Join NJ Conservation Foundation and the Jersey City chapter of the Feminist Bird Club for an autumn hike to Raccoon Ridge's hawk watch! We'll meet at the trailhead and head out at 9:30am along the Appalachian Trail for a moderate 2.5 mile hike to the lookout point, approximately 1 hour. Then we'll spend a few hours birding alongside the official hawk watch before heading back to the cars, probably arriving back around 2:30pm. Parking is along Camp Mohican Road and limited so we recommend car pooling.  The nearby AMC Mohican Outdoor Center will be open and have bathrooms available, otherwise there are no facilities en route. We will follow the Leave No Trace principles. Please note the rain/wind date is Sunday, November 19! Raptor migration is highly dependent on the weather (especially the winds!), so if things aren't looking good for November 5 we will let everyone know ASAP and try again two weeks later on November 19. Dress for cold weather, the same winds that bring the birds will be chilling! Also bring a packed lunch, water, binoculars and sturdy footwear. We will have a few pairs of binoculars and a scope to share.

While most of the colorful warblers have headed south for the winter, new species of sparrows are just arriving. We will walk through meadows and forest edges, learning to distinguish similar species.