Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Maili Waters
Observers: Bridget Watts, Dominic Sherony, Mike Tetlow, Pat Lindsay,
Robin Morey, Rosemary Reilly, Tim Willis
Visitors:
10
Weather:
Today started off cloudy with temps in the low 30s. Winds were south at
5-10mph. By mid-day it was mostly sunny and temps reached a high of 44F,
but a strong lake breeze took over and pushed the flight inland. We moved
to Frisbee Hill, however the flight was even farther in, and only a few
birds were seen. Around 2pm I moved back to Braddock Bay Park in hopes that
there were some vultures going down the lakeshore again. The winds remained
NE and it became completely cloudy with the temps dropping back into the
30s.
Raptor Observations:
The flight was a little frustrating today. There were birds seen early,
giving me hope, however the strong lake breeze pushed the flight too far
inland and a flight line never materialized within sight of either count
location. Over the course of the day, we had a few hundred Turkey Vultures
and only a handful of other raptors. We had single digit Red-tailed Hawks,
Red-shouldered Hawks, Bald Eagles, and Cooper�s Hawks. The first two birds
of the day were a Merlin and an American Kestrel.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds include my first Eastern Phoebe of the season, 6 Sandhill
Cranes, and a few hundred robins and blackbirds on the move. All three
species of grebe were on the bay this morning with 4 Horned, 2 Pied-billed,
and 1 Red-necked.
Predictions:
Tomorrow�s weather: Cloudy skies in the morning with periods of rain in the
afternoon. Temps will reach a high of 56F. Winds will be WSW in the
morning, shifting to WNW in the afternoon. Depending on how heavy the cloud
cover is and when the rain hits, there could be raptors on the move in the
morning. Most likely Turkey Vultures will be the most abundant species with
a handful of other species mixed in.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Maili Waters (<mailirwaters...>)
Braddock Bay information may be found at:
http://www.bbrr.org/
