Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch State College, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 17, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers: Don Pote
Visitors:
Don Pote put in a solid effort helping make sure nothing slipped by on the N side of the ridge today. It was a cold; blustery day and I admire his commitment to helping out. We did get one GE and as we proceed later into March you begin to wonder which one may be the last for the season. Harriette and Ron Roadman that were on the Golden Eagle Voyage this past weekend stopped by for another visit. They got to take in some of the views this time and see some of our resident raptors.
Don Pote Harriette and Ron Roadman
5 hikers, 3 of which were folks with the Mid-State Trail maintenance crew.
Weather: 28kph NW winds at 09:30 increasing to 33kph by 10:00. Visibility was superb after yesterday’s rain. Mostly cloudy for the entire count, clearing to partly cloudy rapidly by 17:30. 2C at 09:30 and a high of 3C by 11:00. Light snow briefly at the beginning of the count.
Raptor Observations: TV 1 (102) BE 2 (46) RT 4 (111) GE 1 (120) Total 8 (483)
GE A 13:46
NW winds and cooler temps pretty much killed any chance at a decent flight. We did have good conditions to spot migrating raptors, but counted much more reverse birds than northbound migrants. One GE for the day.
Resident birds were quite active, making good use of the NW winds to zip south along the ridge of Tussey Mountain. TUVU were the first raptor of the day moving over Stone Valley at 09:52. A couple migrant RTHA moved through on the N side of the ridge and may have lingered in the gap too long as our resident arrived quickly to escort them away. It then performed an impressive roller coaster display in the cut on the N side of the ridge for good measure. Again at 10:41 two adult RTHA moved south along the ridge before a third adult arrived with legs down.
Non-raptor Observations: Tundra Swan 2 Mourning Dove 4 Black Vulture 1 American Crow 12 Common Raven 1 Black-capped Chickadee 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Eastern Bluebird 1 American Robin 4 House Finch 1 American Goldfinch 1 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 12 Common Grackle 1
Predictions: Sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch information may be found at: tusseymountainspringhawkwatch.org/
