Thursday's Report on Friday Night...Sharp-shin Bonanza!

Jimmy and I have been on the road most of the day the last two days and I came home last night just too tired to post Bill's report from Thursday.  So I am putting it up late tonight.  But it's worth the wait!




William G. Haley: This photo was taken a few days ago
 when a rain shower was just north of the lookout.
 Nice partial rainbow over Fred.

"Soddy Mountain hawk totals,
Thurs., Oct. 11,2018

Coverage: 0845  - 1545 EST = 8.0 hrs.

Counter: Bill Haley

Good bye Hurricane Michael!

We got just a little of the western edge of Michael, and with a cold front pushing in from the West it was one of the windiest days I can remember in my 26 years on the lookout. The wind was the kind that'll blow your chair right over the bluff. (Believe me  - Been there seen that!) With some gusts of 25-30 MPH, it tried to blow both me AND the chair away a few times during the day. I had a hoodie on all day, zipped up, hood up and tied. Otherwise I would have lost my hat in the first 2 minutes.

If I could have dreamed up a scenario to provide good hawkwatching, it would be very similar to what we had today, with one exception: I would have ordered wind out of the northeast, not the northwest. Traditionally NW winds are not good for us - they blow hawks off our east-facing ridge. 

However other factors; the hurricane blocking off the coastal route and several days of cloudy weather, combined with a strong cold front to provide clearing skies today with northerly winds, had me optimistic. It was my first day off. I had the whole day for hawkwatching and even though winds weren't optimal, the hawks didn't disappoint!

On my first scan over the valley at 9:57, I got a surprise - a Broad-winged Hawk struggling to get enough altitude to clear the ridge. It was having a terrible time against the ferocious winds! Finally it gave up and flew on down the valley. I really wasn't sure I'd even see any BW's today, and ended up with four scattered throughout the day. They all must have been desperate to move South because they all had to battle the winds!

Weather: Clouds started at 70%, increased to 85% at 1000, but dropped to 25% by 1100 and continued to decrease to 1% at 1500. Wind started NW and shifted slightly to NNW by 1100, 10-20 MPH most of the day with stronger gusts. Barometric pressure went from a low 29.79 to 29.86 at days end. Visibility increased from 7K @ 0900 to 50K @ 1100 to 70 K @ 1500.

Hawks by hour, all times EST:

0800: BW 1

0900: SS 3, BW 1, RT 1

1000: BE 1 ( ad.), SS 4

1100: SS 1, BW 1, RT 2

1200: BE 1 ( ad.), SS 4, CH 1

1300: SS 3, BW 1

1400: SS 5

1500: SS 1, AK 1

 

10/11/ 2018

Bald Eagle 2

Sharp-shin 21

Cooper's 1

Broad-winged 4

Red-tail 3

American Kestrel 1

________________ 

Total Raptors: 32 

Monarch butterflies - 38

Reporting: William G.Haley, Jr."

 

Great Report.

 

KEEP LOOKING UP!