Monday, 3 April 2017

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (03 Apr 2017) 135 Raptors


Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2017
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture44110370
Osprey333
Bald Eagle51247
Northern Harrier8812
Sharp-shinned Hawk131628
Cooper's Hawk81018
Northern Goshawk335
Red-shouldered Hawk232876
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk233092
Rough-legged Hawk000
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel123
Merlin223
Peregrine Falcon001
Unknown Accipiter000
Unknown Buteo001
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle111
Unknown Raptor115
Total:135226665


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official CounterZane Baker
Observers: Bob Huber, Derek Lovitch, Isaac Hayes, Jeannette Lovitch, Rick Hartzell, Steve Barker



Visitors:
For a Monday, we had more visitors than I expected. Without the added eyes on the sky, it would have been next to impossible to see all of the birds which made it onto the data sheet. Thank you to everyone for the extra help and enthusiasm.

Weather:
Another beautiful day on top of the mountain. Winds were very light out of the north and northwest. The sun's warmth was very apparent, with high temperatures getting into the high 40's in the shade, most likely in the 50's out in the direct sun. Visibility was good, with some heat distortion at greater distances.

Raptor Observations:
It was not a huge day in terms of numbers, but we had a very diverse group of birds. The day started with six Bald Eagles soaring low over our local hot spot for these birds. interest in the area continued for the entire day. Our first of the season Osprey showed up around midday, with a couple others trickling in later on. Three Northern Goshawks were spotted, a couple of which lingered long enough to get great looks at this magnificent bird. A handsome adult male Northern Harrier coursed low in front of the summit, allowing onlookers to understand where the colloquial name Grey Ghost comes from. After all the visitors had retreated for the day, I was treated to a beautifully back-lit American Kestrel, displaying it's string of pearls along the trailing edge of the wing.

Non-raptor Observations:
Where to begin. How about four Sandhill Cranes! A sharp eyed observer heard the birds before spotting them flying to the north northeast. Unlike previous seasons, these birds were relatively close. One of the better views from this summit I have witnessed. Larger numbers of American Robins were on the move early, losing steam as the day progressed. Canada Geese continued to be seen in large groups over the course of the count. A lone, first of the season Double-crested Cormorant was spotted, circling high to the east. Northbound birds included:
440 Canada Geese
108 American Robins
18 Common Mergansers
12 Killdeer
6 Tree Swallows
5 Cedar Waxwings
4 Sandhill Cranes
3 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Purple Finches
1 Horned Lark
31 species were seen or heard from the summit.

Predictions:
I'm not going to lie. Tomorrow's weather does not look good for migration efforts. Clouds, with a mixture of rain and snow throughout the day. Winds should be from the east and southeast at 10-20mph. It is possible the count will be called off. If you're thinking of planning a sick day from work, save it for warm and sunny day with a southwest breeze.


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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