Candler Mountain
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2018
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 1 61 61
Bald Eagle 0 29 29
Northern Harrier 1 4 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 39 39
Cooper's Hawk 0 7 7
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 3 3
Broad-winged Hawk 1504 9902 9902
Red-tailed Hawk 0 3 3
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 2 35 35
Merlin 0 2 2
Peregrine Falcon 0 3 3
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Mississippi Kite 0 1 1
Total: 1509 10089 10089
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Caitlin Hofmann, Gene Sattler
Observers: Caitlin Hofmann, Logan Moran
Weather:
Overcast with a light NE breeze that weakened after the first hour, then
shifted to ESE in 1 PM EST hour and SE the last two hours as the clouds
also thickened. High of 71 degrees F.
Raptor Observations:
A light steady flight the first four and a half hours with single digit BW
numbers and occasional groups of 15-40. With the light tail wind and lack
of sun, birds were spending a good amount of time kettling. Birds were
divided on both sides of the ridge, often quite distant with kettles
sometimes disappearing in the haze. A larger burst of birds came through
from 2:30-3:30 PM EST, predominantly to the north, but with the largest
string of about 550 birds passing close by on the south crest of the ridge
in three groups. and rekettling just behind us. For the next half hour
numbers tapered off, and no birds were recorded the last hour of
observation as the clouds thickened. Altitude of birds was relatively high
all day. Hourly count of Broadwings: 67, 40, 86, 55, 890, 366, 0.
Non-raptor Observations:
DC Cormorant - 2
RB Nuthatch - 1
Blue Jay - 120
Predictions:
Another good push of birds, especially in the latter part of the day before
flight conditions deteriorated, suggests tomorrow has the potential to
offer a significant number of birds yet, so we will be out again extending
our coverage a little longer.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Gene Sattler (edsattle@xxxxxxxxxxx)
More site information at hawkcount.org:
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=487
