Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 9.52 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers:
Visitors: Aaron Frantz stopped by in the afternoon and got to spot a few migrating raptors in close. An AK was considering coming in on the decoy while he watched.
Riley and Chad of LGNC brought up 26 6th graders from Towamensing Elementary School. I could hear Chad calling out the CH and two SS’s that were dogfighting above me. It was a beautiful day and I hope the kids had a good time at Bake Oven Knob.
5 hikers
Weather: Fog clung to the northern slope of Blue Mountain upon arrival at the N Lookout at 06:45. Fog formed down slope and drifted over the OP until 09:00. Winds were out of the WNW for the entire survey at 4-7mph. Partly cloudy skies for the entire survey made for superb spotting conditions. Visibility was limited due to fog in the morning over Lehigh Valley, but improved through the entire day eventually improving to 20 miles by 13:00. Low temperature of 16C at 07:00 and a high of 22C by 14:00.
Raptor Observations: North Lookout 9.52 hrs (354.63)
BV 2 (109) TV 19 (600) BE 6 (201) SS 47 (502) CH 3 (62) RS 2 (12) BW 30 (14596) RT 3 (122) AK 8 (67) PG 2 (17) UR 4 (90) Total 126 (16573)
BAEA (6): 09:15 A, 09:17 I, 10:46 I, 12:07 A, 16:08 I
PEFA (2): 09:12 U, 09:38 A
After two days of on and off rain the migrants had been bottled up. The first migrant was a lone BW coming in close to check out the decoy. In the 08:00 the first pulse of SS’s came through with 4 total. As the season progresses the SS’s are starting to lead the flight as the BW’s begin to taper drastically. The 09:00 hour was the peak of the flight with a total of 35 migrants moving through of seven species. SS’s again led this hour, but the BW’s picked up with 11 moving through sporadically and solo. BG did a great job attracting a few SS’s in this hour as I spotted two quite a ways to the N of the notch minding their own business heading SW. I could see on two separate occasions the small accipiters move slightly to get a better look at BG. Then they both took the same flight line to the right of the pine tree to conceal their approach to mob the owl. Two PEFA’s moved through in this hour, one unaged and the other an adult. The flight then tapered in the 10:00 hour, but the largest kettle of BW’s was detected far to the N over the slope of 1. There was a group of 7 at 10:25 that I was barely able to get on with the scope and I have a feeling I missed quite a few before they streamed out towards Allentown. That is one of the downsides of the N Lookout as I feel blind to most of the BW activity at this OP. I may have missed some birds low over Lehigh Valley in the morning as well due to the fact that fog was blowing up the N side of Blue Mountain until 09:00. Certainly, the S facing slope of Blue Mountain would have had better thermals for BW’s and that viewshed isn’t visible from the N Lookout. It was good to become better acquainted with my scanning strategy over here as we move into the accipiter part of the season’s flight. There are a few flight lines they take that I realize would be difficult to see from the S Lookout. It is a gamble as to which lookout to use, but I have learned that during BW season the S Lookout has delivered better results for me. Today was the first full day I have spent over here since earlier in the season and the first decent results I have gotten. I have been told by several of the long-time hawk watchers at Bake Oven Knob that it has to be a NW wind for the N Lookout to be good. Based on today’s results and prior attempts earlier in the season this appears to be true. In the 11:00 hour I had a SS come in hard on BG with it’s talons down. I love that look and apparently my stone camouflage is working well.
Resident raptors were quite active in the superb weather and making good use of the NW winds. At 08:47 an immature BE was detected to the N of the ridge that then moved up ridge. At 08:51 an adult RT was spotted kiting over the notch. At 09:05 an immature PEFA was spotted hawking insects over the slope of 5. At 09:09 an immature RT was spotted moving up ridge. At 10:29 an immature RS was spotted over the bowl and Aaron and I got to see it fly down and perch in the snags that the TV’s occasionally do. At 11:10 an adult PEFA was spotted flying up ridge over the notch. At 13:05 the immature PEFA was back having come in close to check out the decoy. It then snuck over the notch and took a swipe at an unsuspecting CORA. By the sounds of it the CORA didn’t appreciate that. At 13:14 the immature PEFA took a swipe at an immature RT, then a migrant AK joined the skirmish taking a swipe at the PEFA. Based on today’s observations there would appear to be a new head honcho at Bake Oven Knob. At 14:47 the immature RT came back to suss out the decoy. Multiple times it moved into position and leaned over into a stoop, but stopped short of getting close. It then let out its raspy call which may have signaled it may return to do battle another day.
Non-raptor Observations: Nice haul of migrating songbirds and residents with 31 species detected at the N lookout. I was greeted by approximately 100 BLJA’s in the canopy around the N lookout as I arrived. There were a bunch of other songbirds bouncing around in the canopy, but I was focused on staying upright on the wet rocks. A large flock of CANG winged through Lehigh Gap and I am looking forward to picking out some more distant waterbirds as the season progresses. It has been 10 days since the last RTHU detection. I wouldn’t have noticed this hummer if it hadn’t been mobbing the decoy while I was setting up. Just below the OP on the cliff face there were many songbirds bouncing around in the canopy. The cliff face was getting early morning sun and I am sure the insects were active based on how big the foraging flock was. Got a real nice look at a PHVI and heard a WAVI getting riled up too. A NOPA was singing as well. BAOW booming down in the bowl as I packed up at the end of the day.
Canada Goose 80 Chimney Swift 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Barred Owl 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 3 Northern Flicker 1 Philadelphia Vireo 1 Warbling Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 167 American Crow 1 Common Raven 5 Black-capped Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 2 American Robin 2 Cedar Waxwing 21 Purple Finch 1 American Goldfinch 5 Tennessee Warbler 1 Northern Parula 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Pine Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Black-throated Green Warbler 3 Scarlet Tanager 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Predictions: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
