Date: 8/27/25 3:40 pm From: Hawkcount.Org Reports <reports...> Subject: Waggoner's Gap (27 Aug 2025) 74 Raptors
Waggoner's Gap 40 km W of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 27, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- BV 0 0 0 TV 0 0 0 OS 3 24 24 BE 17 56 56 NH 1 7 7 SS 3 9 9 CH 2 6 6 AG 0 0 0 RS 0 1 1 BW 28 83 83 RT 15 43 43 RL 0 0 0 GE 0 0 0 AK 2 5 5 ML 0 0 0 PG 2 4 4 UA 0 1 1 UB 0 0 0 UF 0 0 0 UE 0 0 0 UR 0 1 1 SK 1 1 1
Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Jess Cosentino
Observers: Andy Frank, Dave Grove, Pat Freed, Pete Biasucci, Ron Freed
Visitors: 6
Weather: Steady NW winds were blowing shortly after sunrise and were consistent until late afternoon, Sunny with a good mix of cloud cover (cumulus) throughout the late morning into the late afternoon hours, High of 73 F
Raptor Observations: A brisk northwest morning wind was already blowing by the start of the count, with hints of fall in it. Raptors were moving down the ridge with good speed. At 9:30 AM, a raptor was briefly seen cutting low along the treeline to the north of the lookout, heading up right before circling just a bit over the trees - a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE paused briefly before pointing south and quickly riding the blustery NW wind away from the ridge and out of the view. This is the first countable record for STKI for the hawkwatch (a STKI was observed from the hawkwatch on August 31, 2023 but it did not migrate south)
By afternoon, the Broad-winged Hawk movement gained momentum as more birds began passing very high directly over the ridge for several hours. A good mix of Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks joined as the NW wind continued into the afternoon, shuffling birds south. Broad-wings were still passing incredibly high overhead well into the late afternoon hours, before slowly beginning to drop out of the sky, as the count ended with a late day Peregrine Falcon passing low directly over the ridge while pausing to hunt aerial insects
First Bird: BAEA 08:10 Last Bird: PEFA 15:25
Non-raptor Observations: LFE: 4
Chimney Swift 33, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4, Double-crested Cormorant 3, Downy Woodpecker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Wood Pewee 2, Common Raven 1, Cedar Waxwing 76, Barn Swallow 13, Carolina Wren 1, American Goldfinch 1, Cape May Warbler 4, warbler sp. 20, Monarch 2
Predictions: Similar conditions as today are forecasted for tomorrow, High in low 70s F with a mix of sun and cloud cover, Wind from the west and shifting to more SW by afternoon ======================================================================== Report submitted by WG Counter ()
