Date: 12/18/25 9:32 am From: Grove, Gregory William <gwg2...> Subject: Stone Mt Hawk Watch summary 2025
2025 season Stone Mt summary : Records since 1995.
Stone Mt. is on the Huntingdon/Mifflin border, between McAlevys Fort and Allensville.
2025:The Good: Another big year for Bald Eagles. Above avg. (over 31 years) for Broad-wings and Golden Eagles.
A Swainson's Hawk - seen two days:Oct 14 (Nick Bolgiano, Pedro Miranda) and Oct 15 (Jen Lee, Connor Schmitt)
The Bad: Record Low #s for FIVE species despite above avg. coverage. Considering 31 years of data, five record lows is astounding IMO. I blame some of it on frequent unfavorable wind, but one must wonder about declining numbers, for Osprey and Kestrel in particular.
Osprey, Sharp-shins, Cooper's, Red-shoulders,, Kestrels. - record lows
Averages below are TEN-YEAR RUNNING average
Hours of observation – 479; avg = 485
Osprey – 30; avg = 50 Record low
Best day - 5 Aug 29
Bald Eagle –294; Avg = 217 Second highest
High day 19 on 9/7
By month: Aug - 14, Sept - 78, Oct - 85, Nov - 113, Dec - 4
Northern Harrier – 36; avg = 43. (18th straight year below long term 31 year avg).
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 389; Avg = 702. Record low
Best day was 43 on Oct 10
Cooper’s hawk – 47; Avg = 80. Record low
N Goshawk. – 0; Avg = 2. Fourth straight year with zero. (endangered in PA).
Best day 32 on 10/27 ( a remarkably poor "high-day" count)
Rough-legged Hawk - 0; Avg = 1.
Golden Eagle - 126; Avg= 145
Best days- 12 on 11/16 and 11/27
American Kestrel– 29; Avg= 71. Record low
High day - 5 on 10/8
Merlin – 19; Avg = 35.
Peregrine Falcon – 14; Avg = 26.
Unidentified = 22
Turkey Vulture - 301
Black Vulture – 11
Total raptors excluding vultures = 3806; Avg = 4705
Greg Grove (compiler), Pedro Mirana, David and Trudy Kyler, Nick Bolgiano, Jen Lee, Ron Crandall, Connor Schmitt, , Jon Kauffman, Doug Wentzel, Jen Anderson, Josh Potter, and staff from Shavers Creek.
