Celebration Day Counts

Saturday
Sept 16, 2017

43 migrants today

Bill's email Report for the numbers yesterday-

"There was so much going on at Soddy Mtn. Hawk lookout today, I am going to skip right to the raptors seen first. More on the other exciting festivities, which attracted our largest crowd ever on the lookout, to come later.

Osprey: (1) 10:28, (1) 12:25, (1) 12:40, (1) 1:09, (1) 5:00

Bald Eagle: (1) 4:15 (3-4 yr.bird), (2) 4:20 (ad.), (1) 4:27 (imm.), (1) 4:31 (ad.)

Sharp-shinned Hawk: (1) 12:49, (1) 3:10, (1) 3:26

Broad-winged Hawk: (5) 12:27, (1) 12:37, (4) 12:46, (1) 12:49, (3) 1:02, (1) 1:32, (3) 1:37, (1) 1:42, (1) 2:50, (1) 2:55, (1) 3:55, (1) 4:04, (1) 4:15, (1) 4:37, (1) 4:57

American Kestrel: (1) 3:159

Peregrine Falcon: (1) 12:32, (2) 3:20

Totals:

OS - 5

BE - 5

SS -3

BW - 26

AK - 1

PGA - 3

Nice diversity today, although we are still waiting on bigger numbers of Broad-wings. Highlights were 3 Peregrine Falcons, 5 Osprey and 5 Bald Eagles. 

There was some confusion around 3:20 as some people were on a Peregrine and some of us were on an American Kestrel in the same general area. When we finally realized we were looking at two different birds, another Peregrine joined them. We were treated to two Peregrines soaring together right overhead! 

Between 4:15 and 4:31 we counted 5 Bald Eagles headed south, 3 adults and 2 Immatures. 

Weather conditions: Wind was calm at 8:00, becoming easterly for most of the day, at only 1-5 mph. Temperatures ranged from 66 to 84 F. This morning clouds were 3%, gradually building to 15% at 1:00, 60% at 2:00, and dropping back to 20% at 4:00. Barometric pressure started at 30.14 and ending at 30:06.

Watchers:

Jim Rowell 8:00-5:00

Bill Haley 8:30-5:15

Harold Birch 9:00-5:15

Jim & Cynthia Wilkerson 11:30-5:15

Roi & Debbie Shannon 11:30-5:15

Danny Gaddy 12:00-1:30

Tami King 2:00-5-15

Mike McClellan 3:00-4:30

Reporting: Bill Haley"

 

Have to admit we might have missed counting a bird or two??? while we were having fun releasing the 5 BW rehabbed Hawks which Happinest Rehab brought us.  But that is always valuable time, and enough people kept looking up, that I am pretty sure we didn't miss a big Kettle. LOL What a treat to see 5 BW's survive to fly into this year's migration themselves.  I am including a few pictures my daughter took with this post and a few more with Bill's next post, where he discusses the adventure day.  The number of people who support  the conservation efforts was exciting to see yesterday, when our watch was full of excited people, many of whom had never been on a hawk watch before, including some of our families.  It was so nice to share with them all the enthusiasm.

 

Come join us, if you have a bit of time as we

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!

 

Jimmy and Cynthia Wilkerson