But broad-winged hawks are unusual in that they migrate in such large groups.

By the time I left, shortly after noon, more than 2,000 broad-winged hawks had been counted, along with dozens of other birds.

Best of all, we'd spotted a flock of broad-winged hawks and joined them.

He stayed until late afternoon, when "this kettle of broad-winged hawks came and settled all around us," he says.

But the broad-winged hawks group in great numbers and are often spotted in the thousands on a day or two in mid-September.

I was fortunate to see a kettle that afternoon, a group of 34 broad-winged hawks rising in an updraft and gliding south.

Many spend the winter in the South, while others, like broad-winged hawks, migrate to Central and South America.

Different species fly at different times - the broad-winged hawks flew in September, sharp-shinned hawks are in the air now.

Broad-winged hawks take advantage of thermals, which are bubbles of warm air that rise as cooler mountain air mixes in from below.

"Deforestation is affecting broad-winged hawks in Central and South America," Mr. Kellogg said.

There are 172 species of birds, including four species of hummingbird, broad-winged hawks, yellow-crowned night herons, and the brown trembler.

Broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus)

Broad-winged hawks, barred owls, and great horned owls are prevalent, while many other raptor species pass through the park during their migration.

Did I mention that our canoe was made of aluminium and that electric storms fly over the Algonquin hills like swooping broad-winged hawks?

Ospreys and broad-winged hawks begin their trips in late August, but merlins, peregrine falcons and kestrels hang back until October.

Some of the raptors, like the broad-winged hawks that swarmed above us in flocks of hundreds, migrate as far as Central and South America.

I plan to chase a few stripers in the Hudson later in October, and I climbed the Hook looking for the kettles of broad-winged hawks.

The most common birds of prey are broad-winged hawks and American kestrels, followed by red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, and barred owls.

Among the species to be seen in Westchester during the fall migration are broad-winged hawks, red-tailed hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, peregrine falcons, ospreys and bald eagles.

That was Sept. 15, at the height of the southward migration of broad-winged hawks, when a vast flock of the birds, called a kettle, passed by the mountain.

Birds such as wild turkeys, hairy and pileated woodpeckers, and broad-winged hawks, which are commonly found on large tracts of unbroken woodlands, also inhabit the bog.

So even though I have never managed to put my fitness plan into action, I did climb up on Sept. 17 to try to catch the big fall flight of broad-winged hawks.

At Hawk Mountain flocks of broad-winged hawks typically arrive in September, when they can be seen churning within a single thermal, looking as though the birds are boiling in a kettle.

From the sanctuary's North and South Lookouts visitors can see 20 of North America's 30 raptorial species, including bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, peregrine falcons, broad-winged hawks and kestrels.

Five and a half miles of nature trails provide views of wetlands and waterways, with excellent chances to see such birds as loons, osprey, broad-winged hawks and several kinds of warblers and vireos.

Broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus)

The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a small hawk of the genus Buteo.

C. arcayae - Roadside hawk (Buteo magnirostris), Broad winged hawk (Buteo platypterus)

Including 6 endemic species and two that are endangered such as: Falcon saw (Accipiter atriatus) and Guaraguao forest (Buteo platypterus) There are 20 species of reptiles and amphibians, with the exception of Bufo marinus all are endemic.