Guide

Go seeBirds

Mount Tom hawk watching with a leashed dog

September

Mount Tom State Reservation allows dogs on its trails, and Mass Audubon names it one of the state's best places to watch hawks migrate in fall. In September, Mass Audubon says, broad-winged hawks at times pass in kettles of hundreds, occasionally thousands, riding columns of rising warm air.

Why this time of year

Mass Audubon says fall hawk migration begins in August and peaks in September, and that broad-winged hawks are the most numerous hawks then, at times in flocks of hundreds and occasionally thousands.

How to notice it

  1. Pick a sunny September day and hike with your leashed dog to a lookout with a view to the north or northwest, then scan the sky with binoculars.
  2. Look for a slow swirl of birds climbing in circles without flapping. That is a kettle of hawks riding a column of rising warm air.
  3. Give it time: on favorable days hawks often start moving shortly after sunrise, and Mass Audubon calls 8 am to 4 pm prime time.
  4. Bring water for you and the dog, and a warm layer; Mass Audubon warns that hawk-watching sites can get cold.

Try this with kids: When you spot a kettle, count how many hawks are circling together before they slide away south.

Word to know: A “kettle” is a flock of hawks circling upward together on a rising column of warm air.

Sources

  • web.archive.orgPRIMARY, DCR Mount Tom State Reservation page (Wayback snapshot 2026-10-24, read 2026-11-10). 'Dogs Allowed'. 'The area is also a great place to bird watch--especially for hawks.' 'Mount Tom offers 22 miles of trails.'
  • web.archive.orgPRIMARY, DCR 'Dogs in DCR Parks' (Wayback 2026-07-12, read 2026-11-10). Mount Tom is not on the off-leash list, so the general rule applies: 'In on-leash areas, dogs must be tethered on a leash of no more than ten feet in length'.
  • massaudubon.orgPRIMARY-EXPERT, Mass Audubon 'How to Hawk Watch' (read 2026-11-10). 'In the fall, Mount Tom State Reservation (Easthampton), Wachusett Mountain State Reservation (Princeton), and Mount Watatic Reservation (Ashburnham) are especially good for hawk watching.' Fall migration 'begins in August and peaks in September'; Broad-winged Hawks 'at times can be seen in flocks, or kettles, of hundreds, occasionally thousands'. 'Look for a site... with a view to the north or northwest.' 'hawks often begin moving shortly after sunrise. Prime time is between 8 am and 4 pm.' 'Hawk-watching sites can get cold, so bundle up.'

Checked against these sources on November 10, 2026.

In the guide for September

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