Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 13, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 10:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official Counter: Rick Morrissey
Observers: Brett White, Brody Ritter, Marie Bachman
Visitors: 44 visitors, we engaged with 16 of them, entertained a few.
It was a fun day, I finally met Brody. Last year Brody carried a long time expert observer from the North lookout to the parking lot where volunteers got him to a local Emergency Room to tend to his broken ankle. It took over 90 minutes, he carried him on his back. I never met Brody until today. There was no introduction. He simply looked like the only one I have met in the past year who could have accomplished this extraordinary feat. I said, "My name is Rick, you must be Brody." Thank goodness I got this ID out of the way early in the season. How weird would it be for me to ask random people every Sunday, "Are you Brody?'
Anyway, we met a another lovely couple, Steph and Tim. I asked them where they were from, and Steph said "Bethlehem, but we always did not live there.' I told her I used to live in Bethlehem Township, but I don't live there now. We bonded quickly until I told her a story about a Rough legged Hawk that wintered over in Tatamy for a number of years that I would observe and she asked if I gave this raptor a name. She left me speechless, a rare occurrence, maybe a first. Now I am working on a name, for a bird that does not live here, a nomadic migratory visitor like Steph. I got it, I will name the female Rough legged Hawk, you guessed it, Miss Stephanie. Your move Steph, I am speechless no more!
Weather: Rain and drizzle until 1000 EST, then two hours of fog that engulfed the South lookout until noon. It took just twenty minutes to clear the area, yet for us it may have been 'too little to late' for raptors but glad to see Hawk Mountain and Route 183 had good flights. Temperatures ranged from 74F at the start of the count, with the high temperature reaching 82F at 1500 EST. Winds were light and variable from calm to 1-4 mph. Wind direction, SSW to start, turning westerly, then variable from N to NE.
Raptor Observations: Broadwings were llight and variable as well, most often being seen in singles or doubles off peak # 1, then streaming over the airport and farm fields South. In the afternoon, sometimes we would spot some BWs on the North slopes, over the 'notch and hump' going west. We had a couple of kettles in the 'low teens, but most fizzled out and were not counted. Most probably they turned into the 'ones and twos' we counted until the flights ended at about 1430 EST.
We had two Osprey and one Juvenile Bald Eagle for the big birds. The female Kestrel flew from peak # 1, through the bowl at just above tree level. It would have been a shame to miss this one, 'nice catch Brody!'.
Bald Eagle (Juvenile) - 1232 EST
Non-raptor Observations: A curious slow day for passerines and other avian life. A Raven, Pileated Woodpecker, tree swallows. It just occurred to me, I don't think we saw one hummingbird.
Predictions: Take a look at the next three days, seems like Broadwing season in full swing.
Sunny, less humid with this cold front. Highs in the lower 70s, with North winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lehigh Gap Nature Center (<mail...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
