First Day Stats

Our site is beginning to need a major hair cut! 

Sunday afternnoon:
9/9/2012
4 Broad-winged Hawks
1 Coopers Hawk
1 Sharp-Shinned Hawk


We also saw a few Turkey Vultures, and Black Vultures, which seemed so far off in the blue hazy skies.  But the greatest joy of the day were 2 Adult Bald Eagles flying North.  Good Views!

We were there from about 2 til 5.  In those 3 hours, there were only scattered and quickly dissipating clouds.  As hawk watchers know, it is difficult to see the hawks in blue hazy skies. But the upper level winds were carrying a lot of what we saw, zipping through our area like bullets.  We could only guess that a couple of the birds we saw, which could only be described as dark brown and moving too fast to stay on, were a local Red Tail and a Red -Shouldered hawk.  We were guessing that Broad-wings were probably moving through, but high and fast.  Even the 4 we saw were flashing in the sun or they would never had been seen.

Much thanks to our fellow birders, and excellent hawk spotters, Carolyn and Phil from up in Loudon TN, who were there by 1:30, especially since Carolyn got us on the only broad wings of the day!  Always great company, loved having them!

Yesterday was a day we highly recommend for hawk watching. A cold front had just passed through the day before, the winds were forecast for N at 5 to 10, and the hawks were "backed up" for several days from rain.  Toward the end of the month, this would be the great gathering day, but one thing yet is required to see the birds and that is a sky full of high clouds.  Against the clouds, we can often pick out even the high dots thermalling beneath the clouds. But one thing that happened yesterday, makes the birds tough to see no matter what.  There was a layer of local wind, not the 5 to 10 forecast on which the birds we saw pulled back their wings and shot across the sky. This masks their silouettes and darkens the features that help ID the birds. Almost no thermals to draw in the birds. No way to get a better look than to just keep manning the site in hopes of better watch days.  But yesterday was a good start, any way you look at it. 

Note: we also had common nite hawks pass through the tree tops.  It's a shame they aren't actually hawks so we could count them. Lots of butterflies and humming birds as we would expect. Also a few Blue Jays gathering.  Everything is on the move.  Fall is in full swing. LOL