[texbirds] GCBO Smith Point HW, 3 Nov

From: Tony leukering <greatgrayowl@xxxxxxx>
To: Texbirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Tamie Bulow <Sk8inginfo@xxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2012 17:03:29 -0500
Hi all:

Ah, the season is certainly winding down.  The SE winds that encouraged so many 
Sharpies to cross East Bay in the first week of October, had very few takers 
today.  No doubt that was due to the paucity of Sharpies still migrating at 
this late date.  Additionally, the Turkey Vultures just toyed with Joe K. and 
me, never making anything like a serious run at water crossing.  However, one 
vulture kettle did support one of the runners-up for BOD honors, three 
Swainson's Hawks (2 light/intermediate juvs and a dark bird that was probably a 
juv), 2 or 3 of which continued west when the TVs hooked east.

The other runner-up for BOD, was a juv Krider's Red-tailed Hawk that looked 
like it might come all the way to the tower, but turned east still well out in 
front, allowing IDable pix, but not good ones.

Three flocks of Sandhill Cranes totaled 42 birds, while 11 flocks of Am. White 
Pelicans numbered 147 birds.  The goose show was poorish:  flocks of 10 and 42 
Gr. White-fronteds and a flock of 18 Snows of which 10 were Blues.  Ducks, 
however, put on a good show, though most of them could have been a lot closer!  
Five distant flocks of Aythya bay ducks totaled 322 birds, including a flock of 
about 160.  Three flocks of Aythyas flew close enough to ID; all 37 birds were 
Ring-neckeds.  Flocks of 7 and 8 Northern Shovelers went by, the latter flock 
having two slightly smaller hitch-hikers that went down as dabbler sp.

The shrimpers were out in force today, so my numbers of the three typical 
clicker waterbird species, Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, and Royal Tern, were 
way up.  Also, both Ring-billed and Herring Gull numbers spiked, with the 
latter species being found in the first flocks this fall numbering greater than 
two:  4 & 10.

Bird of the Day:  A bit past 3:30, after not having counted a raptor for 1.5 
hours and having totaled the data sheet figuring I was done with any actual 
counting for the day, a Blue Jack (adult male Merlin) whipped by in front 
heading west!  What a beast!

Raptors counted (count conducted by Gulf Coast Bird Observatory):

Northern Harrier 9 (2 ad m, 1 ad f, 4 brown, 2 juv)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7
Cooper's Hawk 6
Swainson's Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 2 (1m, 1f)
Merlin 1
Total 29

The forecast is looking good for early next week, particularly Tuesday.

Later,

Tony

Tony Leukering
Smith Point, TXEdit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at 
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[texbirds] GCBO Smith Point HW, 3 Nov

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