Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 16, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 16:15:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Rick Morrissey
Observers: Bob Astelford, Dan Altif, Guitar Dave , Wendy Bailey
Visitors: We had eight visitors today including our four observers. Once again Wendy Bailey was on fire spotting just about all of the first 10 eagles, an amazing spotter even in brutal near gale force winds. Great to see Dan Altif, who is on a quest to see double digit 'Goldens'. Dan got a look a couple today, yet he is going to read in this report and see that he missed the last 5 or 6 today, sometimes it just works out like that, "dang." Wow, Guitar Dave, 'what's up,' and I have no doubt Dave brought the late day Golden Eagles, great to talk to you about environmental sustainability and what 'history' the future holds. Dave is 'deep,' but we still talked about guitars and the history of rock and roll knowing that Wendy had the skies covered. Thanks Wendy, I have not seen Guitar Dave for a few years.
All days for me should end with closing statements from long time BOK volunteer Bob Astelford, which today was a parking lot consultation. It was literally too 'windy' to talk today on the Knob. Bob beat me down the trail and then waited for me to 'lumber down' at my own pace. Lots to chat about, and I am glad that Bob reminded me that my exercise routine to stay in shape might need to be re-evaluated. The man speaks truth, he's been to the mountain top and back, he's deep like Guitar Dave, and so the sun sets on another great BOK raptor count.
Weather: The partly cloudy troposphere today was filled with weather with near gale force wind gusts at 32 plus mph, along with sheets of snow virga flowing down north ridges like white curtains in a 5K race. You could sense the wind approaching by the rumbling of west northwest winds down ridge with sounds mimicking a fast approaching freight train. The temperature at the start of the count was 42F, the high temperature was an hour later at 43F, and the low temperature of the day was 40F at the end of the count at 1615 EST. Winds were WNW all day, 12-18 mph in the morning with gusts up to 24 mph, then by mid-day until the end of the day, average wind speeds were 19-24 mph and wind gusts up to 32 mph. Case in point, Guitar Dave's wool hat was blown off his head and nearly lost to the bowl below.
Raptor Observations: First raptor and bird of the day was a male Northern Harrier at 0821 EST, I did not even have my binoculars out. Early on I observed a number of Sharpies rising high over the 'hump,' facing strong opposition with little advance, then dropping quickly down to get 'out of the wind', trying this strategy 2 or 3 times, and then disappearing into the forest canopy basically calling it quits. In the afternoon, migration picked up with some steady streams of Redtail Hawks and Bald Eagles. At one point, four eagles flying high over the Pine Tree, two adult 'Balds,' one juvenile BE, one juvenile Golden Eagle. Five late day Golden Eagles, double 'quigged', then Guitar Dave coined the phrase 'super quigged', "Super Quigged?' When will this end?
Late in the day the eagle sightings were 'Golden' with the best sighting of the day, two Golden Eagles flying close in the same flight path with an adult Peregrine Falcon harassing the lead Golden Eagle. The young GE was quite un-phased. I thought there would be more, yet we had an excellent look at an adult Red-shouldered Hawk. Could have missed some, could have miss-identified some, or the strong winds kept the Red-shoulders on a different flight path.
Non-raptor Observations: The larger birds ruled today, we just had three Ravens and we also observed six Snow Geese flying southwest across the bowl.
Predictions: Mostly sunny with highs in the mid-40s with west northwest winds 15 to 20 mph, gusts up to 40 mph. 'Hold on to your hats! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lehigh Gap Nature Center (<mail...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
