Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Paul Vanderhoof
Visitors: 50-60 hikers and bikers, plus 70 "energetic" children and their teachers from Briggs Elementary School in Ashburnham who hiked up and back.
We got to talk a little bit with our friends Sunny, Bob Young and Barbara Hager.
Weather: An unseasonably warm day (62-73F) with a noticeable haze line in the sky (approx 4000 ft.) due to a temperature inversion. Moderate (5-10 mph) W to WSW winds, and a very high cloud layer that was thick enough at times to cast noticeable shadows on the ground. The haze was thick enough to only let us see outlines of Mt Grace and the Uncanoonucs, and to completely hide Boston, Mt Greylock and the VT mountains. The haze eased up a bit in the early afternoon.
Raptor Observations: The temperature inversion and WSW winds seemed to keep the birds flying low today. Eric and Paul V were up at the summit and only counted 6 migrating birds (5 TV and 1 UB), while Bill was down at the North Rd overlook and counted 36. There was no overlap in the sightings - none of the Bald Eagles that Bill counted ever rose high enough to be seen from the summit.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 8 (1 from the summit) Bald Eagle - 4 (2 Ad, 2 Imm) Cooper's Hawk - 1 (summit) Red-tail - 4 (2 from summit)
Non-raptor Observations: Snow Bunting - 1 (at summit for just an instant - too much noise from all the school kids) Canada Goose - 10 DC Cormorant - 1 Comm Loon - 1 Blue Jay - 1 Amer Crow - 20 (all headed west) Comm Raven - 4 (1 at summit) Chickadee - 2 (at summit) T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 1 (at summit) Pileated WP - 1 Downy WP - 1 Red-bellied WP - 1 GC Kinglet - 1 DE Junco - 11 (at summit) Amer Goldfinch - 1 Purple Finch - 1
Predictions: We won't conduct a watch on Friday - early morning rain, then warm humid air with strong SW winds the rest of the day. Saturday and Sunday look good with seasonable temps and moderate N to NNW winds both days.
The auto road has closed for the season. Hiking and bicycling are the only ways up. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
