Workers Worried About Jobs

Abraham Azain 
January 10, 1997 
Abraham J. Azain Of Lee Park Towers, Hanover Township, Died Friday At The 
Wilkes-barre General Hospital.

Sunday, January 12, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Out of sight &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Not near as many birds of prey as usual were seen at Hawk Mountain last
autumn, according to expertsPennsylvania hunters have complained about a
shortage of small game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Predators such as foxes, coyotes, hawks and owls have been blamed for
decimating rabbit, pheasant and grouse populations statewide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But based on recent data, at least one taloned predator may be getting a
bum rap. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Figures compiled by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary during its four-month autumn
migration count on Blue Mountain reveal that total raptor sightings were down
by more than 50 percent compared to last year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That means the overall impact that migrating raptors had on small-game
populations was probably diminished. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hawk Mountain, near Kempton, has been tallying raptor numbers during the
fall migration for 60 years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The sanctuary completed its 121-day official migration watch Dec. 15~ with
a total count of 11,761 hawks, eagles and falcons. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That is 12,834 less than the 24,595 birds of prey spotted in 1995. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There is no reason for panic just yet," said Laurie Goodrich, senior
naturalist at Hawk Mountain. "The low numbers are not causing us a great deal
of concern because the decrease in sightings may have been caused by weather
factors." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 1996 raptor migration past the Hawk Mountain lookout was the lowest
since 1959 and the eighth-lowest count in the sanctuary's 60-year history of
tracking migrating birds of prey. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The autumn migration funnels raptors along edges of mountain ranges and
large bodies of water. It offers one of the few opportunities biologists have
to monitor raptor populations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Goodrich said the low numbers might appear to be more dramatic because of
the previous year's migration count. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We had an above-average count in 1995, as our usual count is about
21,000," Goodrich said. "The biggest drop that affected the overall count was
the drop in the number of broad-winged hawks. Their numbers were down by
almost 6,000." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Below-average sightings were recorded for nine of the 16 species commonly
seen at Hawk Mountain. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There were 1,809 broad-wings sighted, which is an all-time low. The
broad-wing count regularly exceeds 7,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Most of the broad-winged hawks appeared to have passed south and east of
the mountain due to poor weather, including several hurricanes," Goodrich
said. "Because of the storms they seem to have been drawn toward the coast and
further south." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She also said large flocks of broad-wings that could not be counted were
sighted in eastern New Jersey and New York City. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Northern harriers also were affected. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Only 130 harriers were counted, compared to the 10-year Hawk Mountain
average of 296. This was the lowest harrier count at Hawk Mountain since 1942. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many eastern hawk watches recorded low counts for this species, whose
migration patterns are not usually affected by weather. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But not all the news on the raptor front was bleak. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Above-average counts were recorded for seven species, including bald and
golden eagles, turkey and black vultures, and red-shouldered hawks. And the
counts of 127 merlins and 85 golden eagles were the fourth highest ever
recorded at the Sanctuary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Goodrich and other biologists at Hawk Mountain are still investigating
reasons other than weather that might account for low counts of some species. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While pesticides did not appear to be a problem, Goodrich said the low
counts for some common species, such as the red-tailed hawk and American
kestrel, may be due to lower than normal reproductive success. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There was a late migration last spring, and that means many birds were not
in very good condition when they returned to their nesting sites. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Many started nesting later than usual, or abandoned nesting behavior
altogether," Goodrich said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As an example, she said that American kestrels breeding in sanctuary nest
boxes fledged fewer young last summer due to the late spring. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A diminishing food source, such as a dip in rodent populations near nesting
sites, may have affected raptor numbers. But there's no definite word on that
just yet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "A lack of food may have had some impact, but we have no information on the
food supplies of any birds at this time. Right now we have a lot of unanswered
questions, and we don't have a `smoking gun.' We have to keep searching for
answers," Goodrich said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The drop in raptor numbers during the autumn months suggests that those who
blame the taloned predators for destroying small-game populations should also
keep searching for answers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 George Smith is outdoors editor of The Times Leader. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Kempton is a renowned observation point for
raptor migrations and a world center for raptor conservation. Check it out on
the World Wide Web at http://www.hawkmountain.org. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/DON CAREY &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bald eagle numbers exceeded the 10-year average despite the general decline
in raptor sightings at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Out Of Sight Not Near As Many Birds Of Prey As Usual Were Seen At Hawk Mountain Last Autumn, According To Experts.