Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official Counter: Bob Secatore
Observers: Amy Maurer, Harry Wales, Janet Kovner, John Cannizzo, Judd Nathan, Paul Roberts, Peter Duffy, Susan Moses
Visitors: Observers on hand today: Janet Kovner, Susan Moses, Paul and Julie Roberts, John and Andrea Cannizzo, Pete Duffy, Judd Nathan, Amy Maurer, Harry Wales, Dick Hughes and Bob Secatore.
Visitors: Margot Goetsche and Steve Grinley
Weather: Sunny throughout most of day with variable cloud cover --20 to 40%. SW winds 8 mph at start rising to 15 mph by close. Temps 9 to 13 deg C (48 to 56 deg F).
Raptor Observations: Migrants: 1 adult male NH, 1 BE and 2 AK.
Raptors that failed to migrate: Several Harriers and several Turkey Vultures. Near the close of the watch an immature Peregrine Falcon showed up directly west of us over the marsh, found a Harrier resting on the marsh and decided to have fun harassing it with several minutes of strafing. During the 1:00 PM hour, we found a bird, definitely a raptor, flying a few hundred feet up over the marsh with a strong dihedral but was definitely not a Harrier and having long, pointed wings. One qualified observer reported seeing light colored wings and a bib on its underside and thought it might be a Swainson's Hawk. Another qualified observer felt it might be a Bald Eagle based upon the steady, unwavering movement that large raptors typically display in flight while it was flying toward the mainland. My own assessment was that it was a Buteo with long, pointed wings held in a dihedral and might have been either a Swainson's Hawk or a Ferruginous Hawk, both of which have been observed here in northeast Massachusetts recently.
Non-raptor Observations: Two Great Egrets, three Mute Swans.
Predictions: Fairly stiff WNW winds of 18 to 20 mph. Temps only in the 20s and 30s (deg F) with significant wind chills. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Robert Secatore (<rs8843829...>) Plum Island MA information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
