Counts
Turkey Vulture 5 (the first migrating vultures of the season)
Osprey 14
Bald Eagle 10
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Broad-winged Hawk 36
American Kestrel 5
Peregrine Falcon 1
unknown raptor 1
Total 77
Observation Period: 11:15AM -5:30PM
Observers: Todd Watts
Weather: Rain overnight with the last of the showers moving through after daybreak. Fog lifting above the mountain minutes before the start. Wind mostly W 20-30kmh with gusts over 50. Locally, a shift to WNW occurred after 2PM. Rh 86% dropping to 60 before building a bit. Cloudcover 30 to 40% for most of the day, 80% near the end.
Notes: Heavy fog delayed the start.
Most of the birds recorded today arrived after the wind shift. Anything moving was faced with a very stiff headwind for most, if not all of the day (weather stations to the east reported west winds for some time after the shift at Greenlaw). Migrants were scattered, mostly low. Powerful updrafts at the site brought in a bunch of the migrants. The resident Merlin played on the winds for much of the day, escorting a few of the migrants out of its territory and chasing a resident American Kestrel.
Highlights: Nice dogfights, a Red-tail kiting in close, some low Broad-wings, etc. Not a big day for numbers, but there were birds to enjoy.
Birds going for the decoy: Merlin and American Kestrel
Raptor interactions: Merlin and American Kestrel, Merlin and Merlin, Merlin and Broad-winged Hawk, Bald Eagle and Osprey, Common Raven and Bald Eagle (aggressor listed first)
Non-raptors: Not much heading into the stiff headwinds.
The coming days: Looks like full sun for tomorrow with a very light northerly flow in the AM followed by light and variable winds or a sea-breeze. There is some potential for significant Broad-winged Hawk movement. I wouldn’t put any money on it lasting well into the afternoon, but it is possible. It all depends on the winds. Light and variable winds can be pretty good. A sea-breeze is not.
I will need some help, at least into early afternoon (the development of an afternoon sea-breeze could make it a short day), so join me if you know the way.
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