Kiptopeke Hawkwatch
Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 30, 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 3 827 1986
Bald Eagle 3 149 267
Northern Harrier 5 314 452
Sharp-shinned Hawk 69 5178 9319
Cooper's Hawk 18 1230 1898
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 3 19 20
Broad-winged Hawk 1 1041 1337
Red-tailed Hawk 34 171 216
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 1
American Kestrel 12 2003 4055
Merlin 0 693 1400
Peregrine Falcon 1 439 752
Unknown Accipiter 0 4 18
Unknown Buteo 1 2 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 12 20
Unknown Raptor 0 29 48
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Total: 150 12111 21793
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Observation start time: 06:45:00
Observation end time: 16:45:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Kyle Wright
Observers:
Weather:
Pseudo high pressure as a nor'easter pushed north over New England. On the
platform, winds from the north and northwest, gusting to above 15mph. A few
clouds in the a.m., but quickly becoming a painfully blue sky. Cool
temperatures, dropping to 5.8c in the morning and reaching an afternoon
high of only 10.9c.
Raptor Observations:
I feel like a broken record when I say this was not the flight I was
expecting or hoping for, and don't want to think about how many high birds
were missed against the blue sky. Birds did get high quickly, and the west
components to the wind make me wonder if there were birds riding down the
seaside and thereby being missed to the east.
Non-raptor Observations:
Heard a Brown Thrasher, which I have not seen or heard in weeks, so thought
that was going to be the bird of the day until someone (I won't mention any
names) showed up and informed me the species winters in the area and to
recalibrate myself from Upstate New York. (I must admit this someone whose
name starts with Ned and ends with ...rinkley also spotted the only
Peregrine of the day, so I can't hold too much of a grudge.) More
meaningful highlights to the day included three Rusty Blackbirds seen (the
first seen for the season, not just heard). Also three Eastern Meadowlark
flyovers. Seven Great Blue Herons were noted, as were one each of Barn and
Rough-winged Swallow mixed in with a few hundred Trees (Swallows, not
plants of course). American Pipits were heard, and the biggest influxes of
the season of Dark-eyed Juncos and Eastern Towhees were seen. Other
sparrows noted included (in no particular order) Field, Savannah, Chipping,
Song, and White-throated. Also two Red-throated Loons and sixty-six Common
Loons.
Predictions:
After today I have givven up on hoping for big flights. A weak low is
moving up from the south, with most models predicting it to remain off the
coast, and some forecasts calling for east winds, which should keep any
birds on the peninsula on the bay side and over the platform. You might
detect a glimmer of hope in the last part of that sentence, but, reread the
first sentence to know how I really feel.
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Report submitted by Brian Taber (Taberzz@xxxxxxx)
Kiptopeke State Park information may be found at:
www.cvwo.org
