Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch State College, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 20, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 8.17 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers: Don Pote
Visitors: Don Pote arrived early and put in an excellent effort helping spot migrating raptors. We both got good looks at our 4th PEFA of the season and our 3rd OSPR. Looking forward to his next visit.
Don Pote
2 hikers.
Weather: Fairly strong SE winds to start the count at 35kph. Despite the sunny skies it felt cool. By 10:00 when the flight picked up the winds had set down a bit to 7kph. The flight came to a halt at 14:00 when the winds started to shift to the WNW. Visibility was good for most of the day at 12km. Mostly sunny skies to start the count, but clouds built throughout the day. By 11:00 it was mostly cloudy, but the spotting conditions were superb. Low temperature of 9C at 09:20 and a high of 15C by 11:00. Light rain developed around 13:00 and continued off and on in 10 minute periods through the end of the count.
Raptor Observations: TV 8 (144) OS 1 (3) BE 1 (11) NH 1 (11) SS 5 (41) RS 1 (147) RT 13 (147) GE 1 (131) AK 4 (14) PG 1 (4) UB 2 (12) Total 38 (623)
GE A 13:25
Decent flight considering the forecast was looking pretty grim yesterday. RTHA led the flight with a total of 13 coming through. I appreciated Don Potes excellent spotting skills picking some of the those up on non-traditional flight lines. 4 AK’s came through and it is interesting how many of them fly directly up the powerline cut and over the mountain. I frequently get on them low over Stone Valley in the scope and track them coming head on. A nice male fanned out behind the tower. In addition to watching the TUVU’s for clues as to where migrants may be, I have keyed into the fact that sometimes looking above the soaring resident RTHA’s helps. Our NOHA of the day was following the Leading Ridge RTHA by staying high above it. Our GE of the day was interesting as an adult BE went flapping past, then suddenly there were two more distant BE’s and possibly a third. As they neared the cut one of them looked distinctly smaller and this ended up being our lone GE of the day’s effort. I haven’t seen a GE that close to BE’s this season and it looked to be keeping its distance from them. The BE’s seemed curious like they were escorting it.
Resident TUVU were the first raptors of the day detected at 09:30. At 10:08 the Leading Ridge RTHA was taking swipes at some bird perched along the ridge, but I never could get on what it was going after.
Non-raptor Observations: The TRES from yesterday brought some buddies up the ridge. Our first of the season EAPH made it up to a prominent snag behind the OP. It even sang briefly before making its way down the south face of the mountain. New high score on TUVU kettle as well.
Mourning Dove 3 Turkey Vulture 25 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 3 Eastern Phoebe 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 9 Common Raven 5 Black-capped Chickadee 4 Tree Swallow 6 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 House Finch 3 American Goldfinch 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Common Grackle 1
Predictions: Sunny, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch information may be found at: tusseymountainspringhawkwatch.org/
