Freeport Wild Bird Supply is partnering with Leica Sport Optics to sponsor the Spring Hawkwatch at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal, beginning March 15 and ending on May 15.

“This marks the ninth consecutive season for Hawkwatch, through which valuable data is collected while providing and enjoyable and educational experience for visitors,” Derek Lovitch, owner of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, said in a press release.

This year, Andrew Wolfgang is the official hawk counter. Wolfgang has a biology degree from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where he created two research projects studying bird diversity in riparian habitats and bird vocalization detection. Most recently, he worked as an environmental educator at Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Virginia. According to the release, Wolfgang is an experienced birder and hawkwatcher with a particular interest in raptor ecology.

Wolfgang will be stationed at the Bradbury Mountain summit from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily for the entire two months.

Rising 485 feet above the southern coastal plain, Bradbury Mountain provides unimpeded views to the south and east all the way to the islands of Casco Bay. Observers can watch raptors utilizing a variety of migratory methods as they work their way north.

Fritz Appleby, park ranger at Bradbury Mountain, said that the hawkwatch offers a nice opportunity for people to observe natural beauty. The park is open 9 a.m.-sunset daily. The short trail is a quarter of a mile and the longer trail is a mile long, but a more gradual slope.

“Anybody’s welcome to go up there with their binoculars and have a walk with that hawkwatcher,” Appleby said. “It’s all about the raptors coming back. It’s pretty rewarding to get up there on a nice sunny day and see these birds come back for another summer season in Maine. People aren’t always looking up to see what’s going on overhead.”

The goal of the project is to document this migration by identifying and counting all raptors that pass by the mountain. Last year’s count was record-setting, according to the press release, with 6,015 hawks tallied, including 97 bald eagles, 724 ospreys and 2,357 broad-winged hawks.

“All but two of our regularly occurring species were counted in above average numbers, with seven species showing record season highs,” Lovitch said.

For more information about the hawkwatch, see hwww.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp.