Bradbury Mountain State ParkPownal, Maine, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 20, 2017 |
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 1 | 52 | 52 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8 hours |
| Official Counter | Zane Baker |
| Observers: | |
Visitors:The number of people visiting the mountain rapidly declined with the start of another work week. 8 people stopped to ask questions about the project. The two snowmen who accompanied me at the watch were murdered this week. There will not be a memorial service.
Weather: Today's northerly wind direction was about as predicted with a fairly steady breeze. Gusts exceeded 20km/h at times. The suns power was felt all day and produced a high temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, or, about 43 degrees Fahrenheit. Visibility was good. Heat shimmer becoming more of an issue as the day progressed.
Raptor Observations: It was an unexpectedly slow day for raptor migration. Only local birds were spotted foraging or hunting nearby. Very little activity could be found, despite the suns production of thermals. Birds which were spotted remained low. I wonder if birds were pushed closer to the coast or decided the winds were just to stiff to make it worth their effort. The one very distant migrant counted today was closer to the coast and appeared as a dark smudge on my optics. A sudden left to right rocking motion sealed the deal for the identification. A lone Turkey Vulture.
Non-raptor Observations: A mixed flock of about 30 Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings made a touch and go stop at the summit today. The first of the season. 40 European Starlings were spotted flying south. 4 American Robins also flew south. 15 species were seen or heard today.
Predictions: Some light cloud cover is predicted to move into the area overnight. Sun and clouds should be present at the start of tomorrow's count with clouds filling in during afternoon hours. Temperatures may climb into the mid to upper 40's. Winds should be coming from the northwest and possibly shift to westerly or even southwesterly. This sight has, historically, seen good flights with a northwest wind. Given the same warm temperatures and shift in wind direction, I believe tomorrow should easily bring more migrants than today.
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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