Date: 11/13/25 4:44 pm From: Hawkcount.Org Reports <reports...> Subject: Waggoner's Gap (13 Nov 2025) 65 Raptors
Waggoner's Gap 40 km W of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 13, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- BV 0 0 11 TV 5 321 1576 OS 0 0 149 BE 22 187 630 NH 0 19 148 SS 2 71 2688 CH 0 25 226 AG 0 0 3 RS 0 34 91 BW 0 0 10265 RT 24 359 820 RL 0 0 0 GE 11 53 97 AK 0 0 165 ML 0 8 59 PG 1 6 60 UA 0 1 41 UB 0 8 33 UF 0 0 6 UE 0 2 2 UR 0 6 59 SK 0 0 1
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:45:00 Total observation time: 8.75 hours
Official Counter: Jess Cosentino, Ron Freed
Observers: Dave Grove, Jeff Thompson , Pete Biasucci , Ron Freed
Visitors: Nick Schaefer, 5
Weather: High around 53 F, Sturdy northwests throughout the entire count period, Reaching 21 mph by noon (with 31 mph scope-tilting gusts), Blue bird sky all day with a light mix of stratocumulus cloud cover
Raptor Observations: The northwest winds were blustery in the first hours following sunrise, and persisted with force well into the late afternoon. These brought the season's first double-digit Golden Eagle flight down the right and along the distant valley to the north, as a good push began in the late morning and carried on into the afternoon hours. The winds also ushered in a great November Bald Eagle flight, finishing with a total of six migratory raptor species on the day.
All the Goldens on the day appeared to the north of the ridge, with the first few appearing quite distant and passing in long glides at high altitude. The hour before noon saw a nice push of four, with several riding the ridge a bit closer. Few Goldens paused to thermal and circle back, taking advantage of the robust northwest winds that were peaking out with gusts at 31 mph by noon, providing looks from below for as long the birds chose to stick around before riding the winds farther south.
In the final thirty minutes before sunset, the day's final Golden Eagle appeared quickly on the north side of the ridge, passing just high enough above the treeline to be washed in the late day sun. The winds had died by this hour, and the eagle sliced through the skyscape effortlessly as the orange glow lit up each of the bird's golden head feathers
First bird TV 8:30 Last bird RT 16:26
Non-raptor Observations: Tundra Swan 25, COMMON LOON* 77, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, American Crow 38, Fish/American Crow 29, Common Raven 5, Cedar Waxwing 40, American Robin 41, Purple Finch 2, American Goldfinch 19, Common Grackle 60
*At 9:08 AM, a massive single group of Common Loons was detected passing distant to the northeast. The group passed directly over the ridge on a north-south flight line and was estimated at 70, with a few individual straggling birds following within the same hour. The large waterbirds passed in a long, stretched out group with individuals spaced out well between one another and stacked with several birds high while creating a wall that migrated quickly through the morning sky, while the strong northwest winds helped in their journey. It was a remarkable sight to witness through the scope.
LFE 0 Monarch 0 Hummingbird 0
Predictions: Northwest winds will be continued into tomorrow (Friday), albeit with less velocity than seen today but still adequate to promote raptor movement
We are a few birds away from reaching our 100th Golden Eagle of the season, and this bird could very well pass along the ridge tomorrow ======================================================================== Report submitted by WG Counter ()
