Where the Hawks are

Rockaway Township boasts one of the best places in the state for birdwatching: the HAWK WATCH AT WILDCAT RIDGE

Right now, raptors of all kinds (falcons, Cooper’s Hawks, bald eagles) are migrating south for the winter. And Rockaway Township boasts one of the best places in the state to see them: the HAWK WATCH AT WILDCAT RIDGE (www.wcrhawkwatch.com/kiosk.html), a 3,700- acre protected wildlife management area on a 1,025-foot overlook with a spectacular 180-degree view. There you’re likely to find volunteers from Friends of Wildcat Ridge (www.wcrhawkwatch.com), whose goal is to keep ’round-the-clock vigil so they can get a count of the raptors that soar by during migration season. (On their best day ever, they counted 6,000 broadwing hawks.) To spot these feathered friends for yourself, head up to the ridge with sturdy shoes and binoculars—a volunteer will be glad to give you pointers. “We love to have people come up,” says volunteer dorie Cappiello, a West Orange veterinarian, “and we’re always looking for people to help us with the count.”