Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers:
Visitors: None
11 hikers 3 runners
Weather: Warm. Light NW winds to start the count shifting to the W by 13:00. Visibility was limited to a haze for the entire count over Stone Valley limiting views to Warrior’s Ridge. Clouds came and went, but built steadily again in the afternoon. Despite a forecast of thunderstorms and rain, all that weather stayed over the Allegheny Front. Low temperature of 21 C at 08:00 and a high of 29C by 13:00. The count was called off at 15:00 due to flight tapering off.
Raptor Observations: OS 1 (52) BE 3 (104) NH 1 (36) SS 12 (191) BW 47 (1316) RT 1 (277) AK 1 (63) UR 1 (39) Total 67 (2631)
Arrived early on to mop up the last BW’s of yesterday’s movement. Lift off didn’t disappoint as my first bino pass I got a SSHA and second pass yielded a BW. Based on that, I am sure raptors were moving right at dawn as it was very warm and the winds were good all night. I had 44 of the 67 raptors for the day by 09:30 which is when the count is usually supposed to start. BW’s led the flight, however there was a nice push of SS’s too. By noon I couldn’t find a migrating raptor no matter how hard I scanned either in bins or out over the Stone Valley. I may have been limited on the Stone Valley side though as a heavy haze had developed.
Resident raptors detected were of course the RT’s and BE’s. The resident BW was out on Leading Ridge zipping around during the afternoon. I tracked it down onto the W face of Leading Ridge and got to watch it perch through the scope.
Non-raptor Observations: On the walk into the cut I was greeted by many BTNW that may have arrived overnight on the warm S winds. Lots of zee zee zee zee zo zeet going on. EATO was on territory holding down the fort when I arrived at the cut. He was belting out his song and could care less as I set up my gear. He then descended into the bushes to get his hop scratch on. I heard some loud chip notes directly behind me and got on a BAWW looking sharp. It got its nuthatch on by foraging under branches upside down.
duck sp. 1 Chimney Swift 1 Double-crested Cormorant 14 Great Blue Heron 1 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 10 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Common Raven 1 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 1 Tree Swallow 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 2 American Robin 2 House Finch 1 Purple Finch 6 American Goldfinch 3 Field Sparrow 1 Eastern Towhee 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 7 Common Grackle 2 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Pine Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Black-throated Green Warbler 5
Predictions: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 5 to 8 mph. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch information may be found at: tusseymountainspringhawkwatch.org/
