Looking Back to the Same Dates in 2018

By accident, I landed on the posts for this week when a random search in our search bar for Bald Eagle put me precisely on the same date as I was posting. Maybe an accident for me, but search is probably set up that way? But I just had to post it. It will probably run all together since the Blog changed a couple of years ago and I missed the deadline. I hope it is still readable: Soddy Mountain hawk totals Thurs., Oct. 18, 2018 Coverage (all times EST): 0800 - 1515 = 7.25 hrs. Counter: Bill Haley Helper: Ian Riley Weather: Clouds (thin Cirrus) 40% @ 0800, decreasing to 20% @ 0900, and gradually to 10% @ 1200. At 1300 clouds were 20%, but they were all behind us. Some clouds began forming in front of us @1400, 25%. By 1500 they were thicker "mackerel clouds" at 75%. Wind was N all day 5-15 mph. Temperature ranged from 53 F - 65 F. Barometric pressure started 30.40, was 30.43 from 1000-1200, then went down to 30.37 by 1500. Humidity 59% - 44%. Visibility was an excellent 70 K all day. Hawks: (all times EST) 0800: SS 2 0900: TV 31, SS 1 1000: 0 1100: SS 3, RS 1 1200: OS 1, SS 2, CH 1 1300: TV 7 1400: NH 1, SS 1 Raptor totals: 10/18/18 Turkey Vulture 38 Osprey 1 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned 9 Cooper's 1 Red-shouldered 1 _______________ Total Raptors = 51 Other sightings: Blue Jay 43 Monarch butterfly 5 I welcomed Ian Riley to the lookout for his first visit today. He has very sharp eyes and found several birds I would have missed. It was good to have his help and I will look forward to seeing him up there again. I shared some ID pointers and filled him in on the origins and history of the sport of hawkwatching. He first heard of hawkwatching when he stopped at a birding site while on a trip in Michigan and learned there was also a hawk watch nearby. This made him curious to see if there were any in Tennessee, and that's how he found us. Thanks again for the help today, Ian! You are welcome any time, and maybe the hawks will be flying better next time. Got a first large group of 31 migrant Turkey Vultures, with a later group of 7. Hope to see many more in the next few days. A late Osprey and Northern Harrier were nice too. Reporting: William G. Haley, Jr" The new numbers are up on Hawkcount.org. Jimmy had a few minutes to catch them up. Compare our numbers with other sites, and I challenge you to find out our Eagle total for the year while you are there. Turkey Vultures are beginning to move. Their numbers could really set this year's totals on a high note if someone is there to see them. Bill continues to watch through this week end. Thank you Ian! Hope you will continue to KEEP LOOKING UP!!! Posted by Soddy Mountain Hawk Watch at 8:48 PM