Hawk Watch and Slim Baker Day in Bristol

By Lee Caldwell

On Saturday, September 18 from 10 am to 2 pm, the Slim Baker Foundation for Outdoor Education will host a combination Hawk Watch and Slim Baker Day at Slim Baker Lodge and Little Round Top in Bristol. This outdoor event is free and open to the public. No registration required.

In addition, their annual story walk is now on display. The title of the book is STARS by Mary Lynn Ray. Both the Hawk Watch and the Story Walk events are self-guided opportunities. There will be informational handouts and hawk educational displays along the Worthen trail hike up to the summit of Little Round Top (Inspiration Point).

Slim Baker Day is a tribute to Everett “Slim” Baker, a dedicated and much-loved conservation officer with NH Fish and Game who died at age 43 in 1953. According to the organization’s website: “the Slim Baker Area is a 135-acre tract of conserved land in Bristol that was set up as a memorial to him as he had dreamed of setting up a ‘school for outdoor living’ in the Newfound Lake area. This area is the fulfillment of that dream. For over 6 decades, the foundation has adhered to the two goals of the organization’s original founding document:

1. To provide programs of outdoor recreation, nature study, and practical conservation for residents of the Newfound area and visitors.

2. To perpetuate the memory, ideals and ideas of Everett D. ‘Slim’ Baker, long-time resident and conservation officer of the area, and true lover of nature and mankind.”

“Slim” had a reputation of being friendly and helpful, but strict if necessary. He was beloved in the community, loved hunting and fishing, and believed in the wise use of natural resources. He was tall and lanky, hence the name “Slim” and when he became fatally ill, his friends in the community rallied around to help make his “school for outdoor living” dream come true. A beautiful tract of land was donated by Reba Hipson on Little Round Top, a site was cleared for the construction of a rustic lodge and a trail was cut to the summit. 

A retrospective/tribute of the life and legacy of “Slim” Baker will be on display of the porch of the Slim Baker Lodge for all to view.

Little Round Top is the oldest hawk watch site in New Hampshire. It has a panoramic view of the valley that is ideal for viewing the annual fall hawk migration. NH Fish and Game states that the second and third weeks of September are peak hawk watching times as large flocks (or kettles) of broad winged hawks pass over. To conserve energy, they ride the big thermal air currents along ridge lines and river valleys (in this case central New Hampshire’s Pemigewasset River) on their way to Central and South America. 

According to the NH Fish and Game website: “hawks, falcons, raptors, and birds of prey are all terms that are sometimes used interchangeably. All have short, strongly hooked beaks and sharp, curved talons (claws.) Body size, wing length and shape vary, as do colors and patterns with different combinations of black, white, rufous, gray, and brown. Many have different color phases with juveniles appearing different from the adults. Females are typically larger than males. All prey on other species ranging from insects to other birds and small to medium size mammals. Some are seasonal visitors or travelers passing through during spring and fall migrations. Some are rare visitors seen every 3-5 years. They range in size from 9-33 inches long and have 20-72 inch wingspans and can be seem throughout the state.”

As many as 15 raptor species pass over New Hampshire during the fall migration (which typically runs from September through November.) Among them are the American kestrel, the Broad Winged hawk, the Cooper’s hawk, the Merlin, the Northern goshawk; the Northern harrier; the Red-shouldered hawk, the Red-tailed hawk, the Sharp-shinned hawk, the Gyrfalcon, the Rough-legged hawk, the Golden eagle, the Bald eagle, the peregrine falcon, and the osprey. Eagles do sometimes migrate, although adults tend to stay near their nesting territory as long as there is available food. The best hawk watch sites are high with an open view to the north/northwest.

The Slim Baker Foundation encourages all to come on September 18, view the Slim Baker tribute, follow the Story Walk, and to “bring your binoculars, patience, and a sense of adventure while waiting to spot the movement of a hawk along the horizon.”

The Slim Baker lodge area is located in Bristol. From the downtown, take Rt. 3A south for a short distance, bear right onto High Street. At the crest of the hill, turn right onto New Chester Mt Road (at the sign for Slim Baker Lodge) and continue to the parking area. The trail to Inspiration Point for the Hawk Watch has some short, but moderately steep sections. 

For additional information see the Slim Baker Foundation website, www.slimbaker.org.