Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: David Brown
Observers: Alan Bloom, Bridget Watts, Cliff Dekdebrun, Kevin Griffith, Kim Steininger, Mike Tetlow, Steve Taylor, Vid Killius
Visitors: 20
Weather: A small amount of sunshine to start the day then overcast with some periods of thin clouds and periods of thicker clouds that shut the flight down. The winds were variable throughout the day. The wind started moderate from the southwest but in the second hour became a northeast lake breeze. A WSW wind overpowered the lake breeze about an hour after that. Around 1pm EST the lake breeze kicked in again for a short time before switching back to WNW. The winds weakened in the last hour with a thick overcast sky.
Raptor Observations: Slow the first few hours, then a few hours of good migration with several thousand Broad-winged Hawks, then slow again for the last few hours.
Very few migrants for the first hour of the count. In the second hour we had just over a hundred broad-wings before the winds shifted to a lake breeze and shut the flight down. After two more moderately slow hours the Broad-winged Hawks started coming through in large kettles. To begin they were high and split between the lake side and overhead. After the wind switched back to a lake breeze we had a few more large groups push through on the parkway side. A few observers went to scout at Frisbee Hill but never picked up a solid flight line. As the winds shifted back to WNW we picked up a small flight line over the platform. Some vultures got up in a brighter period during the last hour.
We had just over three hundred Turkey Vultures. A half dozen Ospreys and ten Bald Eagles. Moderate harrier migration with 14. Moderate Accipiter numbers with 113 sharpies and 5 Coops.
It was the best day so far for Broad-winged Hawks with around 2,800. The peak hours of 12pm and 1pm EST had 1,025 and 1,578 respectively. Only sixteen Red-tailed Hawks. One light-morph Rough-legged Hawk in the afternoon. The three Golden Eagles were all immature including one with huge white patches.
We had all three falcons with 14 kestrels, 2 merlins, and a peregrine.
Hawk Watch: 2 Pied-billed Grebes, Sandhill Crane, American Bittern, Green Heron, 2 Great Egrets, 12 Great Blue Herons, 5 Purple Martins, Brown Thrasher, Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark. https://ebird.org/checklist/S169219387
New species for season: Green Heron, American Bittern
Predictions: TOMORROW: Cloudy with showers. High 61F. Winds SSE shifting SSW at 10-20mph. Chance of rain 60%. Good winds but the flight will depend on the amount and timing of the rain. There is a chance that the day may turn out to be a bust, but southerly winds ahead of an approaching front during the peak of the Broad-winged Hawk migration shouldn't be ignored!
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy then cloudy. High 48F. Winds W at 15-25mph. Expect moderate migration.
SUNDAY: Intervals of clouds and sun. High 53F. Winds W at 15-25mph. Expect moderate migration. ======================================================================== Report submitted by David Brown (<davidebrownpa...>) Braddock Bay information may be found at: http://www.bbrr.org/
