[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (23 Mar 2017) 4 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 23, 2017
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	15	15
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	1	27	27
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	1	8	8
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	2	15	15
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:	4	68	68

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Derek Lovitch

Visitors:
7 People visited the summit today including a reporter for Channel 6's show, 207. We welcome the publicity and hope it generates some interest in hawks, birds, conservation, or the good old outdoors.

Weather:
Today's weather didn't play out exactly as predicted. Winds persisted throughout the count duration, predominantly from the north and northwest with the occasional strong gust. Temperatures remained below freezing. Skies were blue with barely a cloud to be found anywhere.

Raptor Observations:
A possible resident Red-shouldered Hawk made its presence known, on cue, as it was being inquired about. It appeared below the count area vantage point, allowing for a beautiful birds eye view of the adult birds plumage. Local Bald Eagle activity near Rte 9 has slowed a bit. Some birds were seen checking the area later in the day.

Non-raptor Observations:
14 species were seen or heard from the summit.

Predictions:
Tomorrows temperatures should climb into the mid to high 30's. There could be some light flurries in the morning, transitioning to rain by the afternoon. Snow accumulation should be minimal. Winds should be more favorable, emanating from the south or southwest. Hopefully some birds move ahead of the approaching weather system. If nothing else, the rain should, at the very least, help expose more ground and provide better hunting and foraging opportunities for some of these migrants who may be waiting to our south.

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Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp