Learn to identify hawks, eagles and more from Todd Watts of Nature Saint John
It’s almost summer and that means we’re spending more time in nature. There are some familiar sights to be seen, but every now and then, we notice something new.
Imagine it’s a sunny afternoon, you catch a glimpse of a large brown raptor soaring overhead. Suddenly, some questions come to your head: What kind of bird was that? Was it an eagle? A hawk? Maybe it was a vulture? How can I find out?
If that sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone. Gaining the skills to identify birds of prey can feel intimidating, even for experienced birders. New Brunswick is home to many different types of raptors including Hawks, Falcons, Osprey and more. They don’t sit still for long, they’re often seen at a distance and many of them look similar to one another. Yet, raptors have captivated people since the beginning of time. They are excellent hunters with incredible eyesight, capable of long distance migration, and are even seen as symbols of strength. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your skills and learn to identify this interesting group of birds!
Nature Saint John is offering a comprehensive workshop that will cover the main types of raptors in New Brunswick and how to identify them in flight. We’ll learn from New Brunswick’s preeminent raptor expert, Todd Watts, who will guide us in recognizing wing shape, flight style and the overall silhouettes of raptors so you can quickly narrow down what you are seeing.
Todd Watts is the official counter for the Greenlaw Mountain Hawk Watch near Saint Andrews. For nearly two decades, Todd Watts, along with volunteers from Nature Saint John have captured valuable data on raptor migration as they leave our province for the winter.
By attending this workshop, participants can expect to be able to quickly narrow down the type of raptor they see out in the field and gain a better understanding of the birds of prey that live and breed in New Brunswick.
The workshop is happening on Sunday, July 5th from 10:00AM – 12:00PM. It will take place in the Annex of the New Brunswick Museum Research and Collections Center, 228 Lancaster Ave, Saint John, NB E2M 2K8. A suggested donation of $10 will be accepted upon registration or at the door to support the work of Nature Saint John. Refreshments will be served.
For more information and to register your spot, click here:
To learn more about the Greenlaw Mountain Hawk Watch, click here:
To learn more about Nature Saint John, click here: https://saintjohnnaturalistsclub.org/
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