Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 01, 2011
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 94 94 1253
Bald Eagle 11 11 129
Northern Harrier 36 36 174
Sharp-shinned Hawk 308 308 4449
Cooper's Hawk 85 85 753
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 1
Broad-winged Hawk 34 34 330
Red-tailed Hawk 2 2 47
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 1
American Kestrel 268 268 2320
Merlin 52 52 759
Peregrine Falcon 17 17 330
Unknown Accipiter 1 1 15
Unknown Buteo 0 0 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 5 5 13
Unknown Raptor 1 1 20
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Total: 914 914 10596
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Observation start time: 06:30:00
Observation end time: 17:45:00
Total observation time: 11.25 hours
Official Counter: Kyle Wright, Lynn Davidson
Observers:
Weather:
Much cooler temperatures on the back side of a cold front, with the high
today being 18.1c. Winds mostly from the northwest.
Raptor Observations:
Not quite the flight some of us had been hoping for, with a number of
backwards birds headed north into the nortwest winds, but a nice late
afternoon/early evening falcon flight none the less, and as Scarlett O'hara
said "Tomorrow is another day"...
Non-raptor Observations:
How to put egg on your hawkcounter's face: and easy recipe anyone can
follow at home. Send a long tailed bird high overhead at about 8:13 bird
time headed southwest and not stopping, making sure the lighting is such
that the head looks entierly pale. Wait for your hawkcounter to call it a
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, then send someone up to the platform stating
that a Fork-tailed Flycatcher had just been seen at the park's entrance.
In other (less exciting) news, 8 Monarch Flutterbys were seen today, and
at least 14 Great Blue Herons were noted headed south. Also, seemed like a
number of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were heard this morning, but not the
passerine flight some of us had been hoping for either.
Predictions:
West winds and cooler temperatures for the next few days as a stong low
pushes off the coast of New England. Should hopefully keep southbound birds
on the coast, but may push birds east of the platform.
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Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
