Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Julie Brown, Phil Brown
Observers: Chuck Carlson, Miki Foley, Rob Woodward, Tom Delaney
Visitors: 90, including hawk watching friend (and spy??), Rob Woodward, of the Alton Bay Hawk Watch up on Lake Winnipesaukee. Welcome, Rob, and we hope you'll utilize some of Pack's most coveted trade secrets to improve data and deliverables from NH's 'other' fall hawk watch. Great spending time with Jan and Kevin Kolk of Texas, a fine group of friends from the Lakes Region, and many other folks from near and far.
Weather: Continued unseasonable warmth with southwest winds that strengthened in the afternoon. Temps 55-72 F, with winds to 15 mph and some stronger gusts. Cloud cover returned today, providing some contrast in the sky, but haze limited visibility, especially early and later in the day.
Raptor Observations: A good day for flying, but not for migrating into the moderate headwind. A Peregrine was added in the 2 o'clock hour only to be subtracted in the 3 o'clock hour. Sharpies sparred their way across the sky, first south, then north, one diving at Gina before turning its attention to unseen songbirds below the summit. The local juvenile Red-shoulder siblings drifted far out of their home territories, later returning to the safety of the skies over North Pack, where Red-tails tassled with Ravens endlessly. A Merlin rocketed past the watch just before 1 pm, not leaving its migratory status in any doubt.
Non-raptor Observations: A modest list of passerines, a few late darners, plenty of scope spiders and stinkbugs, and a pair of cottontail rabbits late in the day.
Predictions: Looks like rain, at long last, possibly to clear in the early afternoon with northwest winds. But Pack often holds onto clouds and moisture a bit longer. Thursday looks promising, but bundle up! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Phil Brown (<brown...>) Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory information may be found at: www.harriscenter.org
