The Franklin Mt. Hawkwatch, located on the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary overlooking Oneonta, NY, is particularly noted for late fall season flights of Red-tailed Hawks and Golden Eagles. Franklin Mt. provides a panoramic view of the Susquehanna River valley and surrounding hills of Otsego and Delaware Counties. In addition to the hawkwatch, the Audubon Sanctuary provides marked hiking trails through a variety of habitats.
Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch Data
Data from the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch is submitted to the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), which compiles numbers from similar hawk counts across the continent.
Franklin Mt. Hawkwatch daily data is available at the Hawkcount website, along with that of many other North American hawkwatches.
Click Here for 30 Year Report from HMANA.
DIRECTIONS to Franklin Mtn. Hawkwatch
The Hawkwatch is located at the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary, 52 Grange Hall Rd. Spur (marked on signage as “Bird Road”), Oneonta, NY, overlooking Oneonta from the south.
NOTE: PLEASE DON’T RELY ON PHONE DIRECTIONS AS THEY OFTEN TAKE YOU ON AN INDIRECT ROUTE.
From I-88 eastbound
Take Exit 14. Turn right after the exit, go straight at the light, crossing Rte. 28. Immediately turn left at the T onto Southside Dr. Turn right on Swart Hollow Rd. (0.8 mi.). Go 1.5 mi. and take a sharp right turn onto Grange Hall Rd. Take sharp left turn into the driveway (0.2 mi.) (marked with ‘Bird Road’ sign) and park on the LEFT side. Walk up to the barn, where a map and information are posted.
From I-88 westbound
Take Exit 15. Turn left at the bottom of the ramp, right at the light by McDonalds and go to the 4th stop light (0.7 mi.). Turn left at this light and follow the directions above from the Southside Dr. T.
From Rte. 17 westbound
Take Exit 94 (Roscoe), then Rte. 206 north to Walton (20 mi.), then Co. Rte. 21 to Rte. 357 (12 mi.). Turn right on Rte. 357 to Rte. 28 (8 mi.). Take Rte. 28 south for 1/4 mi. to a crossroads with a small church on the right. Turn left onto Grange Hall Rd. for about 3 mi. to a point where it takes a 90 degree right turn. A short distance on the right is the driveway noted above (marked with ‘Bird Road’ sign).
From the NYS Thruway at Kingston
Take Rte. 28 north through Delhi, (70 mi.) About 15 miles beyond Delhi, look for a crossroads with a small church on the left. The right turn is Grange Hall Rd. Follow directions as above.
