[texbirds] Smith Point Hawk Watch today, 30 dark broad-wings, 3,000 hawks, pine siskin and a white-crowned sparrow and a question

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 20:12:29 -0500

I had headed for the hawk watch about 5:30 yesterday morning but had to
pass with 1 flat tire and 1 half flat. Nice tire people promised quick job
that took about 5 hours including losing the car twice. Did have a caracara
at the site hunting rock pigeons apparently successful over the building as
feathers blew back into the open.
Got down to the point while it was still dark and found an 8th great horned
owl set in the nearby environs. Had to wait for some light at Robbins Park
and a few shorebirds and American pipits were about all. The oyster plant
remains idle and there is nothing to scavenge. Heading back in found
numbers of nelson's and seaside sparrows although the prime grass is not
quite in seed.

Hawks were a little early getting up and then kept moving during the day.
Almost all were out there in the speck and mote ranges and one really
needed a scope to count them. Basically every kettle had a couple or more
dark broad-wings with the total of 30 dark birds to 2,700 total broadies.
Several groups had multiple birds and one of the last groups of the
afternoon had 6 which were actually visible in great light and banked
perfectly for checking. A dark bird ended my day as it passed by looking
for a roost site.

There were still a few dickcissel and only a couple of gnatcatchers for the
usual land bird migrants. Swallows were scarce and feeding until late when
there was a spurt of migrating birds including a few bank swallows but most
birds for the day were rough-wings.

A couple of spurts of warblers in front of the tower included prairie,
black-throated green and Nashville.

The land bird of the day was the pine siskin that zree-ed over showing its
wing patch which was my earliest fall bird ever. I think that I have had my
first of fall siskin every year at the tower with them ever earlier and in
every case well before the first goldfinch for the season.

Eastern phoebe accumulated during the day and when I left I had 15 birds
between the parking lot and the main road to town. One used my car as a
perch which made up for the flat tires.

There were several large flocks of white ibis but only a single stork and a
few anhingas that were in a great hurry. Only a couple of kestrels but no
peregrine or merlin or osprey made for an odd hawk list. Red-tailed hawks
are not arriving yet either nor are the large accipiters which have passed
Iowa on the way here this year.

Tony really had to work today with the birds doing lots of kettling,
re-kettling and switching directions way out there and for a good bit of
the day lost in a clear blue sky. Later in the day some clouds made it
possible to find birds.

The last 2 days really are amazing for the broad-wing numbers this late in
the season and even more for the extra-ordinary numbers of dark birds. I
saw more in a single kettle today than I ever had in a season in the past.

Does anyone have any suggestion as to how these birds got here as they
normally pass further to the west. I note that Martin Reed had 8 dark birds
on Saturday in a flock of 35,000 broad-wings.


-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


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[texbirds] Smith Point Hawk Watch today, 30 dark broad-wings, 3,000 hawks, pine siskin and a white-crowned sparrow and a question

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