Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 27, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 3 814 1973
Bald Eagle 0 145 263
Northern Harrier 8 267 405
Sharp-shinned Hawk 28 5009 9150
Cooper's Hawk 8 1186 1854
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 16 17
Broad-winged Hawk 0 1039 1335
Red-tailed Hawk 0 135 180
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 1
American Kestrel 8 1969 4021
Merlin 19 682 1389
Peregrine Falcon 7 435 748
Unknown Accipiter 0 4 18
Unknown Buteo 0 1 2
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 10 18
Unknown Raptor 0 29 48
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Total: 81 11741 21423
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Bob Anderson, Kyle Wright
Observers:
Weather:
Some high, milky clouds in the morning, but mostly clear skies with
seasonally warm temperatures, topping out at about 24.2c. Moderate westerly
winds in the morning, gusting to near 20mph, but weakening and shifting to
northwesterly origins by the end of the count period.
Raptor Observations:
Another day of hemming and hawing to figure out which birds to count as
raptors flew up and down the bayside coast on less than ideal winds for the
site, both blowing birds to the seaside of the peninsula and likely
discouraging the birds from crossing the mouth of the bay.
Non-raptor Observations:
Few birds seeming to be around or moving, but decent diversity with
warblers for the 26th and 27th including Palm, Black-throated Green,
Black-throated Blue, Cape May, Blackpoll, and of course Yellow-rumped.
Sparrows seen and/or heard in the same two days from the platform include
Field, Song, Swamp, Lincolns, White-throated, and Chipping. Still Tree and
Rough-winged Swallows moving on a daily basis, with a few Chimney Swifts
also seen, and a handfull of Meadowlarks seen on the move in the mornings.
Also a first of season from the platform Rusty Blackbird heard on the 26th,
though at least one was noted in the park at the songbird banding station a
few days earlier.
Predictions:
This counter is hoping for a nice push of birds (raptors and others alike)
tommorrow with cooler temperatures and north (maybe northeast?) winds
behind tonight's passing cold front.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
