[wisb] FBMP Raptors

From: Thomas Schaefer <schaefertrees@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:09:04 -0500
The wind and sky conditions on Friday and Saturday set up perfectly for an 
outstanding hawk flight.  On Friday we ended up with 442, the bulk consisting 
of both sharp-shinneds (192) and merlins (93).  Bill Mueller mentioned the 
other totals in a post yesterday.  Today I arrived to find Peter, Daryl, Jim, 
and Bob Benning manning the watch.  Walking in I had six sharpies overhead and 
thought that was an auspicious beginning.  It was, as birds streamed by at the 
rate of 2/minute for the day.  As Peter mentioned, the bulk of the birds come 
off the lake at some point north of the site and run down the tree line 
bordering the lakeshore (or THROUGH the tree line) where you invariably lost 
sight of many until they ascended in the far SE corner.  Many of the merlins 
were IDed with only a split-second look of their sickle-shaped wings.

So it was nice to have proof that the platform is obviously placed in a good 
location for viewing raptors.  Prior to the last two days, Seth Cutright and I 
had a "best" day of 94!  I have to hand it to full-time counters like Seth.  I 
don't see how one set of eyes can possibly see everything on a good flight day!

Species totals: (Daryl's numbers included)

Turkey vulture- 69
Bald Eagle- 3
Northern harrier- 10
Sharp-shinned- 292 (exactly 100 better than Friday)
Cooper's- 22
Red-shouldered- 2
Red-tailed- 49
Am. kestrel- 8
Merlin- 156
Peregrine- 3


Tom Schaefer
Hartford
Washington County ####################
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[wisb] FBMP Raptors

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