Count Day Scheduled 10/15/15

Bill is scheduling dates to be on the lookout. Here's his E-mail which designates Oct 15/ Thursday, as a definite, if you would like to join him:

 "Jimmy and Harold,
At our United Way get-together yesterday, I won a free vacation day. Probably will wait until early November to cash it in, but I’ve already marked a couple of possible days on my calendar that I don’t currently have programs scheduled. Will keep a close eye on the weather reports and hopefully one of those days will be a good one to do some hawkwatching.

This weekend ... I sure wish I could be up there when the front moves through and there is some clearing! Weather channel was saying winds will be from the north at 10-15 MPH after the front passes. That should blow some accipiters and other hawks south.

I’m definitely planning on being up there next Thursday, Oct. 15, all day if possible, so let folks know if you talk to anyone who might want to come up. (Can't go Friday) I’ll be back on the lookout all day on Saturday and probably Sunday afternoon after church, weather permitting. (It’ll kill me if Friday is the best day of the bunch for hawkwatching!!!!)

I’ll send reports as I’m able to get up there. There will be more highlights to come in 2015!
Bill Haley"

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And here is our Hawkwatch site of the day. Rockfish Gap, Va. (<click here for the link)  I won't be able to post one each day, but you now have 4 dots for a map. I'll let you do a little research to find out if they are North of Harvey's Knob or South of it.  Check them out on Hawkcount.org:

They had:
4 Osprey
8 Bald Eagles
1 Northern Harrier
77 Sharp-shins
31 Coopers
1 Red-Shouldered
2 Broadies
1 Red-tail
2 Golden Eagles
18 Kestrels
6 Merlins
1 un ID
for a total of 152 Raptors.

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For those who haven't discovered it yet, here's out Facebook link:


https://www.facebook.com/Soddy-Mountain-Hawk-Watch-1608121316117914/timeline/


Maybe you can drop by and help Bill -

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!

Jimmy and Cynthia Wilkerson

PS - An edit to report the record numbers of Peregrine Falcons seen in Florida.  Thanks, Jim Eager for the report!!

 "Many of you know about the legendary Peregrine Falcon counts at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch. (<click here and on the side bar for daily updates) They hold the single day and seasonal world records. 638 counted on Oct. 11, 2008, 651 on Oct. 10, 2012 and 4,219 for the 2014 season. Well my fellow hawk watchers the record was obliterated yesterday Oct. 10, 2015. They counted 1,506 Peregrine Falcons. Big congratulations to Rafael Galvez, Ted Keyel and the rest of the Florida Keys Hawkwatch volunteers. I was a counter there for nearly 3 seasons so it is near and dear to my heart. Rafael used to call me militant when I referred to the peregrines. Indeed I am"