We knew birds had to come eventually, but we would not have expected a flight like this with solid cloud cover and a light easterly wind. Even after 11 years of this project, we continue to learn that raptors don't like to follow the rules!
- Derek
- Derek
Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2017 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 221 260 260 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 2 35 35 Northern Harrier 2 4 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 12 12 Cooper's Hawk 2 8 8 Northern Goshawk 1 2 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 25 48 48 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 27 62 62 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 1 1 1 Merlin 1 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 1 1 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 1 4 4 Total: 285 439 439
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter Zane Baker Observers: Dave Gulick, Jeannette Lovitch
Visitors:
10 people visited the count site today. Impressed by the number of Vultures tallied, today may have been the first day when Bald Eagle questions took a backseat. I'm certain this will turn out to be an anomaly for the season.
Weather:
The day started and ended about the same, weather wise. Winds were extremely light if at all detectable, coming from the north and northeast throughout most of the day, switching to more easterly by the end of the day. There was a small sliver of blue sky to the northeast early on, but clouds moved in and blanketed the sky in short order. Temps hovered around the freezing point all day. Before the day was finished, the visibility became about as good as we ever see it. Details on Halfway Rock Lighthouse could be seen clearly. Impressive, considering the structure is over 13 miles away.
Raptor Observations:
I felt like I was finally part of a proper hawkwatch today. Birds were on the move, with larger numbers early and tapering off by the end of the count. Within the first hour, a kettle of 79 Turkey Vultures were spotted sauntering to the north. Most other birds moved in a manner to suggest something ominous was in hot pursuit. Today brought our first Merlin, and American Kestrel, which is one of my favorites. The final bird of the day was a beautiful female Northern Harrier which passed by, in close proximity to the summit. A terrific end to a great day of hawkwatching.
Non-raptor Observations:
The calm before the storm produced a good number of Canada Geese. A total 492 were seen moving to the north. 10 more Killdeer were also heading north today. Very few Passerines were seen today. A few American Goldfinches swirled around the mountain at times, unclear and indecisive about a heading.
Predictions:
Heavy wet snow, falling throughout the day tomorrow may keep the count from ever getting started. Accumulation could be 3-5 inches, or double that, by some predictions. Sleet could mix in since temperatures should be in the 30's. Easterly winds are expected early before switching to northeast at 10-20mph. If birds move tomorrow, it would most likely be at the end of the day, if the storm clears out, or they may go undetected
Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
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