Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: David Brown
Observers: Jess Cosentino, Kim Steninger, Vid Killius
Visitors: 8
Weather: Started at Braddock Bay Park where it was mostly sunny with some cumulus clouds off to the west with moderate northeasterly winds.
I moved to Frisbee Hill at 8:30am EST where it continued to be mostly sunny for a few hours before clearing to completely blue skies. The wind shifted from northeast to north.
I returned to Braddock Bay Park at 2pm EST for the final two hours of the count.
Raptor Observations: I started at Braddock Bay Park to see where the flight line developed and had one Sharp-shinned Hawk and saw a few Turkey Vultures and Broad-winged Hawks in past the parkway. Since the wind was from the northeast I followed protocol and moved to Frisbee Hill where a moderate flight picked up in the midday with a steady line of vultures out towards the parkway and small groups of broad-wings high overhead. Two Golden Eagles were flying very high and a short time later a third was seen.
The weather changed slightly with all of the clouds disappearing and a subtle change in the winds, perhaps from northeast to straight north. When that happened the flight suddenly shut down with no more high broad-wings and only a few Turkey Vultures being seen.
After an hour of empty skies I decided to move back to the platform to see if there was a flight. Shortly after I arrived I noticed a group of around 30 Turkey Vultures over the west spit. Another similar sized group followed shortly after, plus some scattered individuals. After that the flight ended and few migrants were seen in the last hour.
Notable totals of the day included 197 Turkey Vultures, 79 Broad-winged Hawks, and 3 Golden Eagles.
Predictions: TOMORROW: POSSIBLE BIG DAY. Cloudy with rain later in the day. High 63F. Winds SW at 10-20mph. Great conditions with favorable winds all day that should be strong enough to hold off a lake breeze. A bit of sun in the morning will help to get the hawks up. We are still in peak Broad-winged Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk migration and all signs point to it being a good flight! The flight should be more steady instead of the single huge push we had last Friday. My only concern would be thickening cloud cover in the afternoon ahead of the rain that could slow the flight as it gets gloomier. If the winds end up being lighter than forecast a lake breeze is also possible. Expect moderate to good migration.
WEDNESDAY: Rain and snow showers in the morning becoming partly cloudy. High 48F. Winds NNW at 10-20mph. Expect minimal migration.
THURSDAY: Mainly sunny. High 43F. Winds NE at 5-10mph. Expect light to moderate migration. Count may move to Frisbee Hill. ======================================================================== Report submitted by David Brown (<davidebrownpa...>) Braddock Bay information may be found at: http://www.bbrr.org/
