Observation start time: 05:15:00 Observation end time: 18:15:00 Total observation time: 12 hours
Official Counter: Bob Secatore
Observers: Donna Blasko, Harry Wales, Henry Walters, Herrrick Wales, John Cannizzo, Kathryn Chihowski, Kathryn Chihowski, Ted Mara
Visitors: Andrea Cannizzo, Andy Sanford, Lenny Cawley and Marj Watson.
Our excellent observer crew today : Ted Mara, Kathrine Chihowski, John Cannizzo, Harry Wales, Donna Blasko and bob Secatore.
Weather: Watch began with dense fog making seeing anything (even the Near Midden, a 12 foot high mound 80 yards away from out platform) very difficult to see. Fortunately, shortly thereafter the bright morning sunlight fairly quickly dispensed with the problem and the first two Kestrels came through at 814 AM. Thereafter we had bright sunlight all day. NW and WNW winds between 7 and 15 mph, temps low 40's rising to 70's as day progressed.
Raptor Observations: We counted 174 migrants today including 2 BE, 1 OS, 5 SS, 1 CH, 7 NH, 143 AK, 10 ML, 1 PF, 3 UR and 1 UA. Early on before thermals started forming over the island and marsh, the birds were coming through at fairly low altitude. But, for the last two thirds of the watch, most birds were very high, typically spiraling upward before peeling off to the north.
Other raptors seen but failed to migrate: 2 or 3 NH, several TVs
Non-raptor Observations: Other Birds: Snowy Egret, 6 Purple Martins at the nesting gourds, at least 70 D-c Cormorants, 3 Great Blue Herons, 10 Fish Crows, 1 Great Egret, 2 Northern Gannets and a steady trickle of Blue Jays ======================================================================== Report submitted by Robert Secatore (<rs8843829...>) Plum Island MA information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
