Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2017 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 0 251 511 Osprey 2 312 312 Bald Eagle 0 35 70 Northern Harrier 2 168 172 Sharp-shinned Hawk 15 487 499 Cooper's Hawk 0 52 60 Northern Goshawk 0 5 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 76 124 Broad-winged Hawk 30 1303 1303 Red-tailed Hawk 1 99 161 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 1 417 418 Merlin 2 43 44 Peregrine Falcon 0 5 6 Unknown Accipiter 0 5 5 Unknown Buteo 1 5 6 Unknown Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 1 1 Unknown Raptor 1 24 28 Total: 55 3291 3730
Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8.25 hours Official Counter Zane Baker Observers: Julie Krasne, Mathew Gilbert, Sea Mckeon
Visitors:
45 people stopped to visit the hawkwatch at the summit today. Many more were seen having picnics, walking dogs or exercising. Bradbury seemed like the popular place to be. Thanks to Sea and Julie for talking with people and sharing their personal optics with other people.
Weather:
Today was much cooler than yesterday with highs barely reaching 50. Wind remained light for most of the day from the northwest and west. For the last two hours the winds shifted to southeast and increased in intensity making it feel much more like late March or early April. A few drops of rain fell from time to time as some precipitation could be seen to the west. Visibility this morning was disrupted by a lot of heat distortion which subsided in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Having been spoiled by such high numbers yesterday, I needed to be reminded that today is still considered a good day of counting. Proportionally it sure felt slow compared to yesterday, but we did see birds consistently; each hour of the count saw at least a few migrants. This was better than single-digit March days. Birds were scattered across the sky but remained relatively low.
Non-raptor Observations:
In the first hour of the count when the sun was still shining 3 Evening Grosbeaks screamed past the summit low. Their flight call alerted me where to look as I caught a fleeting glimpse of yellow, black, and white. The first "footless" bird showed up at the mountain today, a Chimney Swift, which is a member of the Apodidae family. Apodidae is derived from the Greek (apous) meaning "footless" and is a reference to the birds small often hard to see legs and feet.
Predictions:
Tomorrow probably won't be very warm, with temps predicted to be in the mid 40s. Rain showers are likely throughout the day. Winds should be from the east and southeast, maybe at 10-15mph. A bit of a toss-up tomorrow. I honestly don't really know what to expect for migrants if the predicted conditions hold true. Osprey, Harrier?
Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
Along with the usual birds I had one White-Crowned SP at my feeders . My first Catbirds.--A pair of Purple Finches also.Noticeably missing today were my Juncos whose numbers have been slowly deminishing the past wo weeks.A pair of Mockeringbirds showed up couple days ago. Hopefully nesting in the area after a couple year's absence.Marie
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Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 29, 2017 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 0 251 511 Osprey 13 310 310 Bald Eagle 5 35 70 Northern Harrier 2 166 170 Sharp-shinned Hawk 51 472 484 Cooper's Hawk 2 52 60 Northern Goshawk 0 5 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 76 124 Broad-winged Hawk 304 1273 1273 Red-tailed Hawk 4 98 160 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 3 416 417 Merlin 1 41 42 Peregrine Falcon 0 5 6 Unknown Accipiter 0 5 5 Unknown Buteo 1 4 5 Unknown Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 1 1 Unknown Raptor 1 23 27 Total: 387 3236 3675
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter Zane Baker Observers: Asa Paul, Derek Lovitch, John Lorenc, Phil Brown
Visitors:
Today was the start of the two day Feathers Over Freeport event, which brought a lot of people to the park. 38 people came up to the summit for the raptor identification workshop. Weather and birds cooperated as people were able to witness a raptor migration phenomenon known as a kettle, when birds will share a pocket of warm air rising, mixing and swarming around as they gain elevation before setting their wings and gliding to the next thermal. A real sight to see. I received a lot of help today, including from a young birder named Asa, who picked out a few raptors I may have missed otherwise. Thanks to everyone who came out today, I really had a lot of fun.
Weather:
I wouldn't mind a few more days similar to today. High cloud cover stuck around for most of the day, with a few periods of sun. Temperatures were comfortably warm, reaching into the seventies. A relatively warm southwest breeze picked up for most of the morning, then switching to a more west southwest direction, and becoming quite strong by the end of the day. Visibility was very good today, becoming excellent just after noon. I could clearly read the Mobile gas station sign which is more than seven miles away in Yarmouth. During the final hour of the count some very interesting Lenticular clouds formed over the tops of Cumulus.
Raptor Observations:
Today was a really fun and exciting day for raptors. One of our higher count days this season. The first hour started a little slow with mostly Sharp-shinned Hawks moving. By the second hour though Broad-winged Hawks started coming through in kettles of 50-70 birds. With my clicker strapped to my binoculars, I ticked off dozens and dozens of "Wings" as quickly as possible, being careful to cull through the groups for any impostors. On occasion something else would mix in, like a pair of Turkey Vultures, who were just making sure I was paying attention. I was hoping winds would die down at the end of the day in hopes of seeing an often talked about occurrence referred to as the late day Falcon flight. We sometimes have a push of Falcons late in the day when conditions are right and that often is one of my favorite parts of hawkwatching, when the park has mostly cleared out and the sun is low in the sky. The wind was still too strong at day's end.
Non-raptor Observations:
A couple more new arrivals showed up today, including an Ovenbird and Solitary Sandpiper. Migrants today included: 34 Blackbird spp. 24 Double-crested Cormorants 21 Common Grackles 14 Tree Swallows 12 Blue Jays 8 Purple Finches 6 Barn Swallows 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds 3 American Golfinches 3 Solitary Sandpipers 1 Common Loon
Predictions:
Tomorrow looks to be a little cooler than today with highs in the 50s. Partly cloudy skies in the am should become mostly cloudy by the afternoon. Winds could be less than ideal out of the north-northwest, possibly becoming variable later in the day. Current predictions have wind speeds remaining low for most of the day. Light northerly winds are not the worst forecast, but it may not produce the numbers seen today. At this time in the season with more birds still needing to get to their territory, who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised by tomorrow. Like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get. Yes, I just made a Forrest Gump reference.
Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
Greeted by a harsh rattle high overhead in the oaks - FOY Baltimore Oriole. Earlier than the norm here by 5 days. Sharon in West K.
From: Derek and Jeannette Lovitch <freeportwildbird@yahoo.com>
Date: April 28, 2017 at 6:19:05 PM EDT
Subject: Additional Highlights This Week and New Arrivals, 4/22-28.
Reply-To: Derek and Jeannette Lovitch <freeportwildbird@yahoo.com>
Hi all,Some more observations of note from me over the past seven days included:~74 mixed scaup at Wharton Point, Brunswick on 4/22 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group) diminished to 21 Greater Scaup and 9 Lesser Scaup on 4/25 through 4/26.- 250+ Palm Warblers, 200+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Rusty Blackbirds, 1 drake Gadwall, 1 pair Blue-winged Teal, etc, etc, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/24 (with Jeannette).- 1 drake Northern Shoveler and 1 Fish Crow, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 4/24.- 1 drake Gadwall, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 4/24.- 150+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, 100+ Palm Warblers, 1 Fish Crow, etc, Florida Lake Park, 4/25 (with Jeannette).- 1 continuing TRICOLORED HERON, Rossmore Road/Wharton Point, Brunswick, 4/26.And my other personal "FOY's" this week were as follows:- 1 Blue-headed Vireo, Florida Lake Park, 4/24.- 9 Willets, Scarborough Marsh, 4/24.- 24 Glossy Ibis, Scarborough Marsh, 4/24.- 2 Little Blue Herons, Pelreco Marsh, 4/24.- 1 Black-bellied Plover, Pine Point, Scarborough, 4/24.- 1 Eastern Towhee, feeders here at the store, 4/26.- 2 House Wrens, Biddeford Pool neighborhood, 4/27.I summarized some of the recent sightings from the region, discussed the Catharus thrush from yesterday, and took a look at the weather pattern of the last few days on my blog, here:And don't forget about Feathers Over Freeport this weekend, with two full days of events for the whole family and birders of all levels of interest. For the complete schedule of the event, free with park entry, see:-Derek*****************************************Derek and Jeannette LovitchFreeport Wild Bird Supply541 Route One, Suite 10Freeport, ME 04032207-865-6000****************************************
Yesterday, our barn swallows swooped into the garage. This morning the catbird is here. I'm guessing the hummingbirds are back because they always arrive with the catbirds. I will be glued to the feeder all day in anticipation. Love this time of year!
Linda D. Scotland
PO Box 248
Cape Neddick, ME 03902
(207) 363-5377/752-1131
lds@maine.rr.com
Still present at 4:30. Spotted on far side of old tennis courts nearer historic buildings.
Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 28, 2017 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 0 251 511 Osprey 5 297 297 Bald Eagle 2 30 65 Northern Harrier 2 164 168 Sharp-shinned Hawk 28 421 433 Cooper's Hawk 2 50 58 Northern Goshawk 0 5 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 76 124 Broad-winged Hawk 81 969 969 Red-tailed Hawk 2 94 156 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 12 413 414 Merlin 8 40 41 Peregrine Falcon 1 5 6 Unknown Accipiter 1 5 5 Unknown Buteo 0 3 4 Unknown Falcon 1 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 1 1 Unknown Raptor 1 22 26 Total: 146 2849 3288
Observation start time: 10:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours Official Counter Zane Baker Observers: Dave Gulick
Visitors:
17 people stopped to say hello today, including a few people who stuck around to help me spot. We were treated to some nice views, as birds came through low and close.
Weather:
It was slightly disappointing to show up to the mountain, only to realize, there was no mountain. Once again, dense fog cloaked the area delaying the start. By noon, visibility had increased enough to start searching for birds. It took about an hour for the fog to recede back to the coastline though. The view on a horizontal plane was diminished, but unlimited looking straight up. Partly cloudy skies provided contrast for observing eyes. Winds remained light up until the final hour, when an onshore southeasterly breeze picked up. Temperatures were warm, borderline hot in the sun.
Raptor Observations:
Birds were perched and at the ready when the fog lifted. A pretty nice, diverse group of birds today. Something about today's conditions sure seemed to grab the attention of Merlins, matching the previous highest day count for the species this season. Another Peregrine Falcon came by at about eye level today. Judging by the distorted shape of the bird, it was clear it had recently found a snack to hold it over for the evening. I guess the old adage about swimming a half hour after eating doesn't apply to flying.
Non-raptor Observations:
Today saw a couple of new arrivals to the summit. Our first Fish Crow seen and heard from the summit called as it flew overhead. Also a Black-and-white Warbler vocalized from the nearby trees. More Tree Swallows were seen than were tallied today, due in part to dropping the Swallow count for raptors passing by. Estimates are probably closer to 100-125 for Tree Swallows. Northbound birds officially tallied included:
504 Double-Crested Cormorants
55 Tree Swallows
13 Blackbird species
9 Yellow-rumped Warblers
5 Great Blue Herons
4 Barn Swallows
1 Purple Finch
Predictions:
Clouds and some possible showers early should clear out by the afternoon. Temperatures could get into the 70s. Wind speeds may increase as the day progresses, but it should be a tail wind for the birds, coming mostly from the south and southwest. I think there may actually be some birds in the air tomorrow for the Feather Over Freeport event.
Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
The WHITE-EYED VIREO was in the same area at 1:40pm. I also spotted a
slightly early male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. The gathering of gulls and
eiders in the cove was fun to watch, and included at least 9 adult
LAUGHING GULLS and 2 immature ICELAND GULLS.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36311215
Best,
Josh
Inspiring Nature Connection in New England
joshfecteau.com | patreon.com/JoshFecteau
For all you Yorkies: there is a beautiful little Palm Warbler singing his heart out at Hannaford.
Sent from my iPhone
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