We knew that this was going to be an interesting count season, but we were not expecting this! An early record by a whopping 14 days, it seems inconceivable that this Broad-winged Hawk is simply an "early migrant" that has accelerated its way from Texas. Instead, we wonder about how early birds can depart Florida, but more likely this bird wintered well north of usual range, which considering the mild winter this year, would make some sense.
Anyway, Anna's write-up and field sketch are now on file.
-Derek
Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 20, 2016 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 13 57 57 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 1 26 26 Northern Harrier 0 0 0 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 8 8 Cooper's Hawk 2 20 20 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 21 21 Broad-winged Hawk 1 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 10 108 108 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0 0 0 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 1 2 2 Unknown Buteo 0 2 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 1 2 2 Total: 32 248 248
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter Anna Stunkel Observers: Dave Gulick, Zane Baker
Visitors:
61 people visited today. Another great turnout!
Weather:
Winds were variable today, starting from the north for most of the morning and later shifting generally from northeast to east. It was clear for most of the day, until cirrus clouds filled in during the afternoon and it became mostly cloudy. Wind speed also picked up in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
It was another decent day regarding hawkwatch numbers. Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures composed the majority of the flight. Local Bald Eagles were very active and we saw several pairs, but only one eagle was deemed migrating. The highlight of the day occurred when an adult Broad-winged Hawk flew low over the mountain, in a fast glide towards the northeast. This sighting was a very unusual anomaly, since most first of season broad-wing sightings on Bradbury Mountain occur between April 9-14. The previous earliest record was on April 3. This raptor's close proximity allowed for a confident identification confirmed by both the official counter and an experienced volunteer. The counter submitted a detailed description and sketch of the bird to the project. Several visitors were able to get a good view of this beautiful adult raptor.
Non-raptor Observations:
A total of 17 species were seen and/or heard today. The Barred Owl called several times, eventually accompanied by angry crow calls which sounded like mobbing calls. The Pileated Woodpecker was drumming and calling quite a bit in the morning. Species deemed migrating:
19 Canada Geese
3 American Goldfinches
2 passerine sp.
Predictions:
The hawkwatch will probably be delayed tomorrow, with snow predicted throughout the morning and early afternoon. A sharp cutoff may allow a count at the edge of this system. If the storm hits Bradbury Mountain, a few hours of observation may be possible during late afternoon. Winds are predicted to be northwesterly later in the day. There probably will not be much raptor movement occurring in the hours just after the storm, but hopefully there will be a push of migrants in the following days.
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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