Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: David Brown
Observers: Andy Ednie, Bobby Brown, Christian Scheibe, Joe Swertinski, Kim Steininger, Lana Glass, Sally O'Byrne
Visitors: 20, including the counter's mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, and niece.
Weather: Partly cloudy at start, becoming almost clear skies, before becoming nearly overcast by the end of the day. Moderate west winds, becoming gusty at times in the midday. Fairly warm.
Raptor Observations: A slow, but steady flight, though overall it felt slower than the totals indicate. Vultures were moving in much smaller numbers than yesterday though we still ended up with 83 Turkey Vultures migrating. A lot of Bald Eagle activity with an unusual proportion of adults and only a few immatures. One harrier. A moderate Accip flight with 20 sharpies and 5 Coops. Some Buteos with 5 red-shoulders, 13 red-tails, and a late juvenile broad-wing. For falcons we had a kestrel and 2 merlins. A lot of migrants were quite high and spotting was difficult at times.
Non-raptor Observations: 50 Canada Geese, 9 Wood Ducks, 2 Chimney Swifts, 1,000+ Tree Swallows (large groups heading west in the early morning), Hermit Thrush, 150+ Cedar Waxwings, 25+ Purple Finches, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Nashville Warbler, 50+ Rusty Blackbirds (in marsh at end of day), 1 monarch. https://ebird.org/checklist/S280986843 https://ebird.org/checklist/S280984809
New species for season: Rusty Blackbird
Predictions: Tomorrow: Generally sunny with a few afternoon clouds. High 61F. Winds WNW at 10-15mph. Good winds, but spotting may be difficult without many clouds. Expect moderate migration.
Saturday: Sunny with some clouds. High 61F. Winds NNW at 5-10mph. Good wind direction but fairly light. Clouds will help with spotting. Expect moderate migration.
Sunday: Cloudy. High 59F. Winds light and variable. Expect light to moderate migration. ======================================================================== Report submitted by David Brown (<davidebrownpa...>) Ashland Nature Center information may be found at: www.delnature.org
