Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 11:00:00 Total observation time: 2.5 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Visitors: About 2 dozen hikers and other sightseers who were a bit disappointed by the lack of visbility. I enjoyed talking with our friend Frannie for a while.
Weather: A humid air mass moved in overnight, which increased the cloud cover and decreased the visibility. A low layer of scattered cumulus clouds moved beneath a high layer of cirrus and stratus clouds. The cloud base began the session at about 3500 ft (obscuring the top of Mt Monadnock) and rose to about 6000 ft in the next few hours. Boston was barely visible, and Mt Grace defined the limit of visibility to the NW. Temps in the low to high 60's, light-to-moderate SW winds. Rain clouds began building in the distance in the late morning.
Raptor Observations: Despite the impending rain and SW winds, I decided to come up for a few hours to see what might be moving. A distant Osprey moving off to the SW gave me some hope at the start of the session, but that was all of the migrants for the day. Three TVs, a Broad-wing (juv) and two relatively close Bald Eagles (adult and sub-adult) comprised the total of the non-migrating raptors for the day. Two of the TVs were quite active, playing "tag" with each other which leads me to believe that they were likely juveniles. With rain showing on the radar to the west, the wind picking up, no signs of any more migrating birds, and a major racket coming from the cement pouring trucks on the ski slope just below us, I decided to shut down early.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Chimney Swift - 15 (minimum number, put on a nice show for a while) Tree Swallow - 1 Barn Swallow - 2 Gr Catbird - 1 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: A much better forecast for Saturday - sunny with temps in the 60's, and 8-12 mph WNW winds which is normally a resonably good direction for migration at our site. Even better on Sunday with slightly warmer temps and NNW to N winds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
