Bake Oven Knob 2 miles North of Germansville, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 25, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 8.25 hours
Official Counter: Rick Morrissey
Observers: Andre Vu, Brett White
Visitors: The slow migration day did not deter those who visit Bake Oven Knob for the views, for the Fall colors, and the hope of seeing a magnificent Bald Eagle. The South Lookout was crawling with kids, literally, a total of 217 with 87 engaged in conversations about raptors, geology, dendrochronology, entomology, and what are the best micro brew pubs in the Lehigh Valley. Brett White, our weekend community engagement intern was incredibly busy passing out spare binoculars for all interested customers, like a hot dog vendor at an Iron Pigs game.
So to sum things up, the concept of hospitality comes from the Latin word 'hospes', meaning both host and guest and the reciprocal relationship of mutual care.
In that long stretch of almost 4 hours without a raptor, two young men visited the North Lookout and I of course greeted them because 'hey', what else was I doing? As they were above me at the highest point of the out cropping of rocks, my explanation of zero raptors so far had my back to migration flight path. One of the young men said 'there is a bird,' and it was in fact an immature Cooper's Hawk. So the 'guest' gave the morning count its only raptor.
Mid-day I moved to the South Lookout and spent more time than usual interacting with the visitors young and old. As the observers were pointing out a single non-migrating Bald Eagle high above the Lookout amongst 4-5 Vultures, a visitor who had just arrived pointed to a second Adult Bald Eagle. We had eight total raptors for the day. One in the morning which I would have missed, a second eagle high sky which I might have missed, and then Andre Vu (our weekday counter) who was visiting with a friend pointed out a Merlin, and two Red tailed Hawks which were added to the daily count. Five out of eight by our visitors today. Maybe I should not be highlighting this as the 'official' counter, sad yet true.
Some twenty years ago I started to visit Bake oven Knob, and it is truly the hospitality of this community which has me coming back each year. Today was a classic day, with only eight raptors, one of the best days if you ask me.
Weather: Hazy cloudless light blue sky all day, winds were NNW in the morning ranging from 2-5mph, then shifting to variable South winds in the afternoon ranging from calm to 2-3mph. The low temperature was 43F at the start of the count, then things started to heat up with a high temperature of 62F at 1400 and 1500 EST. Visibility looking North was fairly clear at 15-25 miles. The Southern Valley had limited visibility at 10-15 miles until the final hour, which under normal hawk count days might have hampered the count if in fact there were birds in the sky.
Raptor Observations: I started the count at the North lookout because of the NNW winds and I was fairly hopeful for some accipiter activity. Yet what makes raptor migration so satisfying is that it actually is not predictable. Today was just one of those days, fairly consistent from BOK to Hawk Mountain to Route 183, a slow day for all of 'us.'. The entire morning, one raptor, an immature Cooper's Hawk. The afternoon had some Bald Eagle activity with an Adult and immature 'testing the waters' in the many thermals that at one point were joined by 21 Vultures (19 Turkey and 2 Black). In the 1400 EST hour, we had some great views of two adult Bald Eagles soaring high in a thermal with a very close view of a second year immature Bald Eagle that was lit up by the sun as it was beginning it's final descent. This immature flew right up to the finish line, and it was just the way today's story went, the 'youngster' turned East yet spent some quality time high above the 'bowl.'
There was a late day push of four Red tailed Hawks for a total of five for the day, and last but not least, a Merlin.
Non-raptor Observations: The usual suspects in the 'bowl' woods, Pileated WPs drumming on dead trees answering each other for almost 30 minutes which helped the boredom of the morning. Not until the last two hours of the count, a 'murder' of 13 Ravens with a few crows mixed in which I am pretty sure I have not seen this before.
Predictions: Sunny with highs in the upper 60s. West winds around 5 mph. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lehigh Gap Nature Center (<mail...>) Bake Oven Knob information may be found at: www.lgnc.org
