[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (27 Mar 2019) 69 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2019
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	60	201	201
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	1	43	43
Northern Harrier	1	2	2
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	3	3
Cooper's Hawk	0	14	14
Northern Goshawk	0	1	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	1	40	40
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	5	69	69
Rough-legged Hawk	0	2	2
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	1	5	5
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	0	0
Unknown Buteo	0	2	2
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	69	383	383

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Dave Fensore, Mathew Gilbert

Visitors:
Very few visitors to the summit on such a nice day. We only had a total of 7, one of whom was a young boy, fully prepared with binoculars, a Sibley guide, and a fresh copy of Hawks In Flight.

Weather:
This morning, with not a cloud in sight and no wind, it was downright warm at the summit. A light breeze from the north started to pick up late morning, and slowly started to shift counterclockwise to the south. By days end there was a very chilly and persistent wind coming off the ocean from the southeast. Temps were holding steady in the high 30s today. Clouds were nonexistent for much of the day, making spotting birds much more difficult. Heat distortion was a bit of a challenge.

Raptor Observations:
There was a good push of Turkey Vultures today, especially during the first half of the day. Possibly due to the light northerly breeze, a lot of the birds detected were very distant and closer to the coast. Even though our overall numbers were high today, it didn't feel like there was a lot to look at since most birds appeared as dark specks. A few local birds made their rounds, especially the Red-tails. Thermal production didn't seem great, as most birds remained relatively low today.

Non-raptor Observations:
Another eerily quiet day at the summit, although the first of year Barred Owl was heard to the southwest of the summit. Late morning we had an unkindness of 12 Ravens circling together to the west, which I always find enjoyable. Birds moving north included: 285 Canada Geese 27 American Crows 6 Killdeer 4 American Robins 4 Blackbird Spp.

Predictions:
Tomorrow could be interesting, with a storm front approaching and some southwest winds predicted to be around 10-15 mph. Birds may use the tailwind to get out ahead of the weather. Hopefully the wind speeds are on the lighter end and the heading remains true. Temps should be mild, in the 40s. Clouds should be increasing as the day progresses.

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Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/bradbury-mountain-hawkwatch
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

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