Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Caroline Fegley
Observers: Tom Momeyer
Visitors: 135 including several students from Keene State College guided by Nikko. Many visitors such as Candace Berlotti and Greg Harris from Cambridge, MA were eager to let me ramble about hawkwatching history and migration tactics. Thanks for giving me somewhere to funnel my espresso-bean-fueled energy.
Weather: Strong W/NW winds. Many gusts making it difficult to steady binoculars and the scope. Great opportunities to teach visitors about lenticular clouds. 3-10 C (37-50 F)
Raptor Observations: Where oh where did the raptors go? Scanning high, scoping low. Raptors, raptors, I cannot see, I fear they hide in the spruce trees. Where oh where did the raptors- "whoa!" "What's that bird in front I see?" "A peregrine, oh!" Almost snuck past me!
Many raptors above eye level, including a goshawk and juvenile peregrine, were pushed off the ridge by the strong winds. Many small raptors that we'd expect to have seen must have snuck too low to detect. This fear was further solidified by the fact that all three sharp-shinned hawks and a juvenile harrier popped out from below the hawkwatch towards Gina the owl. Great species diversity.
Predictions: Sunny! More WNW/NW winds to bring in the golden eagles.
On this day in Pack history... "2020:The Merlin single-day record is set during a most excellent Big Sit! 41 total species recorded. Levi Burford: ""I guess one could say this was a good day! According to Katrina, this was the best one day flight in October in the history of the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory (this is the 16th season). We set a new Sharp-shinned Hawk One-day High today with 123 Sharpies migrating by the watch. The count was one more bird than the Sharpie flight on October 4, 2006.
We should also mention that today was the largest Merlin flight that we have had at Pack as well. Today's count of 17 Merlin was one more than the count on October 8, 2013.
None of this would've been possible if we hadn't arrived at 6:30 this morning for today's Big Sit! Falcons were already flying when we arrived. We tallied 35 birds before the normal start time of 9am (8 EST). How many days like this do we show up for 9? Probably not that many but it made us wonder..."" ======================================================================== Report submitted by Caroline Fegley (<cgfegley...>) Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory information may be found at: www.harriscenter.org
