Date: 8/16/26 10:30 am From: Hawkcount.Org Reports <reports...> Subject: Bake Oven Knob (16 Aug 2026) 3 Raptors
Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 16, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:30:00 Observation end time: 09:00:00 Total observation time: 2.5 hours
Official Counter: Rick Morrissey
Observers: Brett White
Visitors: We had 10 visitors during this two and a half hour hawk count. Technically I was the second 'non-migrating' visitor today as I was greeted by Corey, ironically who is from my home town of Nazareth, Pa. As there was an exchange of 'credentials', he learned that I have two young grandchildren (boys), one who is starting soccer this month. I learned that Corey has two young boys, one who has been excelling in soccer for a number of years (Daymian), currently excited at being an offensive midfielder. My daughter Caitlin, who is the same age Corey, was a midfielder turned 'striker' for Freedom High School. Corey graduated from Freedom High School, the same year as my daughter.
I learned today that our LGNC weekend intern Brett White who I will work with the rest of this season, he is a Phillies fan. I am a Phillies fan. Brett was a catcher in High School, I was a pitcher in high school. We both agreed that the catcher 'calls the pitches', they run the game, and once pitchers accept that fact they become better pitchers.
On the drive home today, I realized that making a statement like "I was shut out today' as a counter is flat out ridiculous. Yes, the migration interns and volunteers count raptors, and that data is shared on this web-site to monitor the health of raptor species which not too long ago were considered vermin and shot out of the sky on this very same lookout.
Yet it is a only community of like minded nature enthusiasts like us who will work to protect the environment which supports these species who are all part of the Planet's Food Web. Our Food web, a conglomerate of food chains which supports us!
Pretty sure we will see Corey again, and at some point Daymian I suspect, and we will talk about soccer, and hawks, and if we talk long enough, Daymian will get a close up look at a Bald Eagle.
So as a final post script, my daughter and Corey both graduated from Freedom High School in 2009. Do you think I told him my favorite soccer story? The one where Caitlin scores her final goal, in the 'top 90', to knock Liberty High School out of the playoffs that year. Damn straight I did!
Weather: The count began at the South Lookout with low fog hugging the bowl, although visibility was 15-20 miles. The sun peaked through the high clouds for about a minute, otherwise it was 100% cloud cover. The low temperature was 68F at 0630EST, and the high temperature was 69F at 0900EST when a steady drizzle turned into a fairly heavy rain which chased us down the mountain. The long range forecast for the rest of the day was 80% rain so we called it a day, ready for better days ahead.
Raptor Observations: For observations raptor related, let me find the right word.....NONE. It has been a very long time since I was 'shut out', but hold that thought for a further observation and reflection of this second day of the BOK Hawk Watch.
Non-raptor Observations: Four Tree Swallows strafed the South lookout for over an hour to give us something to follow in our binoculars other there than the three Turkey Vultures who gracefully patrolled the bowl and Southern valley below. It was a short lived feeling of hope
Predictions: Partly sunny with a chance of showers in the afternoon. Warmer with highs in the mid 80's. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lehigh Gap Nature Center (<mail...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
