[texbirds] GCBO Smith Point hawk count, 17 October

From: Tony leukering <greatgrayowl@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 18:31:05 -0500
Hi all:
If only.  Yes, yet another "if only" day.  If only the low (very low) overcast 
had cleared three hours earlier.

Late in the day, after the low overcast had cleared (~2:30 pm), the extensive 
set of mare's-tails cirrus clouds formed a lovely backdrop to the end of what 
was a really good late-season Broad-winged flight.  However, I would put some 
serious moola down that a huge late-season Broad-winged flight would have been 
counted had that overcast cleared by 11:30 am.  As example, twice we heard 
Greater White-fronted Geese overhead, but they were obviously above the cloud 
layer, because we never saw 'em.  (Oddly, the only geese that we saw never 
called.). Also just after 4 pm, I found a speck Osprey (the only countable 
Osprey of the day) just hauling SSW very high overhead.  How many of those did 
we miss because of the low overcast.

The long-staying visitors wish to thank Marcy for, again, leaving so that the 
Bald Eagle could come by.  This one took its time, not arriving until the 3-4 
pm hour.

Scissor-tailed flycatchers went by in okay numbers early, but did not sustain 
the flight.  Yesterday's (presumably) Yellow-billed Cuckoo made a couple of 
appearances scarfing down big, hairy caterpillars.  A Herring Gull and some 
more late Wood Storks were the highlights of a lackluster waterbird flight.

Raptors counted:
Black Vulture - 14
Turkey Vulture - 50
Osprey - 1
Mississippi Kite - 3 (juveniles)
Northern Harrier - 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 96
Cooper's Hawk - 45
Bald Eagle - 1 (juvenile)
Broad-winged Hawk - 1178
Swainson's Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 4
American Kestrel - 47
Merlin - 3 (high count for the year)
Peregrine Falcon - 3
Total - 1451

The forecast weather for tomorrow should be conducive for another good flight.  
However, with the N-ish light winds overnight, you might want to look for 
landbirds first thing.

Enjoy,

Tony

Tony Leukering
Smith Point, TX
http://smithpointhawkwatch.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/
http://www.aba.org/photoquiz/
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at 
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds

Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission 
from the List Owner
[texbirds] GCBO Smith Point hawk count, 17 October

Other related posts:
