Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 14, 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 5 693 1852
Bald Eagle 7 61 179
Northern Harrier 1 179 317
Sharp-shinned Hawk 67 2411 6552
Cooper's Hawk 8 650 1318
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 3 4
Broad-winged Hawk 0 993 1289
Red-tailed Hawk 0 48 93
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 1
American Kestrel 18 1358 3410
Merlin 41 372 1079
Peregrine Falcon 64 285 598
Unknown Accipiter 0 2 16
Unknown Buteo 0 1 2
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 6 14
Unknown Raptor 0 9 28
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Total: 211 7071 16753
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Observation start time: 06:45:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Kyle Wright
Observers:
Weather:
Well, according to the maps the southern end of a cold front passed this
afternoon, with the associated low pushing north over the eastern Great
Lakes. On the platform, however, this was apparently a dry cold front with
no temperature drop. Temperatures were fairly steady throughout the day
between 20.0c and 22.8c. Winds were out of the west and southwest,
regularly gusting above 20mph.
Raptor Observations:
I hate to think about how many birds went by to the east undetected on
today's winds, but there was a steady flight of low birds just about
overhead, presumably riding the updraft off the little burm just behind the
bayside beach. Most noteworty was the flight of Peregrines (the second
highest day count for the season thus far), with over half of the large
falcons being aged. Only 5 were retaining entierly juvenile plumage
(hatched this summer), with another 3 with mostly dark foreheads, mostly
bluegrey backs, and barred (not streaked) bellies, but retaining a few
juvenile middle rectricies, all of this indicating the three were hatched
in 2010. All other aged individuals appeared to be wearing entirely
definitive (adult) plumages.
Non-raptor Observations:
An estimated 2150 Tree Swallows passed over the platform headed south
today, with at least a half dozen Rough-winged Swallows also mixed in, and
most interestingly a late Bank Swallow! Less than 200 individual warblers
were seen, but some nice diversity among them including both versions of
Palm, Black-throated Blue, Blackpoll, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated
Green, and a possible Bay-breasted. Most of the warblers, however, looked
like Yellow-rumpeds, sounded like Yellow-rumpeds, acted like
Yellow-rumpeds, which I think makes them Myrtles.
Predictions:
Continued moderate west winds behind the cold front as the low continues to
move north and a high comes in from the southwest; may make for a nice
morning passerine flight and hopefully a similar if not marginally more
impresive hawk flight to today's.
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Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
