Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 17:30:00 Total observation time: 12.02 hours
Official Counter: Maili Waters
Observers: Bridget Watts, Chris Wood, Cliff Dekdebrun, Daena Ford, Janis George, Jessie Barry, Mike Tetlow, Randy Ford, Roger Clark, Rosemary Reilly, Vid Killius
Visitors: 40
Weather: The day started out mostly cloudy with temps in the mid 40s. Winds out of the SSE at 5-10mph. Around noon the winds shifted to the SSW and picked up to 15-20mph. The temps increased, reaching a high of 69F. At 3:30 the lake breeze shut down the flight and the temps dropped to the low 50s. However, The SW winds returned around 5 and temps went back into the high 60s.
Raptor Observations: What a day! The day had a relatively slow start with only a couple hundred birds before noon. However, at 2:30pm the sky filled with Broad-winged Hawks. In the hour between 2:30 and 3:30, over 8000 Broad-winged Hawks, 700 Turkey Vultures, and 200 Sharp-shinned Hawks passed over the platform. The flight paused around 3:30 due to the lake breeze, but resumed around 5pm with another several hundred birds. Other noteworthy sightings include a Short-eared Owl and a beautiful Golden Eagle that flew right over the platform.
Non-raptor Observations: In the morning there were lots of blackbirds, American Robins, and Purple Finches on the move. Flickers were migrating in singles and pairs for a total of around 50. The first Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Palm Warbler for the season were also seen.
Predictions: Tomorrow will be windy with some rain showers. High of 66F. Winds WSW at 20-30mph. There will probably be some Broad-wings moving after the rain. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Maili Waters (<mailirwaters...>) Braddock Bay information may be found at: http://www.bbrr.org/
