[texbirds] GCBO Smith Point HW, 20 Sep

From: Tony Leukering <greatgrayowl@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Sk8inginfo@xxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:31:03 -0400 (EDT)
Hi all:

The Smith Point Hawkwatch is conducted by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory 
(http://gcbo.org).

Another light-wind, blue-sky day made for a good start, but nearly no 
continuation, as most everything got up into the stratusphere.  But, we tallied 
another 120 Mississippi Kites (Joe K.'s rationale is probably at least partly 
correct for the continued later-and-laterness of the species going south 
through here).  Sharp-shinned Hawks trounced Cooper's today, for whatever 
reason(s).  Broad-winged Hawk was nearly a no-show, with only 22 counted; 
pathetic.  Obviously, Smith Point needs a new hawk counter!

I set a new personal record for the S.P. HW today, three species of ducks: 
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Blue-winged Teal, and Northern Pintail.  Woo-hoo!

Raptors counted:

Mississippi Kite 120
Northern Harrier 6 (5 juvs and a lovely adult male, which received Honorable 
Mention in the BOD contest)
Broad-winged Hawk 22 (all juvs)
American Kestrel 14 (2m, 11f, 1u)
Merlin 1

Wow, five species.

I have added more pictures to the Smith Point Hawkwatch Tower set 
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/sets/72157631559437651/), 
including a pic of yesterday's Bird of the Day 
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/8007598427).

Other things of note:

The dragonfly flight was simply incredible this afternoon, with dragons 
everywhere, though not moving en masse, nor in any particular direction, just 
wandering around.  But, they made it difficult to get ones eyeballs to focus 
farther up in the search for sky-high raptors.  There were easily 10s of 1000s 
moving around, with Common Green Darner being far-and-away the most numerous 
species.

White Ibis -- the flight was huge today, with 65 flocks counted going by (I 
lost track of the 66th flock and didn't get a count on it) and, for the first 
time, juveniles outnumbered adults, 395 to 345.
Wood Stork -- four flocks, 68 birds

Bird of the Day:  Though it took me a bit to dredge from the old mental data 
banks what bird made that goofy call, eventually the right neurons fired and, 
eventually, the Groove-billed Ani put on a good show for the 7-8 visitors and 
me.  In the picture that I put in the folder, one can see the eccentric molt 
that the thing is going through 
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/8007600426).

Tony

Tony Leukering

Smith Point, TX
[texbirds] GCBO Smith Point HW, 20 Sep

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