Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers: NB
Visitors: Nick arrived in the afternoon and mentioned it could be a good day for a GE. Within 15 minutes a GE came through.
Weather: Cold and blustery day on Tussey Mountain, but the winds were right for a good flight. SE winds at 20-28kph at the beginning of the count and peaking at 39-49kph by 11:00. Visibility was good for most of the count with views to Stone Mountain. Mostly cloudy skies for the entire count made for superb spotting conditions. Low temperature of 1C at 09:00 and a high of 7C by 10:00. The temperature fluctuated a degree or so until the end of the count. Thunder was heard frequently in the 13:00 hour. A little before 14:30 I heard a weird snap near the tower then the sizzle of dissipating electricity running down the powerlines. I took that as my cue to end the days effort.
Raptor Observations: TV 1 (251) OS 4 (18) NH 1 (15) SS 2 (69) RT 10 (198) GE 1 (138) AK 4 (29) Total 26 (893)
GE Immature 11:55
Slow but steady flight lead by RT’s with 10 coming through. The flight picked up in the 11:00 hour with another male NOHA coming close to the OP over the cut on the S side of the ridge. RT’s and AK’s came through in good numbers. Raptors were zipping through pretty fast in the strong SE winds. By 13:00 the flight came to a halt and by 14:00 no raptors were flying with the approaching thunderstorm arriving.
Both the immature and adult RT’s were quite active along Tussey Mountain and Leading Ridge. At 10:53 two immature BE’s were dogfighting over Stone Valley near Leading Ridge.
Non-raptor Observations: A nice pulse of COLO in the afternoon. Same flight line as yesterday, but not as high. GBHE were quite active near Leading Ridge during the flight. Some TRES came ripping through the cut flying into the headwind N to S which was impressive.
Common Loon 5 Great Blue Heron 2 Pileated Woodpecker 1 American Crow 3 Common Raven 1 Tree Swallow 3 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 2
Predictions: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 73. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch information may be found at: tusseymountainspringhawkwatch.org/
