HAWK WATCH

The 2025 Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch ended on November 30. Our Official Counter, Jen Ottinger, posted this message: "I appreciate all the volunteers that have contributed to the Henlopen count over the 14 years that I have been at the watch site. Thank you for your time, friendship and dedication to this project!!"

Tom Stock, Jen Ottinger, Ruth Kaufman, Sue Gruver (2023)

The Sussex County Hawk Watch is located at Cape Henlopen State Park on the elevated platform near the large picnic pavilion. The season runs from September 1 thru November 30 and the hours are normally 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. The watch is canceled in cases of extreme bad weather.

Volunteers are always needed; they are critical to the success of Hawk Watch! The volunteer hours help Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife get the funds to run the Hawk Watch and fund a full-time paid counter. J ust show up at the platform any day from 9am-3pm (weather dependent). Members of the Sussex Bird Club frequently help with spotting birds and conducting the count. Hawk Watch is an excellent way to learn hawks in flight, and someone is always there to assist with bird identification. Come on out, learn to ID raptors, watch seabirds and dolphins, and meet interesting new people!

We had another successful year of Hawk Watch in 2025. Jen Ottinger was back as our paid counter, and SBC member Sue Gruver was her faithful assistant, taking notes and spotting raptors on a daily basis.

The Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch data for 2025 can be found at HawkCount.org. The Delaware Hawk Watch is organized by the Delaware Ornithological Society.

Jen Ottinger