Two Overcast Days, Best Peregrine Year Ever?

Jimmy hates when the dates on the blog read it backwards, so here are two days with the earliest day first.  Don't miss Saturday's report   A new record may be set soon.


Bill's been measuring the puffballs that have shown up on the lookout as they grow.
Something to do in the slower hours.
by Bill Haley

 Bill's reports make it really clear that raptors do fly on cloudy, maybe even rainy days.  In general, it's miserable to be in the open in the rain trying to look up. And in September, lightning often accompanies clouds.  So we don't often stay in the rain.  And the yield is generally small. So we sometimes give the impression that raptors don't move in the rain. But, if you can handle staying on an overcast day, or with a little rain, expect to count the Accipiters this time of year.

I recently posted on the Facebook page, that along the Texas border and further south, they saw huge numbers of hawks, all kinds making the push in 100% cloud cover.  I personally have seen BW's making use of the wind currents, flying through a thunderstorm.  But if the birds fly over the clouds, we certainly can't count them, unless there are breaks in the clouds.  I have seen good numbers of BW's moving above clouds through the breaks in clouds before.  So please don't let our staying home on bad rainy days in September let us leave you with an impression that hawks don't fly, if they can.

Generally on a very rainy day, pouring down all day...wet wings don't help a hawk move without spending too much energy. So we do see them down on such days.  But when the migration bug bites, they move when they can, even if it's above the clouds. Or low down the valley.

Here's Bill's posts: 

"Friday the 13th wasn't unlucky at Soddy Mountain hawk lookout. The weather was a bit crazy, as it went from clear to completely overcast and then back to almost clear again. Visibility actually got worse as the day went on. It was very murky over the valley.

Hawks by hour:

8:45-9:00 - 0

9:00-10:00 - 0

10:00-11:00- SS (1)

11:00-12:00- SS (2)

12:00-1:00- NH (1), SS (4)

1:00-2:00- SS (1), PG (1)

2:00-3:00- SS (2)

3:00-3:45- SS (1)

Friday

Oct 13, 2017

Total hawks:  13

NH 1, SS 11, PG 1

Weather: Clouds: 5% @ 9:00, 10% @ 10:00, 95% @ 11:00, 99% @ 12:00, 40% @ 1:00, 20% @ 2:00, 10% @ 3:00. Wind: W 5-10 @ 9:00, E 1-2 @ 10:00, SW 5-10 @ 12:00, SW 5-12 rest of day. Temperature: 58F - 82 F. Barometric pressure: 30.20 up to 30.23 @ 11:00, decreasing gradually to 30.16 @ 3:00. Humidity: 95%-58%. Visibility: 40K down to 25K. 

It's good to finally be seeing some accipiters! Sharpies kept coming through when it was overcast. One was so low it had to flap quickly to gain some altitude to clear the top wire of the power line in front of me. Nice looks at the Peregrine Falcon! 

20-30 Chimney Swifts around lookout today and one Tree Swallow. Palm Warbler hunting insects low in the pines at edge of bluff. 12 Eastern Bluebirds on wires @ 11:40.

Monarch butterflies: 12

Counter: Bill Haley,  8:45-3:45

Reporting: Bill Haley"

AND

"A completely overcast day, and some hawks were still flying!

Weather: Clouds: 100% all day. Wind: SSW 2-10 @ 11:00, SE 2-8 @ 12:00 and for rest of the day. Temperature: 72-76 F. Barometric pressure: 30.28, gradually decreasing to 30.20. Humidity: 78% - 66%. Visibility: 15K all day.

Hawks by hour:

11:00-12:00 - SS (2)

12:00-1:00 - 0

1:00-2:00 - PG (1)

2:00-3:00 - SS (5)

3:00-3:45 - SS (1)

Saturday

Oct 14, 2017

Total hawks 9, (SS 8, PG 1)

The weathermen said it would clear in the afternoon. They were wrong. What hawks migrate on such a day? The answer today at Soddy Mountain was 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon. 

It was the best look I've had of a Peregrine all fall! Just a little above eye - level and not too far out. This has been one of our best Peregrine years in the 25 year history of the hawk watch. They are definitely on the rise!

Monarch butterflies: 10

Counter: Bill Haley,  11:00-3:45

Reporting: Bill Haley"

______________________________________________

 

Note: According to the Stats From the Past charts,  our total # of Peregrines from 2015, was 16 at season's end, our largest number of Peregrines so far.  With today's report we are only 1 Peregrine away from breaking that record. In other word, today's Peregrine tied us with the 2015 record!  It's a little late to expect that storms have pushed these birds West from the coastline, so it is easy to be hopeful that Peregrines in our flyway are on the increase!

 

Even in the Rain!!!

 

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!