Due to DST we are now counting 09:30-05:30 for the rest of the season. For
those folks who follow along at Hawkcount.org don't get fooled by the
incorrect times of the count shown there.
Official Counter
Adam Bradley
Total observation time
9.53 hrs (134.78)
Observers
Don Pote
Nick Bolgiano
Peggy Wagoner
Weather
SW winds to start the morning at 19kph. By 10:00 they had shifted to the
west and eventually WNW peaking at 38kph at 14:00. Visibility was good for
most of the count at 12km. Almost no clouds at the beginning of the count,
but by 10:00 they started drifting in from the W. This provided good
conditions for scanning. By noon though they had all drifted over Tussey
Mountain and evaporated over Stone Valley. Low temperature of -3C at 07:30
and a high of 10C by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 1 (80) BE 2 (35) SS 1 (7) RS 1 (18) RT 1 (34) GE 3 (76) Total 9 (273)
GE A 09:55, J 09:55, A 12:53
Another slow flight falling just short of reaching double digits. With DST
kicking in I arrived a hour too early. I was treated by locating a roosting
adult GE down on Leading Ridge. I got to watch it for 1.5 hours walking
along a thick branch in a snag. It was taking turns warming its back in the
rising sun, then switching to warm its breast feathers. Occasionally it
preened its feathers and seemed to take an interest in what was going on in
the forest below its perch. Two CORA were perched a safe distance away and
seemed interested in what the GE was up to. Eventually out of the corner of
my eye I spotted a nice-looking juvenile GE flapping S before losing it
behind Leading Ridge. At the end of the 09:00 hour the resident RTHA was
taking swipes at something and it ended up being the juvenile which was
trying to get a little lift off Leading Ridge. It worked hard, flapping
more than soaring. It eventually did gain altitude climbing slowly up the
ridge. Eventually when it gained enough altitude to be above the adult GE,
it too took off following the juvenile up the ridge. It eventually broke
off and used powered flight to fly NE down Stone Valley. The juvenile
flapped up the gap and I lost it behind the trees. This made me realize
what the migrating raptors have been up against with cold air in place
since 6 March and strong NW winds.
Don Pote located our resident SSHA flying south over the gap a little
before noon. He later located our resident COHA soaring out to the north
side of the ridge heading south as well.
Non-raptor Notes
Canada Goose 255
Mourning Dove 3
Killdeer 3
Ring-billed Gull 117
American Herring Gull 2
Black Vulture 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 8
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 1
Eastern Bluebird 3
American Robin 10
American Pipit 2
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Rusty Blackbird 17
Visitors
Thanks to Don Pote for coming out for the day and helping scan for
migrants. Jeff Peters a member of the State College Birding Club joined us
in the morning as well. Jim Ruth and Stacie Bird were up in the afternoon
when the winds were getting pretty strong. Later in the afternoon Peggy
Wagoner came out to help scan. Unfortunately, she didn’t locate any
migrating raptors. That speaks to how slow the flight has been these last
few days. If anyone can find a sky-high bird trying to sneak by on a
non-traditional flight line it is her.
Don Pote
Nick Bolgiano
Jeff Peters
Peggy Wagoner
Jim Ruth & Stacie Bird
13 hikers
Next Day Forecast
Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the
afternoon.
Nick mentioned that most likely the biggest days of the season for GE’s
will be this coming Wednesday and Thursday. Also, due to DST we are now
counting 09:30-05:30 for the rest of the season.
