Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 17, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Rick Morrissey
Observers: Ed Wanamaker, Makayla Hernandez, Mark and Hillary Dobos, Rick Gaeta
Visitors: We had a total of 72 visitors on a very hot day. It was great to see long time BOK hawk count veterans, Ed Wanamaker and Rick Gaeta (the other Rick). Yes it was hot, yes it was humid, and yes the birds were few and far between yet this was a great day of amazing conversations. Great to meet Carol from Ashford, Connecticut and Judy from Portland, Connecticut. Carol, I was a former HR director at a local Senior Living Community, hands down, you would be hired without reservation as an RN Supervisor. Good luck to you with all future endeavors.
Wow, Sarah from Coopersburg and your wonderful Mom. So enjoyed hearing about your Dad who is still crushing it today, a man for all seasons, rents a helicopter to fly to work in New York city just because he can. And his profession? An artist sculptor creates a 2 foot model, and then wants it to be a 50 foot piece of art, who do you call but Sarah's dad to engineer it 90% complete. Can I meet your dad when he is not wind surfing?
And then my friends Mark and Hillary show up unexpected. Who knew you are birders? We just hang out at weekly wine tastings in Bethlehem Township. And in the wings, sorry for the pun, is Kenny Funk whose brother started Funk brewing in Emmaus, Pa. Let's all talk wine, let's talk beer!
And my apologies to Mak, last visitor of the day. He told me that he and his friends were lost just the other day on the Appalachian Trail and were rescued by the Fire Police. He then told me last year he was hiking on Mount Tammany and finally after 8 hours he found his car. Me being heat exhausted, under hydrated, and many times lost in my own conversations, I felt he needed my opinion on the healing powers of nature. I just started in on the impact of humans on our Planet, you know, in 1750 there was half a billion humans, 1900 a billion, and 125 years later almost 9 billion. Let's not overlook the five garbage islands of plastic in our oceans, then I pivoted to flora and fauna biodiversity all dependent on the relationship of native plants as the primary producers and native insects as the primary consumers which is foundation of our ecosystem's food web. So my apologies Mak, and then I pointed the way back to the BOK parking lot.
And now my apologies to all of you, it's my first count of the season, 'buckle up!'
Weather: The count began at 0730 with a temperature of 73F, all peaks in a cloud fog, yet the bowl floor was clear. Visibility was about 2500 feet, then the fog cleared quickly with blue sky patches observed by 0800. Humidity was 85% at the start of the count. We had some humidity relief in the afternoon but then it really heated up as nature turned on the 'Easy Bake Oven' in the afternoon with a high temperature of 93F at 1500. Visibility was 20-25 miles in the afternoon, so it was pretty clear that migration shut down with just a few birds in the afternoon. Typical mid-August summer day at BOK, no complaints.
Raptor Observations: First raptor of the day, an Osprey that flew somewhat high over the South Lookout. A un-aged Peregrine Falcon at 0946, still hazy in the Bowl, nothing was 'lighting up' this amazing raptor or we are just rusty at the start of the season. First seen high over peak # 2 by Ed Wanamaker (a great catch), an Adult Bald Eagle riding high on a thermal flying parallel to the lookout over Mountain Road. Best look of the day, a Merlin seen straight out over the Bowl headed West very close to the lookout and then it was gone! Mid-day after a long 'dry spell' of raptors, a non-migrating immature Red Shouldered Hawk flew over the South Lookout heading East into the bowl that appeared to catch a dragon fly and then it perched below the bowl for an afternoon snack. Last raptor of the day after a long, long afternoon with just a few Turkey Vultures, friends of mine Mark and Hillary Dobos brought my attention to some Ravens behind the South Lookout with an immature Cooper's Hawk barreling in and then all disappeared into the woods. Great ID Mark, great spot Hillary, and now you are both official BOK raptor observers!
Non-raptor Observations: First birds of the day, Barn Swallows at 0730 and then a hummingbird at 0735 that flew across the South lookout and perched in a tree overlooking the Bowl. Two Ravens were around most of the afternoon, heard a Pileated WP, an array of Barn and Tree swallows, one or two Swifts, a Downy WP, four Hummingbirds, five Monarchs. Still hanging around from the August 15 count, a Turkey Vulture with a big hole in it's right wing of missing primary flight feathers. Seems just fine.
Predictions: Mostly cloudy, not as warm with highs in the lower 70s (F). Northeast wins 10-15 mph. Sounds like a migration day, maybe a few BWs? Enjoy!! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lehigh Gap Nature Center (<mail...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
