Date: 11/15/25 2:57 pm From: Hawkcount.Org Reports <reports...> Subject: Second Mountain (15 Nov 2025) 34 Raptors
Second Mountain Ft. Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 15, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Kurt/Sally Kraus
Observers: Gary La Belle, Peggy Holt, Rosemary Spreha
Visitors: Milton a birder from NJ watched the skies for several hours in the morning. Later, the VanScyoc family from Mifflin Co. visited the site today wanting to learn more about raptor migration. Four other visitors parked and walked about but offered no introductions. throughout the day. Six vehicles of late leaf peepers or hunter-folks came and went.
Weather: Calm winds shifted from the ENE to the ESE through the day. Cloud cover from 80% to 100% with an increasing haze from mid-morning to early afternoon. Temperatures from a morning low of 39F (3.9C) to 46F (7.8C) high, kept observers bundled today.
Raptor Observations: Our first hour was without raptors. But the second hour brought 7 birds, the highlight was a south-bound juvenile Golden Eagle being harassed by a gray ghost Harrier. The young eagle dodged and changed direction northward, crossed the watch site before veering back southward. A low haze accompanied the shifting wind direction obscuring a definitive identification of an eagle well north of the site (UE), but it may have been another Golden. Our second and final Golden in the fourth hour dashed our hopes for a "better Golden day."
Non-raptor Observations: Thirty plus Common Grackles and a solo Belted Kingfisher were seen in the first hour. Numerous Purple Finches, a skein of over 50 Canada Geese, and 12 Blue Jays, 20+ additional Grackles, and a stream of 27 American Crows were observed.
A busy live artillery and firearms day for the National Guard offered percussion to accompany observers throughout the day.
Predictions: With rain predicted for late afternoon and early evening and with increasing winds predicted for tomorrow, we're hopeful it will bring a welcome increase in raptors. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Frederick Wilcox (<Ftw539...>) Second Mountain information may be found at: Facebook. Second Mountain Hawk Watch
