Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 22, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers: Ron Kline
Visitors: Ron Kline joined me in the afternoon and spotted our first resident raptor of the day. It was a near adult RTHA soaring up ridge.
7 hikers
Weather: A strong inversion was in place this morning with a temperature of 54F at LGNC, but at the Bake Oven Knob parking lot it was 62F. Winds were out of the NW to start the count so the North Lookout was utilized again. The 4-7mph winds were out of the NW until 10:00 when they dropped to 1-3mph. By 11:00 the winds began to slowly shift to the ENE and by the end of the count they were out of the E still at 1-3mph. After the precipitation the last few days visibility was superb. Light cumulus clouds began to build in from the North by 11:00 and later in the day some of them drifted over the sun providing welcome relief with occasional shade. Low temperature of 16C at 07:00 and a high of 23C by noon.
Raptor Observations: 8.5 hrs (55.08)
BV 4 (11) TV 14 (78) OS 1 (15) BE 1 (21) SS 2 (7) RT 1 (10) UR 2 (10) Total 25 (179)
BAEA (1): 10:42 A
The flight was slow with only a total of 25 raptors migrating past Bake Oven during the survey. The first pulse of the count was in the 10:00 hr when an adult BE was spotted catching a good thermal off of 1. This eagle then glided down Lehigh Valley. A lone SSHA was spotted far out over the valley to the north several glasses above horizon. It was a lucky catch and the afternoon cumulus helped with spotting its silhouette. This small accipiter went sky high with zero effort before gliding off to the N. The next pulse of the day occurred in the 13:00 hour with another SS vocalizing right over the OP. I wasn’t sure if this one was going to be marked as a migrant. It is slow enough this early in the season that I spend time tracking the birds I can to make sure they actually move through. It was hawking insects and seemed to be ticked off about the TUVU and BARS soaring in the same area. It actually stooped on a couple BARS, but they are mini-falcons and easily outmaneuvered the sharpie. It let out several more agitated squealing calls before climbing sky high and zipping north along Blue Mountain. About 15 minutes later an OSPR was calling in nearly the same area and I lucked out again picking up another migrating raptor. The TUVU count was greatly helped by discovering their roost in the notch.
Resident raptors were active on Blue Mountain with an adult RT being spotted up ridge most of the afternoon. It frequently kited over potential prey. At 13:46 an immature BE was spotted chasing an adult over Lehigh Valley before both disappeared behind Bake Oven Knob.
Non-raptor Observations: The tree tops below the North Lookout delivered some nice diversity again today. I realized yesterday’s BTNW was actually a BLBW. I have corrected that observation and it was its call note that made me realize it wasn’t a BTNW. Ron and I were visited by a RTHU that sat right behind us in a snag briefly. I was treated with probably my best look at a YBFL in my life. In this same area two BTBW’s were looking sharp. A small flock of COGR flew up to the summit of Blue Mountain from the S and perched briefly in a prominent snag behind the OP. They continued on to the N. Closed out the morning song bird visits with a nice looking adult female CAWA.
Wild Turkey 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 1 Mourning Dove 2 Chimney Swift 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Downy Woodpecker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 Red-eyed Vireo 4 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 3 Common Raven 3 Black-capped Chickadee 4 Tufted Titmouse 3 Tree Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 Eastern Bluebird 1 American Robin 1 Cedar Waxwing 9 American Goldfinch 1 Common Grackle 8 Blackburnian Warbler 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 2 Pine Warbler 1 Canada Warbler 1
Predictions: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
