Observation start time: 09:45:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 5.75 hours
Official Counter: Michael Ceci
Observers: Andy Dickson, Mike Ceci
Visitors: None
Weather: A pleasant early spring afternoon at the Ripley Hawk Watch. Temperatures ranged from 3.11c - 5.83c. Variable winds with a westerly element most of the day. The watch began @ Site 1A (Rt 5) at 9:45 AM. With the WNW winds, birds were sighted inland from the NYS Thruway to Route 20. At the 10:00 hour, a move was made to Site 1B just south of the Forsyth Bridge, where the birds initially were coming in low, but increased their altitude as the day progressed. When the Northly element in the wind became more pronounced, a move was made to Site 2 (Parker Rd), and then to Site 3 (Creamery Rd) From Site 3, we noticed a bit of activity closer to the lakeshore, so a return was made to 1A for the last 30 minutes of today's watch. By 3:15 PM, everything shut down.
Raptor Observations: Turkey Vultures were coming through 1 and 2 at a time. Initially, they were low and could be sighted with the naked eye. As the day progressed, their flight was higher, so we reverted back to 10X binoculars. We had consistant numbesr of Turkey Vultures each hour bringing the total to 113 for the day's count. Andy Dickson offered a helping hand arriving at site 1B at 11:00, and staying until 1:30 PM. There was a mixture of raptors throughout most of today's watch.
Non-raptor Observations: Very few non-raptors. The Gulls failed to make their daily appearance. Noteworthy were 2 local Bald Eagles, a full adult @ 10:39 over Site 1B, and an immature, also over Site 1B @ 1:16 AM. While at Site 2, a local American Kestrel provided entertainment as it hunted the field on the west side of Parker Rd from 1:48 - 2:10. Birds were noted near the very top of the escarpment, and potentially could have been in danger if the proposed wind turbine project gains approval in the Town of Ripley
Predictions: Flurries or snow showers possible early on Tuesday. Overcast skies and windy. High 32F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Adverse weather conditions could be a factor for a very minimal flight at best. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Michael Ceci (<michael.ceci541...>) Ripley Hawk Watch information may be found at: www.facebook.com/groups/3193820734258889/
