Meet the 2026 Crew: The Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch

Charlie graduated from Eckerd College with a bachelor’s in biology. His most recent fieldwork includes completing point-count surveys for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and experiencing the wonders of migration at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch. This spring, Charlie is most looking forward to experiencing a large amount of migrating raptors, especially Golden Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks. In his free time, he enjoys wildlife photography, birding, herping, reading, and playing disc golf. His favorite raptor is the Turkey Vulture.

Delaney graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. She has been incredibly privileged to work closely with some unforgettable species, such as Spotted Owls, Flammulated Owls, and Snail Kites! There is truly no greater privilege than bearing witness to the spectacle that is migration, and she cannot wait to watch this spring unfold at the Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch. After counting at Lucky Peak, tucked in the foothills of the Rockies, and in the Florida Keys, one of the southernmost count sites in North America, Delaney is most stoked to observe the influence of topography and the routes taken by raptors! In her free time, she loves to hike, paddleboard, bird, read, and tidepool. Though it’s nearly impossible to decide, her favorite diurnal raptor is the Northern Harrier!

Jacob graduated in the winter of 2023 with a BS in Wildlife Biology and Natural Resource Conservation. Most of his fieldwork experience has been in fisheries science, focusing on a number of species in Missouri and Vermont. Last fall, however, Jacob served on the Putney Mountain Hawkwatch crew. Jacob is most looking forward to being back in his home state, looking at some cool raptors. He is a very avid birder, but also loves reading books and playing Pokémon in his spare time. Jacon’s favorite raptor is a tie between Merlins and any dark morph Red-tailed Hawk.

Although Jonah studied Geology as an undergraduate at Whitman College, his true desire is to be a well-rounded naturalist. So, despite a smattering of research experience in the geologic sciences, Jonah decided to do an about-face and push into the world of raptors. He’s curious to see how the skills of conducting stream surveys of channel geometry in Yellowstone National Park and mapping sedimentary structures in New Zealand’s Southern Alps apply to raptor migration monitoring. But mostly, he’s excited to learn a whole host of new skills and share his love of raptors with visitors. Aside from his naturalist endeavors, Jonah enjoys surfing, writing/reading silly poems and stories, and playing pick-up soccer. His favorite raptor is the Osprey because they sometimes hunt near his favorite surf spot.