New Hampshire Audubon Carter Hill Raptor Observatory

The Carter Hill Raptor Observatory is located at Carter Hill Orchard, a conserved, family-owned farm that grows apples and other fruit in Concord, NH. It is located in a rural and generally forested part of the state’s capital city. The Observatory is one of two that is coordinated by New Hampshire Audubon www.nhaudubon.org, an independent, statewide organization that focuses on environmental education, land conservation/stewardship, policy, and research. An observation platform, which is open to the public, is a central feature of the orchard and has served as the hawk watch location since 2008. Visitors can generally drive directly to the platform location, but weekends from mid-September to mid-October may result in large crowds and more distant parking. The platform is not currently ADA accessible, but disabled visitors can observe hawks from the area below. Upwards of 10,000 people may visit during the course of a fall season, with larger crowds on weekends in mid-September through early October. School group visits of 20 students or more at a time are not uncommon on weekdays. Reservations are generally recommended for school or other large (8+) group visits, and donations to New Hampshire Audubon in support of the Observatory are suggested.

Carter Hill Orchard, www.carterhillapples.com offers pick-your-own fruit, a country store, wagon rides, a playground, hiking trails, scenic vistas, leaf peeping, and outhouses. It is open to the public 9-6 daily through the end of October, and 9-5 daily in November.

Migration is most pronounced on northwest winds, especially on the several days following the passage of a cold front. Significant daily and seasonal flights of Broad-winged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, and Bald Eagles have occurred here.