[bcbirdclub] Mendota Fire Tower (25 Sep 2017) 66 Raptors

  • From: reports@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2017 16:09:23 -0800

Mendota Fire Tower
Mendota, VA, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2017
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       0              6              6
Bald Eagle                   1              8              8
Northern Harrier             0              3              3
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1             13             13
Cooper's Hawk                0              8              8
Northern Goshawk             0              4              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk           62           7355           7355
Red-tailed Hawk              1              8              8
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             0              3              3
Merlin                       0              2              2
Peregrine Falcon             0              1              1
Unknown Accipiter            1              3              3
Unknown Buteo                0              1              1
Unknown Falcon               0              1              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                      66           7420           7420
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 08:30:00 
Observation end   time: 15:30:00 
Total observation time: 7 hours

Official Counter:        Ron Harrington

Observers:        Sam Evans

Visitors:
Lynn and Paulette Byrd of Kingsport, TN; and Judy Moore of Hilton Head, SC.


Weather:
Another warm day with partly cloudy skies. In the morning there was a thin,
high layer of clouds but the sun burned through by 10:00.Then it remained
partly cloudy the rest of the day with nice light, wispy clouds as a
backdrop. Temperature ranged from a low of 65F to a high in the low 80s.
Winds were out of the East early at about 10-15 mph then light and
variable. Visibility was 15-20 miles with light haze. 

Raptor Observations:
The first Broad-winged hawks came by at 8:43 (EST). They were mostly in
small groups. The largest group was 10 birds. In the morning they were
fairly easy to see but they got up very high in the afternoon. Fifty two of
the sixty two we counted passed the tower between 10:00 and 12:00. Very
slow in the afternoon. The Bald Eagle was an adult. We left at 3:30. 

Non-raptor Observations:
Usual parade of vultures. Saw Juncos, Bluejays, a Black-throated Blue
Warbler, Chimney Swifts, Ravens. Counted 3 Monarchs. 

Predictions:
Similar weather predicted. Broad-winged hawks are see being seen in fairly
good numbers up the line (e.g. Harvey's Knob NE of Roanoke had 752
yesterday; and Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro had 300 today and 1011
yesterday). We may get a spike later this week if the predicted cold front
moves through. 
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ronald Eugene Harrington (roneharrin@xxxxxxx)


More site information at hawkcount.org:  
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=706


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