Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society

09/14/2026

Early giving starts today for MVGives! Donations this year support the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch. Our first goal is to raise $15,000 to fund a paid counter for a 12-week season at the Hawkwatch in the fall of 2027. From there, we are building a fund that can sustain that expense each year. Research and conservation go hand in hand! Donations in any amount are appreciated.

JUST IN: We have a donor this week who is be matching $10,000 in honor of those instrumental in the founding and operations of DOAS and the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch! The Founders Legacy Fund helps your $25 gift become $100! Your $250 gift becomes $1000!

Donate today at the link below.
https://www.givemv.org/organizations/delaware-otsego-audubon-society

09/14/2026

Jack Peneston was photographing a plethora of shore birds recently at Ausable Marsh State Game Management Area:
1. Baird's Sandpiper
2. Semipalmated Sandpiper
3. Sanderling
4. Lesser Yellowlegs
5. Least Sandpiper

An excerpt from Jack's comments about the experience:

"The mouths of the Ausable River, as they dump into Lake Champlain, are a hotbed of activity for migratory shorebirds of many different species, especially with the lake levels dropping over the last few weeks. This drop has exposed large mud and sand flats full of small invertebrates and bivalves that make a great place for these birds to stop and refuel as they make their way south. The vast majority of the birds that can be seen here are hatch-year birds that are in the midst of their first migration, it’s always a entertaining walk when shorebirds are involved. They are so energetic and hyperactive when they feed."

09/13/2026

A quick reminder that tomorrow, Monday, September 14, the first of 3 Raptor ID Training sessions will take place at the Franklin Mountain Sanctuary at 10:30am.

For more information, visit

Date: Monday, September 14(Registration Required)Time: 10:30 AMLocation: DOAS Sanctuary, 52 Grange Hall Road

09/13/2026

Another stunning moment in the life of Susie, the Red-tailed hawk as she is photographed gobbling a snake for lunch. This photo won Michelle Brigman acclaim from WIPO, Women in Photography Only.

09/12/2026

Rick Bunting shared some great photos of wildlife at a local pond...First, a group of Wood Ducks (one drake and two hens); second, a young Wood Duck drake; third, a handsome Great Blue Heron; fourth, a male Belted Kingfisher; and last, a pile of pretty painted turtles

09/11/2026

I'm back! A question our Hawk Counters are often asked is "Why do raptors come through the Franklin Mountain area?" The answer comes down to our geology! The Northern Catskills /Leatherstocking region includes strong ridges that run northeast to southwest. These ridges also happen to coincide with the Fall migrating paths of many raptors. The interaction of winds from certain directions with the angle of the ridges can greatly help lift the birds and reduce the energy they expend on the long migration journey.

I put more information on my blog that looks into Thermal Lift and Orographic Lift - if you're interested, you can go to https://doas.us/why-do-raptors-come-through-the-franklin-mountain-area.

You can support the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch next week during Mohawk Valley Gives, or directly at the DOAS website anytime at https://doas.us/hawkwatch-donations/ !

09/11/2026

Tribute in Light
Tribute in Light is a commemorative public art installation first presented six months after 9/11 and then every year thereafter, from dusk to dawn, on the night of September 11. It has become an iconic symbol that both honors those killed and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York. https://www.911memorial.org/visit/memorial/tribute-light

Our friends at NYC Bird Alliance will be there to monitor. "NYC Bird Alliance staff and volunteers have monitored the Tribute in Light memorial since 2002 to ensure that while we honor those lost to us on September 11, 2001, unnecessary harm does not come to thousands of migrating birds. Night-migrating songbirds can be attracted in huge numbers to the Tribute’s powerful light beams, becoming exhausted and injured during the all-night event." Learn more at https://nycbirdalliance.org/our-work/conservation/project-safe-flight/artificial-light/tribute-in-light-monitoring

09/10/2026

A berry-lovin' bear from Michelle Brigman.

09/09/2026

What is a Raptor?

Raptors are hawks and eagles that mostly hunt for live food, and are often called birds of prey. Raptors can also be opportunistic and scavenge for food, but their main source of food is hunting, whether it is mammals, birds, fish or insects.

Turkey Vultures, which only scavenge for food, used to be grouped with raptors. Biologists have determined new world vultures are actually more closely related to storks than birds of prey. Since they were counted as “raptors” at hawkwatch sites for many decades, they continue to be tallied to maintain valuable long-term data sets.

Birding Tip: This next 2 weeks are typically prime viewing days for Broad-winged Hawks! Take a trip to Franklin Mountain and see if you can be one of the lucky observers.

By Aquila (with help from DOAS Board Members).
Pictured: Broad-winged Hawk at the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch; Photo by Landa Palmer.

09/09/2026

DOAS would love to see you at our OPEN HOUSE at the Sanctuary on Franklin Mountain, Saturday, October 3 from 10am to 2pm. It'll be a fun-filled, family-friendly day! Free refreshments and coffee. Visit the Hawk Watch to see who's flying by. Stock up on Bird-friendly coffee or buy a Raffle Ticket for an item in our Charter Dinner Bucket Raffle. Learn about the current DOAS initiatives that we are passionate about.

10 am: Identifying Raptors in Flight
11:15am: Trail hike OR Mindful Birding Walk
12:30: Live birds of Prey with Falcon Heart Rescue

Learn more by visiting https://doas.us/2026-open-house-at-the-doas-sanctuary/