Date: 11/2/25 5:13 pm From: Hawkcount.Org Reports <reports...> Subject: Waggoner's Gap (02 Nov 2025) 107 Raptors
Waggoner's Gap 40 km W of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 02, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- BV 0 0 11 TV 32 44 1299 OS 0 0 149 BE 16 35 478 NH 2 2 131 SS 5 12 2629 CH 1 4 205 AG 0 0 3 RS 10 13 70 BW 0 0 10265 RT 35 58 519 RL 0 0 0 GE 1 7 51 AK 0 0 165 ML 0 1 52 PG 1 1 55 UA 0 0 40 UB 4 4 29 UF 0 0 6 UE 0 1 1 UR 0 3 56 SK 0 0 1
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Jess Cosentino
Observers: Abby Sentz, Doris Brookens, Gene Wagner, Jeremy Scheivert, Joe Gyekis, Laurie Goodrich
Visitors: 97, 3 dogs
Weather:
Raptor Observations: The morning hours brought very little for raptor movement down the ridge, despite a nice passerine morning flight dominated by well over 100 Purple Finches, coupled with southbound flocks of both American Pipits and American Robins
Following noon, the southeast wind picked up in velocity and raptor momentum increased as well. The day's flight was dominated by Buteos, as a mix of Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks continued to appear up the ridge to the north and work their way southwest, often passing directly overhead providing excellent views from below. The push of Red-Shouldered Hawks moved steadily down the spine of the ridge, flapping erratically while working their way south as the Red-tailed Hawks moved on similar lines in sturdy glides, barely using thermal lift but riding the ridge updrafts on their way southward
While the morning hours were relatively slow for raptor movement, at 3 PM a large raptor was seen circling in a distant thermal to the north of the ridge. Only a few passes were needed to spot the distinct white at the base of the tail coupled with the small head size relative to the tail length. The light tawnny bar along the upper parts revealed the day's first and only subadult Golden Eagle, which took several minutes to find lift over the valley to the north before fixing itself into a glide that took the bird steadily southwest along the valley to the north of the ridge. The eagle never passed close; however, it did provide an excellent extended view was it rode the southeast winds before disappearing behind the treeline
First bird TUVU 1018 Last bird BAEA 1554
Non-raptor Observations: Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, Downy Woodpecker 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Cedar Waxwing 227, Horned Lark 4, Carolina Wren 1, Red-breasted Nuthatch 4, European Starling 80, Eastern Bluebird 18, American Robin 139, American Pipit 36, finch sp. 1, Purple Finch 178, American Goldfinch 4, Pine Siskin 2, Dark-eyed Junco 9, Red-winged Blackbird 16, Common Grackle 1100, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4, Monarch 1
Shortly before the day's only Golden Eagle passed along the ridge, visitors to the ridge began to make commotion about some animals in the forest nearby below the hawkwatch. The parents of a child repeatedly told their child to come down from the rocks to leave, but they replied "I just saw some bears!"
A quick glance down off the south side of the ridge into the forest revealed exactly that - three large Black Bears - A female mother bear trailed by two large cubs - as they slowly traversed and crashed through the dense understory towards the south overlook and roadway. There was a brief moment of commotion as hawkwatch visitors ran back up the trail while yelling, "Bear!"
The Ursus trio meandered southward down the gap and eventually crossed the busy roadway unharmed, before continuing onward into the forest on the opposite side. This was a mammal species first for this fall season, pairing along the Eastern Chipmunks and Northern Red-backed Voles frequently observed on the ridge throughout the season, so far
LFE 0 Monarch 1 Hummingbird 0
Three Black Bears (Mom and two cubs) walking south down the ridge below the hawkwatch and crossing the road!
Predictions: High in lower 60s F, Moderate (11 mph) southwest wind increasing by afternoon ======================================================================== Report submitted by WG Counter ()
