Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 15, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.52 hours
Official Counter: Adam Bradley
Observers: Chad Schwartz, Doug Burton, Ed Sinkler, Ed Wanamaker, Ed Wanamaker , Ron Kline
Visitors: Observers
Chad Schwartz Doug Burton Ed Sinkler Ed Wanamaker Ron Kline Greg Grammes Kim Braadt Makayla Hernandez Rick Morrissey
15 visitors 5 AT hikers
Weather: Primarily light ESE winds at 1-5kph in the morning increasing to 6-11kph by noon. Due to the humidity in the air a haze was present over Lehigh Valley on the east with views to 15 miles. By 13:00 when the sun had moved to the west visibility increased to 20 miles with good views to the south along Kittatinny Ridge. Minimal cloud cover for most of the morning, but by 14:00 some nice cumulus clouds began to form over the valley to the west. Low temperature of 26C at 08:00 and a high of 30C by 11:00.
Raptor Observations: BV 1 TV 11 CH 2 RS 1 BW 1 RT 3 UR 1 Total 20
An excellent start to the 2025 season opener at Bake Oven Knob. With many seasoned observers up to kick the season off we had plenty of good spotters to pick up the first few migrants of the season. Migrants mostly moved in the morning hours of the count with 6 coming through in the first four hours of the day’s effort. By noon the flight had come to an abrupt halt. Most migrants appeared over the notch or further north along the ridge working their way towards the knob. Many then appeared to climb quite high to the N of the ridge before streaming W. I am happy to report the owl decoy was effective in securing our first BW of the season. I was lucky to spot it as I was getting ready to pack up for the day when I noticed a buteo naked eye in close above a TV. It didn’t take a swipe at the decoy which will be named Bubo Grande going forward. I think it was more interested in it. Real nice looks at this small buteo which buzzed the knob before streaming out towards the east over Lehigh Valley.
Resident raptors were active with our first raptor of the season being an AK hawking dragonflies out over the bowl at 08:30. At 10:20 two RS were dogfighting below horizon over the slope of 1. Two adult RT’s were spotted soaring together over the notch shortly after 11:00. A CH was also spotted soaring out over the slope of 1 in the noon hour. RT’s were definitely the most active along the ridge during the days effort.
Non-raptor Observations: A BAWW sang briefly on the east slope of the observation point. In the 16:00 hour a BAOW was booming down in the bowl.
Red Junglefowl (Domestic type) 1 Mourning Dove 2 Barred Owl 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Red-eyed Vireo 6 Blue Jay 1 Common Raven 1 Tree Swallow 5 Purple Martin 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Cedar Waxwing 2 American Goldfinch 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1
Predictions: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
