Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 3.58 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Visitors: Only a few hikers at North Rd. Over 100 hikers, bikers and sightseers up on the windy summit. Phrase heard most often from the children on the platform today - "Can we leave now?"
Weather: Another exceptionally warm day for late October wtih temps from 60-69 F. Mostly sunny skies with strong SW winds all day. Winds averaged 8-12 mph with regular gusts over 20 mph and several from 25-30 mph just before I left. Haze continued to hide many of the mountains, especially to the NNW and NW. There was another temperature inversion in the morning, but the haze layer only covered the bottom two-thirds of Mt Monadnock. The humidity dropped preciptiously in the 4 hours that I was there, from 70% to 31%, and the air seemed to clear a bit as that happened. A US govt agency's AirNow website (https://fire.airnow.gov/#3.69/42.57/-61.86) seems to show smoke plumes coming up this way from eastern Texas, Mississippi and Alabama which might explain some of the hazy conditions over the last 3 days.
Raptor Observations: Faced with the strong SW winds and figuring that the earlier birds might want to come up in a more sheltered area, I decided to start the day down at the North Rd overlook which is on the leeward side of the mountain. No luck during the 2 hours that I spent there - not even any locals. Moved to the summit at 10:20 EST and managed to see 3 migrating birds over the course of the next two hours. When the wind gusts began to hit 20+ regularly about 11:30 EST, I wondered if I should keep the watch going. When a gust then hit 30 mph, I said fuhgeddaboudit and hit the road at 12 pm.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 1 Red-tail - 1 Juv
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Blue Jay - 3 Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 2 WB Nuthatch - 2 DE Junco - 1 N Flicker - 1 woodpecker sp - 1 (Sapsucker?)
Predictions: Thursday should be a much better day with the winds shifting to the NNW as a cold front moves through. Winds will average 10-15 mph with the temperatures topping out about 60 F. Partly cloudy skies should give us a good backdrop for seeing the birds. Hopefully the smoke haze will move out.
Please note that for those of you who come in on Rt 2, Rt 140 south from Rt 2 to the Wachusett ski area will be closed Monday through Thursday this week for more repairs. Detour signs will be posted at the usual exit, but it might be quicker if you get off of Route 2 at Exit 94 (Narrows Rd/Depot Rd) instead. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left on Depot Rd and drive 0.8 miles on Depot Rd / Narrows Rd. Turn left onto Stone Hill Rd and drive 0.4 miles. Then turn left onto East Rd and drive 0.9 miles. Turn right on Gatehouse Rd, and drive 0.5 miles to the intersection of Rt 140 (Worcester Rd.) Turn right and then immediately left on Park Rd/Mile High Rd. Proceed as you normally would past the Wachusett Mt ski area and up Mountain Rd to the state park entrance. If you want to get some help from a driving app, the address of the park's Visitor Center is 345 Mountain Rd, Princeton, MA. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
