As East Winds were predicted (favorable for migration) for the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch we decided to go and help the counter today. We are experienced hawk watchers from the Mount Peter Hawk Watch in New York State.
At the watch we met Carol Cwiklinski who said that there are no volunteers on Tuesdays and she was filling in and would send a report in. Her husband was working and missing the count, so she let him know what was migrating with hourly messages!
We started at 10 a.m. and had to leave by 1 pm though Carol continued until 3:30 pm.
Most of the hawks were seen by scanning with binoculars, initially to the South or Southwest and flying over Mount Morrison. We made sure that the hawks counted were migrating and not local.
Highlights were:
Golden Eagle 1 (definite migrant)
Red-tailed Hawk 22, and Carol had a number of kettles after we left, right over the watch
Peregrine Falcon 2
Cooper's Hawk 2
Osprey 4, of which 3 flew north together!
Turkey Vulture 3
American Kestrel 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 which flew just east of the hawk watch, not together, one slightly below us and the other a little above eye level. The first was male and the other female, being bluish- and brownish-backed respectively.
Ferruginous Hawk 1, alas, soon after we left.
It is a truism of hawk watches that a good hawk requires human sacrifice=someone leaving the watch!
We had an additional Peregrine Falcon which flew Northeast and an immature Bald Eagle which flew to the South and were not counted.
There were a number of local non-migratory Red-tailed Hawk, numerous Common Raven, and a flock of 46 American Crow flying North.
Carol was excellent at finding hawks and identifying them. The hawk watch would be fortunate to get her as a regular counter.
Thanks to Liza Antony as well.
Ajit I Antony
Mount Peter Hawk Watch - Warwick, New York
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