Join The Sussex Bird Club in-person in the library or online to view HAWK WATCH, a documentary about endangered raptors and a dedicated crew of citizen scientists in a fragile desert environment. Filmmakers Alicia Wszelaki and Matthew Nothelfer will join afterwards via Zoom for Q&A.

The documentary follows a group of devoted birders, Hal, Tracee, and Candace.As the spring bird migration unfolds these leaders encourage volunteers to help track scientific data. Everyone involved attempts to stay organized, but they soon find their ambitions might not measure up to their own expectations. They forge ahead with the challenging task of collecting information to help protect the Swainson’s Hawks. As thousands of raptors begin to pass through the valley, the spectacle of nature itself becomes their well-earned reward. Still, the “Hawksters” struggle. From counting the birds accurately across seemingly impossible geography, to staying active enough to keep pace with Mother Nature, none of it is easy. But, as the crew meet fellow scientists in Mexico and California, an unexpected ambition begins to inspire them.

HAWK WATCH is a completely independent film that was financed, produced, directed, filmed, and edited by Alicia Wszelaki and Matthew Nothelfer. Alicia and Matt are visual creatives who have been working in the media industry since the 1980’s. Their hometown is Borrego Springs, CA. They work often in the Southern California region with a focus on San Diego, Palm Springs, and the Orange County/LA area. Alicia and Matt love tourism video production and they’ve shot productions on almost every continent. From Japan to Norway to Chile to Morocco, wherever the story takes them they’re ready to go.

Matt and Alicia will be part of a Q&A following the documentary.

The Sussex Bird Club's primary objective is to promote the knowledge and enjoyment of wild birds through guided field trips and monthly meetings about various aspects of birding. Meetings are open to all and beginning birders are always welcome.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer.

If you need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email the library.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.