Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 05, 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 7 13 2007
Bald Eagle 2 11 280
Northern Harrier 15 37 493
Sharp-shinned Hawk 84 223 9622
Cooper's Hawk 13 45 1955
Northern Goshawk 2 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 7 18 38
Broad-winged Hawk 1 1 1338
Red-tailed Hawk 39 90 308
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 2 3 4
American Kestrel 6 19 4075
Merlin 3 10 1410
Peregrine Falcon 0 6 760
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 18
Unknown Buteo 0 0 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 1 21
Unknown Raptor 0 0 48
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 2
Total: 181 480 22384
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Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Kyle Wright
Observers:
Weather:
Cooller than it's been, with a morning low of 7.5c and an afternoon high of
only 12.4c. Mostly cloudy most of the day, with east and northeast winds,
gusting above 30mph midday.
Raptor Observations:
This is what November hawkwatching is supposed to be like! (Okay, I know it
would only be a mediocre mid October day on a PA ridge site, but, this is
coastal Virginia!) Daily high totals for the season to date for four
species today. Both Golden Eagles were presumed hatch years, though one had
a bit of trailing edge to the wing/feather missing around P1/S1 on one wing
(where one would expect the first prebasic molt to begin), but no visible
break in the white at the base of the remiges (and what an odd time of year
to be starting one's first prebasic molt). Also, three of the seven
'shouldes were adult (definitive plumaged) birds and of twenty aged
red-tails, half had mostly to all (definitive) red tails while the other
ten retained primarily if not all juvenile type remiges. Today's second
counted Bald Eagle was also quite an interesting looking bird, with all
retained juvenile remiges, but a good bit of white mottling on the
underparts and extensive white on the mantel. The brown parts of the bird
were also a bit warn and faded, not the deep chocolaty/only out of the nest
a few months kind of color I'd like to see on a hatch year bird at this
time of year. My conclusion? This was a Florida winter hatched bird
approaching its first birthday, and having started its first prebasic molt
everywhere except the remiges. Of course, many (experts) might argue that
most moving Bald Eagles at this time of year are northeastern summer
breeding birds, but, why try to make a science out of Bald Eagle movements?
The birds will move when they please (especially when too young to have a
breeding territory to stake out).
Non-raptor Observations:
Notable non raptor type birds today included nine Rusty Blackbirds, three
Great Blue Herons, one Red-throated Loon, thirty-seven Common Loons, three
Surf Scotters, and one Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Also six monarch
flutter-bys.
Predictions:
High pressure up and down the east coast, with light east winds predicted
for Sunday and light north winds for Monday. Both days have the potential
for tripple digit flights, but likely not quite as good as today was.
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Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
