Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: AB
Observers:
Visitors: None
1 hiker
Weather: Surprisingly cool in the morning with NW winds at 12-19kph and clouds in place. Visibility was excellent for the entire count as the air quality was superb after the rain again last night. Mostly cloudy skies giving way to partly cloudy high cirrus clouds in the afternoon. Low temperature of 11C at 08:00 and a high of 20C at 14:00.
Raptor Observations: OS 4 (76) BE 1 (115) CH 1 (48) BW 12 (1452) RT 2 (310) Total 20 (2882)
No lift off occurred which isn’t surprising considering how cool it was this morning. The flight was slow and steady, peaking in the 09:00 hour with BW’s and one RT migrating out over Stone Valley.
Resident raptors were quite active during the count. At 08:13 a COHA was spotted out near Stone Mountain performing its wing display flight. At 08:38 an AK shot through the cut low on the S side of the ridge heading south. At 13:03 a RSHA was heard putting up a fuss and it eventually appeared low in the cut heading S. At 14:30 a SSHA shot across the cut from right behind me.
Non-raptor Observations: OVEN on the walk into the cut this morning. The CATE had me pondering what they were late in the afternoon. Three of them flying together on the line the COLO tend to take. A FISP was quite active in the low bushes on either side of where I stand. At one point I was sitting on my rock seat and I believe he may have made a friend as they hung out just feet away together. Later in the day one of them was singing from the EATO’s spot, but became quiet suddenly. It was giving the bird side eye and was in an alert posture. Seconds later a SSHA shot though the gap just behind it, never seeing the FISP.
Mourning Dove 1 Caspian Tern 3 Great Blue Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 8 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Common Raven 2 Black-capped Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 European Starling 2 Eastern Bluebird 2 American Robin 1 House Finch 1 Purple Finch 2 American Goldfinch 3 Field Sparrow 2 Eastern Towhee 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Common Grackle 4 Ovenbird 2 Black-and-white Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Black-throated Green Warbler 7 y
Predictions: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Adam Richardson (<poecile.gambeli...>) Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch information may be found at: tusseymountainspringhawkwatch.org/
