[Bristol-Birds] hawk flight good at Mendota and throught the East
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "TN-birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:45:21 -0400
Hey Birders:
If you haven't had a chance to get out hawk watching, then you had better hustle
to Mendota Lookout as soon as possible and join Ron Harrington and others
as they watch the flight of fall hawks soar past.
The count, coordinated at Mendota by the Bristol Bird Club, is about 600 birds
above this same date last year. Hawk lookouts throughout the country are
counting increased numbers but this may be the results of an earlier movement
than last year.
Hawk watching at Mendota has been conducted for nearly 60 years. It is the
south's oldest and longest running count.
Our friends at Rockfish Gap on the Blue Ridge crest at Waynesboro, Va Sunday
had a passage in excess of 6,000 hawks. They set the 4th highest single day
record in the history of Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, dating back to 1976.
Many observers along the Blue Ridge spine in Virginia actually feel the flight
is
floating east of their lookouts. Nevertheless, the flight is good at Mendota
west of Bristol Virginia. The gang at Mendoat had nearly 600 birds Tuesday
(9/17). Some indication of a slight;y easterly dift might be seen in the
Caesars Head Hawk Watch, SC which had 1,276 Tuesday while
Harvey's Knob at Roanoke, VA had 4,111.
Here is a sampling of a few of the hawk migration count sites (year-to-date)
reporting thru 9/18/07:
Veracruz River 277,733 9/17/07 Cardel, Veracruz,
Mexico
Lake Erie Metropark 81,230 9/18/07 Brownstown, MI
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch 48,112 9/15/07 Port Stanley, Ontario,
Canada
Scotts Mountain 18,286 9/18/07 Merrill Creek,
NJ
Rockfish Gap 9,122 9/17/07 Waynesboro, VA
Harvey's Knob 7,641 9/18/07 Roanoke, VA
Hawk Mountain 7,487 9/18/07 Kempton, PA
Waggoner's Gap 7,226 9/189/07 w of Harrisburg, PA
Snickers Gap 6,790 9/18/07 West of
Leesburg, VA
Militia Hill 5,057 9/18/07 North
of Philadelphia, PA
Raccoon Ridge 4,414 9/18/07 Blairstown, NJ
Cape May 3,860 9/18/07 Cape May
Point, NJ
Wildcat Ridge 3,721 9/18/07 Hibernia, NJ
Chestnut Hill 3,516 9/18/07 Litchfield,
CT
Mendota Hawk Watch 3,254 9/18/07 west of Bristol, VA
Allegheny Front 3,220 9/15/07 Central City, PA
Mahogany Rock 3,192 9/18/07 Sparta, NC
Second Mountain 2,721 9/18/07 Ft. Indiantown
Gap, PA
Shatterack Mnt. 2,569 9/18/07 Russell, MA
Mount Pisgah 2,192 9/18/07 Asheville, NC
Stone Mt. 1,181 9/18/07 Allensville,
PA
Candler Mountain 1,918 9/17/07 Lynchburg, VA
Caesars Head 1,903 9/18/07 Casesar Head, SC
Washington Monument SP 1,400 9/18/07 Boonsboro, MD
Cromwell Park 794 9/17/07 Baltimore, MD
Turkey Point 619 9/17/07 Chesapeake
Bay, MD
Hanging Rock 455 9/15/07 Waiteville, W VA
Pilot Mountain 349 9/17/07 Surry County,
NC
Kittatinny Mountain 193 9/12/07 Kittainny Mnt, NJ
Soddy Mountain 155 9/16/07 Soddy Daisy, TN
Big Bald Mnt. N/A 9/18/07 Wolfe Laurel,
NC
Bullhead Mnt. N/A 9/18/07 Sparta, NC
State Line N/A 9/18/07 Alpine, NJ
Summitville N/A 9/18/07 Summitville,
NY
Don't forget to join Ron Harrington and other area birders at the
Mendota Hawk Watch which is held at the Mendota Fire Tower
(Elevation 3020) on Clinch Mountain, which sits on the
Washington/Russell Counties line, three miles north of Mendota, VA.
Come join the fun. No experience is necessary. OJT is provided.
And remember to attend the Mendota Hawk Festival, Saturday,
September 22, 2007. Start your day off with a good country breakfast,
then enjoy arts and crafts, displays, music, and nature displays.
Members of the Bristol Bird will be at the Mendota Fire Tower
keeping the count and greeting folks who want to learn more
about hawk watching. We will also have a booth on the grounds.
The festival is located at the Mendota Community Center
(old elementary school) on VA Rt 802.
Larry McDanile will again lead the BBC Mendota hawk
watch field trip set for Sept. 22 on Clinch Mountain. He
may have more details on Bristol-Birds this week.
Let's go birding.....
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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