Counts
Osprey 7
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 4 (1 female, 3 unknown)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 10
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 (immature)
Broad-winged Hawk 74
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Kestrel 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
unknown raptor 1
Total 105
Observation Period: 8:45AM -5:45PM
Observers: Todd Watts, Sarah Hirtle, Mike Bamford
Weather: Cloudless skies other than between 11AM and 2PM when there was 5 to 15% cloud-cover. Gusty wind WNW 20kmh during the morning, increasing around Noon and become more westerly. Rh 76% dropping to 48%.
Notes: Briefly, and a bit before Noon, it looked like a bigger movement of Broad-wings might be developing. Then the winds intensified and began blowing more from the west, scattering and slowing the birds, if not just flat out stopping them. Broad-wings observed today arrived as singles, pairs or in very loose groups of 3 to 5.
Highlights: A good percentage of the Broad-wings came in low and close. Other raptors soared overhead at low to moderate altitudes.
Birds going for the decoy: Merlin and Sharp-shinned Hawk
Raptor interactions: Merlin and Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin and Turkey Vulture, Merlin and Common Raven, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk, Common Raven and Broad-winged Hawk, Bald Eagle and Osprey (aggressor listed first)
Non-raptors: Pretty quiet, but we did see 12 late swallows. Most, if not all were Tree Swallow.
The coming days: It looks like we should expect full sun (probably cloudless skies) and very light winds during the morning, maybe variable in direction, followed by a light southerly flow during the afternoon. If these light winds hold onto a bit of a northerly flow, it could be a decent morning, maybe early afternoon. I would expect the afternoon hours to be slow, unless the winds stay very light. Monday and Tuesday have lots of potential. They could bring a strong push of Broad-wings. Stay tuned and/or join the fun.
More details can be found at https://www.hawkcount.org. Additional information on hawk migration can be found at https://www.hmana.org/
This project takes place on private land. Please contact the project co-ordinator before visiting the site.
Primary support comes from the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund (NBWTF) with additional support from the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, private donors and the volunteers. Purchasing conservation license plates supports the NBWTF and this project.
Todd Watts
Official Counter/Co-ordinator
Greenlaw Mountain Hawk Watch
Saint John Naturalists’ Club