Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 12, 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 0 20 2014
Bald Eagle 0 19 288
Northern Harrier 4 51 507
Sharp-shinned Hawk 9 306 9705
Cooper's Hawk 0 79 1989
Northern Goshawk 0 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 26 46
Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 1338
Red-tailed Hawk 1 128 346
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 4 5
American Kestrel 0 29 4085
Merlin 1 15 1415
Peregrine Falcon 2 11 765
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 19
Unknown Buteo 0 0 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 2 22
Unknown Raptor 0 1 49
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 2
Total: 18 696 22600
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Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Kyle Wright, Lynn Davidson
Observers:
Weather:
Light west winds and a painfully blue sky.
Raptor Observations:
Most birds well to the east of the platform, including a northbound golden
eagle who caused some debate over the site's protocol and countability of a
unique bird we know not to have been counted before (or since?) this
season. (As of now, the bird was not counted.) Of course, such a unique
bird in a species whose plumage progression from juvenile to definitive is
so poorly misunderstood (a double negatvie for anyone out there with an ego
who choses not to read between the lines) requires a few sentences of Kyle
babble, right? The bird had little visible white in the wing, but copius
amounts of white in a fully fanned tail, alowing us to see that no tail
feathers had been repaced by definitive type feathers, something we should
have expected to happen had the bird been a sub adult of sorts. At the same
time, there were distinct "tawny bars" on the upperwing, a trait most field
guides would associate with a subadult bird, and something advacned field
guides would indicate is molted in during the bird's first (incomplete)
prebasic molt, in the bird's first summer. This is a field mark I
personally detest almost as much as aging a goldie by the color of the
nape, especially in the spring when the juvenile plumage can become quite
worn and faded, and things that look like a field guide's "tawny bars" can
appear on a 9 month old bird that has not replaced a single feather since
leaving the nest. To see such prominent tawny bars on a fall bird who had
not started replacing tail feathers was quite disturbing. They just don't
read the same books we do, or don't follow the rules all the time.
Non-raptor Observations:
The season's first Tundra Swans from the platform (though I'm told they've
been heard overnight from the park for a few days now). Three groups of the
giant white things, totaling 42, 13, and 3 individuals. Also at least two
Rusty Blackbirds heard. Between eight and ten, 2,000 American Robins and
990 Cedar Waxwings were counted headed south. Another decent movement of
icterids, Eastern Bluebirds, and American Pipits were seen and heard but
not counted. Seven Common Loons seen headed west over the penninsula. Also
a mini seawatch on the bay conducted by Harry Armistead, with 44 southbound
loons presumed to be mostly Red-throated, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead,
Scotters of sorts, and of course Northern Gannets. Also two Monnarch
flutterbys.
Predictions:
South winds through at least Tuesday will make for a cranky hawkcounter
through at least Tuesday.
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Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
