazebo every day, usually from 9 am – 4 pm (or 10 am to 2 pm, depending on volunteer shift coverage). We need more volunteer counters that can ideally commit to covering at least one session (usually 3-4 hours) per week. Additionally, we are seeking spotters and supporters to visit us at any time and help scan through binoculars. There is a lot of sky to cover and some raptors are no more than high-flying specks. You don’t have to know what it is. It may not even be a raptor. But point it out, and don’t be shy! Visitors have pointed out “good” birds on many occasions. Hawkwatchers love to share tips about identifying raptors, and we are always learning something new together.
If you are comfortable with raptor ID, want to sharpen your skills, or help as a spotter, please visit the RTPHW this season. Spend time with volunteer counters and consider joining our team. Or just visit, learn, and enjoy birding together – we’d love the company!
BCDC remains committed to the long-running Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch, and looks forward to connecting and engaging hawkwatchers of the future. Contact us at BirdingClubDelco (at) gmail.com to volunteer as a counter or spotter, or with any questions.
Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch General Information
The Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC) established the Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch (RTPHW), the county’s first and only hawkwatch, in 1999. Located along the Atlantic flyway, Rose Tree Park in Media, PA features an expansive open landscape and raptors soaring on steady winds during spring and fall migration.
Each autumn, volunteer counters spend hundreds of person-hours at Rose Tree Park, scanning skies daily for nearly 3 months, tallying migrating hawks, falcons, eagles, osprey, harriers, accipiters, and vultures. Broad-winged Hawk migration peaks in late September, featuring a steady stream of raptors overhead on good days some years. Myriad information is collected and contributed to the Hawk Migration Association (HMA), committed to the scientific study, enjoyment, and appreciation of raptor migration. HMA manages a database reflecting migratory raptor statistics from 200 sites across the continent.
Special thanks to Chris Pugliese, Dave Eberly, and John Mercer, for their dedicated leadership over many years. Also thanks to Alan Simon, who served as an organizer in 2023 and 2024, and to all the leaders since the RTP Hawkwatch began in 1999. BCDC extends deep gratitude and appreciation to all the dedicated volunteers, including: Debbie Beer, Tom Bush, Bruce Childs, Dave Eberly, Craig Hedlund, Sheryl Johnson, Ethan Kang, Bob Kelly, John Mercer, Chris Pugliese, Chuck Root, and everyone who visits to help scan skies and offer friendly encouragement.
We welcome all to get involved in the Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch. Come out in the fall to help as a counter, spotter, or to just say hello – company is much appreciated. Volunteer counters with spotting scopes are stationed at the park gazebo daily from September 1 through mid-November, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (hours may occasionally vary, depending on volunteer availability), weather permitting. Bring binoculars, good cheer, and willingness to learn, share, and help scan the skies for migrating raptors.
Rose Tree Park and Longview Park (formerly known as Smedley Tract, Middletown Township) are active eBird hotspots – click for details about year-round bird sightings.
Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch History
The Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch (RTPHW) became an official hawk watch site on August 14, 1999 after several years of trial counts to see whether the location would be a viable site. Nick Pulcinella originally started counting at Rose Tree Park as time permitted in the fall and then added spring to his casual counts as well. As a result, Rose Tree Park, Media PA, became a common gathering place for birders during favorable migration periods in both seasons. A trial count was conducted in spring 1999 and the site was staffed (by volunteers) on a daily basis over a period of time. Dave Washabaugh along with others dedicated long hours to demonstrate that Rose Tree Park would be a viable hawk watch site. In summer 1999, Dave Washabaugh and Jim Lockyer formalized the establishment of RTPHW as an official site recognized by the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA). In spring 2001, RTPHW was added to the Hawks Aloft Worldwide database for being noted as a “significant and active hawk watch site.”
In 2003 Holly Merker and Janet Crawford co-compiled raptor data with Jim Lockyer, continuing after he stepped down in 2004. Holly was the sole compiler from 2007 or 2008 until 2018, when John Mercer and Dave Eberly took-on compiler roles, with Chris Pugliese organizing volunteer shifts. Early dedicated volunteer hawk watchers include: Gary Becker, Bill Calafut, Bill Cranney, Janet Crawford, John D’Amico, Dave Eberly, Al Guarente, Charlie Haag, Chris Langman, Jim Lockyer, Doris McGovern, Tom McParland, Jim McVoy, John Mercer, Holly Merker, Chris Pugliese, Nick Pulcinella, Bill Roache, Shirley Robbins, Charles Smith, Dave Washabaugh.
The RTPHW held a spring (mid-March through April) hawk watch through 2008, in addition to the fall season (mid-August through mid-November), with volunteers on-site daily, weather permitting. Since 2008 the RTPHW has been conducted in the fall only. RTPHW contributes data to HMA (formerly HMANA), BirdSource and BirdWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
Apologies for any omissions or errors in this historical summary of the RTPHW. If anyone has additional historical info, please share with [email protected].