Date: 4/24/24 5:18 pm From: Andrew Bechdel <andrewbechdel...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawkwatch - April 24th, 2024
Good Evening Birders,
Our penultimate day was punctuated with rain in the morning and afternoon. We still enjoyed an Osprey and a few more Broad-winged Hawks. Despite the slow raptor day, Eastern Tent Caterpillar webs can be seen in the Cherry behind the rock pile and some adult moths were seen on the walk into the site. Perhaps these are a preferred snack of the now abundant Black-throated Green Warblers on Tussey. Moreover, the maples and oaks are budding, ephemerals are blooming on the trail, and the Appalachian Gooseberry has been blooming in the powercut. All are nice harbingers of spring and the flood of migrants yet to come in the next couple weeks. As mentioned previously, Friday will be our final day and potentially a big one for BWs!
See you at the Watch!
-Andrew
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor Counts: Apr 24, 2024SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack Vulture000Turkey Vulture1123194Osprey14451Bald Eagle23165Northern Harrier01819Sharp-shinned Hawk0144194Cooper's Hawk01228American Goshawk000Red-shouldered Hawk0535Broad-winged Hawk1413081308Red-tailed Hawk295209Rough-legged Hawk000Golden Eagle015164American Kestrel02237Merlin034Peregrine Falcon003Unknown Accipiter015Unknown Buteo002Unknown Falcon012Unknown Eagle001Unknown Raptor025Total:2018242326Observation start time:10:00:00Observation end time:16:30:00Total observation time:4.75 hoursOfficial CounterAndrew BechdelObservers:Visitors:N/AWeather:Started the watch at 1000 due to rain and had to take a couple breaks for showers at 1100 and 1300. Wind was moderate WNW in morning, shifting to NW in the afternoon. Skies were partly cloudy and variable throughout the day. Wind Speed: 5-14mph. Temperature: 10-14 Celsius.Raptor Observations:No Golden Eagles. Flight was slow to non-existent. Non-migratory Raptors: 5 Turkey Vultures, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Broad-winged HawkNon-raptor Observations:N/APredictions:Uncertain; Tomorrow doesn't look promising. Friday could be a great day for BWs with moderate SE wind.*
