Looking for something different to do outside this fall? How about a trip to observe an amazing hawk migration? Visit this fall to see these amazing creatures soaring across the sky. Join in the SC Hawk Watch at Caesars Head State Park or Sassafras Mountain. Kidding Around’s Maria visits each fall with her children and today she’s sharing some ideas for making the most of your visit.
Are my children the only ones with hawk fascination? They seem to have a knack for spotting them from the car, on a hike, at the park, all over. After our unit study on birds, I have to agree with them, raptors are pretty captivating birds. If you agree, you might want to head up to Caesars Head State Park this fall where you can see hundreds of migrating hawks.
The Hawk Migration at Caesars Head State Park
From September through November, Caesars Head plays host to thousands of migrating raptors who use the thermals coming off the rocky outcrop to soar upward, conserving their energy as they migrate to their winter ranges.
The peak of this migration is early to mid-September. During this time it’s possible to see a couple of hundred raptors in the air all at the same time. You can expect to see Broad-winged hawks, but other possibilities include Bald Eagles, Ospreys, American Kestrels, and many others. My children really hoped to spot the less common Peregrine Falcon, and we did!
You won’t need to go far from the parking lot area to see the hawks. Just head for the scenic overlook. We like to bring lunch and sit on the rocks with our binoculars. You’ll often find a ranger or knowledgeable bird watchers at the overlook who are happy to point out various raptors in the sky.
Sassafras Mountain
Sassafras Mountain is another great place to view the hawk migration. Sassafras is the highest point in South Carolina and you can access the beautiful observation platform without any hiking. Even better, there’s no admission for Sassafras Mountain so visiting is totally free.
You can find out more about Sassafras Mountain in our review.
Plan a homeschool field trip to the hawk migration at Caesars Head State Park
Check out Raptors! A kid’s guide to birds of prey (J 598.9 Laubach) at the Greenville Library. It is packed full of information about the habits of these birds from diets, to migration, to nesting habitats, and all in language accessible to kids. This book also features silhouettes of flying birds, so it might be a good one to bring along on your trip.
Once you’re back home, older children may appreciate examining data from past year’s hawk watches. You can find that information at Hawkcount.org by selecting Caesar’s Head Hawk Watch (South Carolina) in the Hawkwatch Site box. Select the year and month on the left-hand side to view the data for that month.
Consider letting students turn the data from the tables into pie charts or other graphs and compare the data across years or individual fall months. This is a great way to bring math into this predominantly science trip.
If you’d like to bring in a little history, check out some books about John James Audubon, who in addition to drawing beautiful pictures of birds and documenting their species and habitats, proved that when birds migrate they return to the same areas each year. What a fitting study after observing a hawk migration!
My children really enjoyed The boy who drew birds: a story of John James Audubon, by Jacqueline Davies (JB Audubon), which, of course, you can find in the Greenville Library System.
If this trip sparks some curiosity about birds, consider a full unit study. We really enjoyed Homeschool Legacy’s Once-A-Week Unit Study, Birds of a Feather.
If you’d like to view these magnificent raptors up close, check out the Carolina Raptor Center in nearby Huntersville, NC.
The Carolina Raptor Center is an awesome place to see raptors up close. Check out our review of the Carolina Raptor Center.
- Looking for more educational adventures in Greenville? Here’s our list of educational things to do in Greenville, SC.
- Want more ideas on homeschool activities or resources? Check out our Homeschool Guide.
Plan your own trip to Caesars Head State Park
8155 Geer Hwy, Cleveland
Website: Caesars Head State Park
Admission: $3 per adult; $1 children 6-15, free 5 and under
Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, daily
Enjoy your hawk watch at Caesar’s Head! Maybe we’ll see you there!
Thank you for this information! We have a home in the area and did not know about all of the hawks. We will definitely have to visit.
FYI – the address for the park should be Geer Highway, not Greer.
Thank you and we will fix that address!
Is there an optimal time of day to see the most activity? This sounds like a great experience! Thanks for sharing!