Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 20, 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 7 768 1927
Bald Eagle 27 110 228
Northern Harrier 1 214 352
Sharp-shinned Hawk 132 4097 8238
Cooper's Hawk 35 940 1608
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 6
Broad-winged Hawk 0 1016 1312
Red-tailed Hawk 3 62 107
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 1
American Kestrel 27 1846 3898
Merlin 57 618 1325
Peregrine Falcon 25 401 714
Unknown Accipiter 0 4 18
Unknown Buteo 0 1 2
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 1 10 18
Unknown Raptor 0 26 45
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Total: 315 10118 19800
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Observation start time: 06:45:00
Observation end time: 16:15:00
Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Kyle Wright
Observers:
Weather:
A stong low over the great lakes and a high moving in from the southeast
all after the passage of a cold front meant cooler temperatures and
moderate winds from the west southwest, gusting to about 30mph throughout
the day.
Raptor Observations:
Either a nice push of Bald Eagles, or the counter today was in a super
liberal mood when it comes to deciphering migrating birds form those just
hanging around. I prefer to think it was the former. 12 of the counted Bald
Eagles were full adult birds, and of the two aged Red-tails today, 100%
were adults.
Non-raptor Observations:
Flying garbage can lids! Other than that, a kind of slow day for non
raptors, with southbound birds including a few hudred swallows and a few
Chimney Swifts, about two dozen flickers, and two Great Blue Herons. Only 5
Monarchs were noted braving today's winds.
Predictions:
Friday should be like today if not a bit better as the low continues to
move north and west winds continue to put birds to the coast, trapping them
on the Delmarva Peninsula. The current forecast for Saturday is for the
winds to shift to a northerly origin... a tail wind for southbound birds,
potentially producing a nice (four digit?) raptor flight... and likely some
songbirds too, including a potential peak of the yellow-rumped warbler
movement, if you're into that kind of thing.
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Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
