Observation start time: 06:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Mark Timmerman, Nate Marchessault
Observers: Annamarie Saenger, Chuck Carlson, Glen & Lori Chretien, Jim McCoy, Katrina Fenton, Levi Burford, Mark Timmerman, Meade Cadot, Mike Gebo, Mitch Heydt, Nate Marchessault, Tom Momeyer
Visitors: Over 113 visitors today, 63 coming up to enjoy the mountain, birds or both, and a school group of 47 kids, 3 teachers, and many (TBD) parents.
Weather: Winds begun in the east and gradually transitioned to northeast during the count period. A little breeze in the morning, then not much to speak of through the rest of the count. Minimal clouds in the morning which built to about 70% cover in the afternoon and gradually decreased from there. Temps 13-18 C.
Raptor Observations: A strong start to the morning turned out to be carryover from yesterday's excitement as things slowed down around noon. Regardless, the morning's kettles and trickle of birds in the afternoon made for a great day of hawkwatching. Harriers were 5 juvies and one non-adult male.
Non-raptor Observations: A Common Nighthawk was our lunchtime excitement, making three passes around the mountain before it wasn't seen again. The immature White-crowned Sparrow was still around, as were the male and female towhee. Red-breasted nuts are making sure we know they're still there.
Monarchs: 54 (319 season total) Hummingbirds: 1 (63 season total) Two red-spotted purples, two wandering gliders, and one cherry-faced meadowhawk.
Predictions: Warm with partial clouds, light winds from the E/SE. Not the best winds, but there should be some birds moving!
The 17th tends to be the most likely day to have our highest count of the season, but the weather isn't perfect for migration. Who knows?
On this day in Pack history: 2016: 3352 migrants counted. Katrina Fenton: "No birds until after 9 EST, when right on cue, a Broad-winged Hawk breached the horizon and proved to every raptor within eyeshot that the thermals were starting. Before long, small kettles of 8-12 were rising. In a couple more hours, kettles of 20-40 were being seen. A few hours later, kettles of 100-200 or more were boiling up and spilling across the sky. The peak of the flight didn't come until after 5, when a seemingly endless flow of 896 birds streamed and kettled from far beyond the Lyndeboroughs to Crotched and beyond. Broad-wingeds began to wander and look for places to settle in for the night as thermals died to almost nothing around 6, some swirling into the spruces not far below the count site." ======================================================================== Report submitted by Nate Marchessault (<nate...>) Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory information may be found at: www.harriscenter.org
