Date: 4/8/24 6:18 pm From: Andrew Bechdel <andrewbechdel...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawkwatch & Eclipse Watch - April 8th, 2024
Good Evening Birders,
Today was one of my favorite counting days ever. A good flight of migratory raptors with a solar eclipse. It doesn't get much better than that. After a slow start today, the Sharpie flight picked up considerably, tallying 25 on the day. Additionally, we had 5 Northern Harriers, 7 Kestrels, 11 Red-tails in the hour before the eclipse, and 7 Ospreys. 5 of the 7 Ospreys were seen moving low over the ridge during and after the peak of the eclipse. Our star of the show (aside from the literal one in the sky), a subadult Golden Eagle made its daily appearance and marks our 155th GE of the season. The flight seemed to be concentrated early before the eclipse and late in the day following the eclipse. As the sky dimmed around 3pm, it was interesting to see and hear the songbirds and raptors responding to the dimming and flocking to roost sites. Anyone else witness this phenomenon?
In other bird news, we had 9 migratory Northern Flickers, 27 Common Loons, and 5 Herring Gulls. During the eclipse, the Black-capped Chickadees called to each other, as if roosting. Afterwards when the sunlight rebounded, they began singing as if it were morning. It was a truly unique and wonderful experience!
Our photos show a few raptors and myself watching the eclipse. All are great study material and great eye candy. Notice the adult Broad-winged Hawk's 4 primary feathers pointing outward. This gives it its characteristic pointed wing shape in flight. The Sharpie featured is a juvenile. It can be easily separated from a Coop by its denser barring on the chest. The Cormorants shown are just a few of our 25 on the day. As usual, a Red-tailed Hawk showed some variation. Some RTs have almost all white underneath while others (like this RT) have an extensive dark belly.
We saw the sun crescent 3 separate times when some clouds briefly parted. It was one of those moments that makes you feel appreciative to be alive.
Tomorrow is a toss up. A light S wind could be a continuation of today's flight or it could be mediocre. We will just have to see.
