Mt. Peter Hawk Watch

A local Red-tailed Hawk flies over the platform. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 10/26/13.
A local Red-tailed Hawk flies over the platform. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 10/26/13.

I had a nice day out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch today. I had nearly 40 migrating raptors which is not too bad considering that we had a Southwest wind all day. I had a nice variety of birds, with the highlight being 5 Bald Eagles – 3 adults and 2 immatures. Many birds flew over pretty low, which gave me the opportunity to take some photos. I was generally disappointed with my efforts, but I did manage a few decent shots.

A low flying Sharp-shinned Hawk, flying right over my head. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 10/26/13.
A low flying Sharp-shinned Hawk, flying right over my head. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 10/26/13.

Here’s my report for the day:

Mount Peter
Warwick, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 26, 2013
——————————————————————-

Species            Day’s Count    Month Total   Season Total
—————— ———– ————– ————–
Black Vulture                0             22             47
Turkey Vulture               0              6              9
Osprey                       0             18            121
Bald Eagle                   5             22             93
Northern Harrier             2             10             37
Sharp-shinned Hawk          25            541            941
Cooper’s Hawk                0             26             50
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          3             37             58
Broad-winged Hawk            0              0           7611
Red-tailed Hawk              2             35             41
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              1
American Kestrel             1             21            111
Merlin                       0              8             13
Peregrine Falcon             0              7             13
Unknown Accipiter            0              3              3
Unknown Buteo                0              3              6
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Raptor               0              2             20

Total:                      38            762           9176
———————————————————————-

Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end   time: 15:15:00
Total observation time: 7.25 hours

Official Counter:        Matt Zeitler

Observers:        Rob Stone

Visitors:
Girl Scout Troop 670

Weather:
Cool, sunny with a SW wind. Temperatures ranged from 4 degrees Celsius to
12 degrees Celsius.

Raptor Observations:
Three adult Bald Eagles and 2 immature Bald Eagles migrated. Three
Red-shouldered Hawks included 1 unknown, 1 adult, and 1 immature. One
unknown Northern Harrier and 1 male Northern Harrier came through, and the
first bird of the day was a female American Kestrel.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor species: Bluejay (22), American Crow (42), Downy Woodpecker (2),
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1), Tufted Titmouse (3), Black-capped Chickadee
(2), Mourning Dove (1), Common Raven (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1),
American Pipit (5), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)

And, here is my weekly Turkey Vulture photo. I have started to enjoy the challenge of getting a decent exposure with this bird each week. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 10/26/13.
And, here is my weekly Turkey Vulture photo. I have started to enjoy the challenge of getting a decent shot of this bird each week. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 10/26/13.