Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Maili Waters
Observers: Jessie Barry, Luke Seitz, Niki Banke, Stephen Menzie
Visitors:
15
Weather:
Today started off cloudy with west winds at 15-20mph. Temps started in the
low 40s and reached a high of 52F. As the day progressed, the clouds
started to dissipate and by the end of the day it was completely clear. The
winds picked up throughout the day ending with 20-25mph WSW winds with some
stronger gusts.
Raptor Observations:
Over the course of the day we tallied a total of 192 raptors! It was
another great day for Rough-legged Hawks with a total of 21. This makes our
season total so far 62, beating last year�s whole season total of 52! The
most abundant species today were Red-tailed Hawks (52), Turkey Vultures
(43), and Red-shouldered Hawks (27). There were also Bald Eagles,
Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper�s Hawks, and all three falcons seen today! The
highlight of the day was a beautiful adult Golden Eagle that flew over the
platform providing excellent views.
Non-raptor Observations:
Overall the numbers of other birds were a lot lower today than yesterday.
Only a few robins and blackbirds were moving around and Canada Goose
numbers were a lot lower. There were however lots of Snow Geese with about
1,225 birds going over. A few small flocks of Tundra Swans passed by, along
with a few Sandhill Cranes here and there. Nearing the end of the day, a
relatively small flock of Canada Geese flew into the bay and among them was
a single Ross�s Goose!
Predictions:
Tomorrow�s weather: Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly
sunny skies for the afternoon. Temps reaching a high of 65F. Winds will be
SW at 15-20mph. These conditions are very favorable for raptor migration! I
am expecting to see a decent number of birds tomorrow with Turkey Vultures
probably being the most abundant species.
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Report submitted by Maili Waters (<mailirwaters...>)
Braddock Bay information may be found at:
http://www.bbrr.org/
