Reports from 2 Days of the Front Passing Through

 Before the reports from our watchers,  I want to add in a little info on how to  ID Bald Eagles when you can't see that beautiful white on the head and tail.  Not so likely unless it's an immature bird, because those flashes of white from a full adult can be seen from a great distance many times.

 But, sometimes we need to know by silhouette  only.  Our first picture shows the reason why I call them the flying board.  They fly for miles in good lift, with wings stretched out flat, scarcely moving them, except to bank.  Never a flap. They take the most advantage of the wind that is possible, and use the least effort possible.  That wingspan can approach 8'.  And it actually can look like an airplane approaching on first glance.  Check out more on Eagles after The Thursday and Friday reports.>>>>

Jim Rowell has been faithful to cover for the mornings, and Bill Haley went up immediately just before noon today, to get good coverage even though the front was passing through.  If only there had been more rain and the cloud cover had opened sooner, as predicted.  Love the hours they are racking up. Thank you so much Jim.


Here's what happened Thursday and Friday while it was cloudy: Bill's email -

"Oct. 20, 2016:

Jim Rowell covered the lookout from 9:30-4:30, hoping to get some birds trying to move before the front arrived. Not much weather info, but temps reached 89 degrees. It looked like he would have a good day for about 1 1/2 hours, but the accipiter flight ended abruptly. I offered to file his report

Here is Jim's report:

Sharp-shinned Hawk: (1) 11:08, (1) 11:13, (1) 11:22, (1) 11:44, (1) 12:11, (1) 12; 14

Cooper's Hawk: (1) 11:08

Northern Harrier: (1) 1:57 - adult male "gray ghost"

Totals: 6 SS, 1 CH, 1 NH"

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Check out how far that head extends beyond the wings on this bird and compare to the Raptor below.
 

 Bill also reports -

"Oct. 21, 2016:

I arrived at 11:45. Jim Rowell had been there since 9:15. 100% clouds all morning with NW winds of 10-15 MPH,  with stronger gusts. 

 The only thing he had seen of interest was a "murder" of 56 American Crows just south of the lookout - the largest group we've seen so far. He'd seen no migrating hawks when I got there. 

Weather at 11:45 was 95% clouds, wind still strong from NNW 10-20,  temperature 58 F, barometric 30.06, visibility 45K. 

I spotted the first hawk, a Sharpie, at 12:00. We didn't see another until 1:06. It was very cool and windy and the clearing the weathermen predicted as the cold front moved through just wasn't happening. Clouds stayed 85%-95% most of the afternoon.Our best sighting was a Blue - headed Vireo,  which we heard singing just south of the lookout. It cooperated by flying up into a bare treetop, giving us great looks.

 

Jim decided to call it a day at 4 pm.  I decided to stay till 4:15, since I got there at 11:45 and wanted to get in at least 4.5 hours. Adding Jims time we had 7 hours total effort for the day.

Despite the fact the clouds had dwindled to 50%, I didn't expect anything else. Jim hadn't been gone one minute when I spotted two sharpies in a cloud. As I watched them a third Sharpie joined them. They glided south at 4:03. I didn't see anything else.

I'll be up there tomorrow morning. It will be COLD! If you come, please be prepared - coat or heavy  hoodie,  hat, scarf, gloves, lip balm, sunblock. You can always take off extra layers if you get warm. If you get too cold, you can't put on things you don't bring!!! A good idea is to bring more to keep yourself warm than you think you'll need.

If you don't,  there is no whining in hawk watching. 

Today's totals:

Sharp - shinned Hawk - 5

Am. Crow - 56

Blue headed Vireo - 1
 

Reporting - Bill Haley"

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Saturday and Sunday are event days, so come prepared to weather them!  Bill gives good advice this report on how to dress. What an opportunity is open to anyone who loves hawks this weekend. 

 

Can you guess what this Raptor is? It too can be a flying board...perfectly flat wings.

Not a Vulture, although the fingers on the wings, make you think of a Black Vulture.

 

Not as long narrow looking as the Bald Eagle. And that tail isn't all white?  There is a wide white band followed by a wide dark band...

If you look carefully, you can see the head is shiney, not white. 

 

But if it flies like an eagle...it probably is. This is an immature Golden Eagle. Not seen from the hawk watch, but from Sequatchie Valley.  But a great example of the wings like a board stance of Eagles.  The picture may not show the color well, but that head is golden.  It is reflecting the light so well it shines as if white.  It is therefore necessary to check out our Eagles carefully.  Note the smaller head, relative to the very wide wings. That of a Bald Eagle appears massive in comparison.  The head can be your first clue, when identifying the Golden.  Once I saw a Golden that was so shiny gold, that as it banked in the sun, it even looked golden underneath.  But it definitely is Dark brown to blackish.   This same effect is often seen on Crows and other black birds quite often.The head and shoulders actually have golden colored feathers, more so as an adult.

 

Compare this silhouette to the Bald Eagle at the top of the page, and you notice right away the difference in the shape of the wings. There  is an airplane prop shape to the Bald that just isn't present on the Golden.  But when they pull those wings in like the center photo, the head can be a better clue to the ID.

 

Eagles will be seen in our area all winter.  In fact, a number of pairs will build nests and raise young. But, Goldens will be much rarer, and nesting pairs should definitely be reported!  Where Eagles were a daily sight in September, they are on the move now, and most can be counted.

 

If you have noticed, Harriers have been regulars on our counts, and the numbers are definitely encouraging.  Most are seen in the mornings it seems.  So meeting Jim early might net you one for the year if you need it. 

 

We appreciate our readers, and as many of you are seasoned Hawk watchers yourselves, we hope you will share some of our posts with those who wish to learn as we go.  Also, have them check out the Identifications page, where we continue to add info about identifying our Raptors.  Especially, by their silhouette.

 

Take a chance and scan the skies with your binoculars every chance you get, because you never know what might be up there...Maybe YOU will see a nice Golden Eagle, if you just -

 

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!!

 

Jimmy and Cynthia Wilkerson