Hawks moving north. Come see!

Saturday is supposed to be cloudy.

Bummer, right?

Not for the folks who will be out on a deck overlooking a wide open space at Fort Washington State Park. They'll be happy for the white clouds that provide a better contrast for spotting and identifying raptors flying by on their spring migration north.

A good day would be about eight species, said Rich Conroy, co-coordinator of the Militia Hill Hawkwatch.

"Turkey and black vultures …we'll probably get a chance to see bald eagle … it would be nice to see a red-shouldered and a broad-winged," he said of the potential passers-over.

The spring migration is more diffuse than the fall migration, which brings rafts of birds overhead. In 26 years of hawkwatching at the site, spotters have seen more than 300,000 birds.

Militia Hill is one of about 250 hawk witch sites through the US and Canada that report data to a national group, the Hawk Migration Association of North America — HMANA.

Fewer sites in the Northeast track the spring migration, but Saturday's event will be a fundraising "raptorthon" for both the local and national group.

If you'd like to stop by, they'll be on the platform from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Otherwise, you can contribute funds to the effort at www.hmana.org/raptorthon/.

The local group's website is under the "hawkwatch" tab at www.wyncoteaudubon.org. Or contact Rich Conroy at conroy@hmana.org.