Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6.75 hours
Official Counter: Kate McKay
Observers: Annamarie Saenger, Chuck Carlson, Hillary Siener, Jim McCoy,
Katrina Fenton, Levi Burford, Nate Marchessault,
Nora Hanke, Phil Brown, Tom Momeyer
Visitors:
16 visitors and a great team of observers for the last day. Thank you for
coming up and making my last day special.
Weather:
Mostly cloudy with some sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures ranged from
27 °F in the early morning to 32 °F in the late afternoon. Great
visibility, with a nice view of the distant snowy mountains to our north
and west. With basically no wind, it was a very pleasant day to be out
hawkwatching.
Raptor Observations:
A sharpie that flew in just before 9am to check out Gina (the decoy owl)
was the first migrant of the day. Then no other hawks came by until the
afternoon, when a couple more sharpies, a couple of red-shoulders, and a
few red-tails were spotted flying through. Non-migrants today included one
red-tail and two Bald Eagles soaring about in the sky. The last raptor of
the day and of the season was a beautiful red-shoulder circling off to the
east in the late afternoon sunlight. Hawkwatchers lingered past 3pm to scan
the skies one last time, pack up the signs, and release Gina from duty.
Non-raptor Observations:
Nice mix of bird species around on the last day. A Pine Grosbeak was heard
flying over in the morning, and a Northern Shrike was seen for a few
seconds at the very end of the day. A flock of migrating crows and a
distant flock of ducks flew by on their way south. In addition, we saw
Common Ravens, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Mourning Doves,
Blue Jays (one imitating a Broad-winged Hawk), Black-capped Chickadees,
Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red
Crossbills, Pine Siskins, and American Goldfinches. Two rabbits nibbled on
the last of the birdseed.
American Crows: 13/266
Predictions:
Well, that was an awesome 21st season! This fall was full of fantastic
birds, fun sightings, and friendly people. Many thanks to all of our
volunteers, visitors, and supporters. Come again next year!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Kate McKay (<northernjay444...>)
Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory information may be found at:
www.harriscenter.org
