OK, things are really starting to roll! On 7/24, Sue Ridd and I speculated
that things may have almost doubled from the previous count of 3650, but we
were too late to do an estimate. On 7/25, there was a definite decrease
from the day before, but then last night (7/26) my estimate of total birds
aloft at 8:23 was 7,000-9,000 aloft and the final tally was 7,200. We think
that some birds may head to the Pamunkey River roost when the raptors are
really active, but this is hard to put a number on. Two counters in
different locations only differed by 200 birds on 7/25. On 7/25 there were
1 American Kestrel, 1 Cooper's Hawk, and 1-2 Red-tailed hawks, and no
Peregrines. On 7/26, there were multiple Peregrine Falcon flights. 7/25
was very windy, and both nights the Martins were landing on the wires with
the European starlings. Counts are as follows with wave totals and
approximate times:
7/25: Kestrel flying @ 7:45, First wave (8:29) in and back out due to RT
hawk, (8:31) 3000, 500, 300, Cooper's hawk left area, (8:37) 100, TOTAL 3900
7/26: (7:45) many martins on wires, (8:12) estimated 5000 martins aloft,
then 7000 aloft, 8:23 estimated 8000-9000 aloft (they just kept streaming in
from as far as one could see), still no raptors. (8:26) I am hearing
predator alerts from the martins in the air (this is new) and the first
Peregrine is on the Monroe building. (8:26) 1000, (8:30) 900, two
Peregrines on Monroe Bldg., 700, 1400,100, 600, 200, (8:35) 100, 300, 300,
(8:37) two Peregrine flights, (8:42) estimated 2000 martins still aloft and
making a tight black ball at times, (8:45) 1600 come in. TOTAL 7200.
