Observation start time: 06:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Bob Secatore
Observers: Chris Godrey, John Cannizzo, Kathryn Chihowski, Mark Timmerman, Maryellen Stone, Peter Duffy, Ted Mara
Visitors: Andrea Cannizzo, Catherine St Pierre, Dave Salt, David Kemp and Steve Mangion.
Weather: Very cold during first half of watch period with very strong (25+ mph) WNW winds during first couple of hours but winds gradually abating and temps rising in the afternoon under cloudless skies.
Raptor Observations: A total of 50 birds migrated at our watch today: 5 OS, 21 AK, 2 SS, 2 TV, 2 ML, 2 UR, 2 UF and 14 NH. With the stiff WNW winds in the first part of the watch, Kestrels were blown against the shoreline and accounted for most of the birds. However, during the 2:00 PM hour the rising temperatures and lower wind velocities evidently created significant thermals over the marsh which would account for most of our raptors migrants (Harriers, Sharp-shins and one Osprey)) during this period employing the spiral upward and then flap/glide northward method of migration. Early on the winds were so strong that many of our beach birds were flying at such low altitudes in order to take advantage of the wind shadow provided by the shore dune that most appeared above the top of the shore dune in their passage for very brief moments which is why we tallied a number of "Unidentified" birds today.
Several NHs, four TVs and an immature BE were seen but failed to migrate.
Non-raptor Observations: Other birds: 7 Golden Eye and 4 Great Egrets. Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds continue moving through in significant numbers. Predictions: Tomorrow's forecast calls for weak winds out of the ENE, ESE, SE and SSE. Not a great prospect for our purposes.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Robert Secatore (<rs8843829...>) Plum Island MA information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
