Yellowstone invites visitors to Hayden Valley hawk watch

A rough legged hawk takes flight east of Yellowstone National Park.
Rob Koelling

A rough legged hawk takes flight east of Yellowstone National Park.

On Sunday, September 20, visitors can join Yellowstone Raptor Initiative volunteer Katy Duffy as she explores the spectacle of raptor migration in Yellowstone National Park’s Hayden Valley.

The Hayden Valley Hawk Watch is a great opportunity to watch and learn about raptors, their ecology, and their migration strategies.

At 9:00 a.m., visitors can start the day at Fishing Bridge Visitor Center for a 45-minute presentation to learn some raptor identification tips utilizing the mounted raptors on display.  Afterwards, participants may travel to the park’s famed Hayden Valley to observe and learn about the raptors that fly through Yellowstone each fall.

For the field portion of the tour, visitors should meet at 11:00 a.m. at the turnout 6.6 miles south of Canyon Junction and 9 miles north of Fishing Bridge Junction.  Each end of the turnout will have a sign indicating the program location and a uniformed ranger with a spotting scope will be on scene.

Participants may want to bring a lawn chair for comfortable raptor viewing. Observation of raptors will occur from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Both programs are free and open to the public.  For more information, please call Katy Duffy at 307-699-2696.

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