Saturday, October 13 2018

Two Merlins in one day!!!!! Still one straggling Broad-wing. Starting to count the Turkey Vultures. He only needs 212 raptors to top 4,000 birds counted this year.  A couple good kettles of TVs a day would get him there in a hurry.

 

This is what it looked like when the skies opened, Bill, says: 

 

William G. Haley: I thought you might like this TV photo, taken today just as the first glimpses of blue started to show up.

William G. Haley: I thought you might like this TV photo, taken today just as the first glimpses of blue started to show up. 

 

 

 

Soddy Mountain hawk totals

 Sat., Oct. 13, 2018

"Coverage,( all times EST): 

0900 - 1500 = 6.0 hrs.

Counter: Bill Haley

     An interesting mix of raptors today. Two Merlin's we're nice! Got one very late Broad-wing. Also counted my first Red-shouldered Hawk of the fall. One group of 7 migrating Turkey Vultures were also seen.     

    

     Most of the day featured 95-99,%  clouds, but they began to break up around 1300, and cleared out quickly after that. Unfortunately and inexplicably, the hawks kind of dried up after that too.

     I am starting to see some small groups of migrant Blue Jay's, with 34  counted today. Biggest was 14. Also saw a small flock (16) of tree swallows at 0952 and a couple more at 1400. Heard a Red-breasted Nuthatch and saw a couple of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. (They seem to have arrived yesterday.)

Weather:

Clouds 99% till 0900 - 1300, 80% and decreasing that hour, dwindling to 35% @ 1400. Wind N 2-5 MPH most of day, shifting to NE 1-4 @ 1400. Barometric pressure 30.04 to 30.06 from 1000 - 1300, falling to 30.01  @ 1400. Visibility was 70K all day.

 

William G. Haley: This is what it looked like until 2pm today.
Even with 99% clouds I still saw some hawks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawks by the hour: (all times EST):

0900: SS 3

1000: ML 1

1100: RS 1, BW 1

1200: TV 7, BE 2 (ad.), SS 1

1300: SS 1, ML 1

1400: RT 1

Hawk totals:

10/13/18 

Turkey Vultures 7

Bald Eagle 2 (ad.)

Sharp-shin 5

Red-shouldered 1

Broad-winged  1

Red-tailed 1

Merlin 2

________________ 

Total raptors: 19

Monarchs 8

 

Reporting: William G. Haley, Jr. "

 

I'll add the new species, our first Red-shouldered, not a local...migrants will be moving in now.  I have seen quite a few posts lately for Red-breasted Nuthatches. Must be an eruptive year...

I feel sure Bill will cross the 4,000 mark this year if a couple kettles of Vultures will group up and move on. 

 

Some who follow us on their phones can't see the sidebars with the running totals, so here are the updated numbers for now:

 

Year to date:

BW's  3640

All Raptors  3788

 

All Seasons Totals:

BW's 67,735

All Raptors  90,405

 

In order seen this season:

 

CH 8, BW 3640, OS 12, RT 8, SS 56, PG 12,

BE 24, NH 1, AK 8, ML 7, TV 11, RS 1  = 3788

_______________________

 

I sadly report that Jimmy's Myopathy has returned and his new meds, forbid him to be out in the sun much at all. He is feeling rather badly.  But we caught it early and are hoping medication will keep him from going downhill to the extent he did before.  Might take him a day or two to catch up Hawkcount.org. He needs to get to feeling better.

 

Thanks to all who read and keep up. 

 

It's a blessing to report to you.

 

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!

 

There's more to come.