HSR: Derby Hill Bird Observatory (26 Apr 2012) 2706 Raptors

[reports-4]

Derby Hill Bird Observatory
Mexico, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 26, 2012
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              2              5
Turkey Vulture              13           5329          13262
Osprey                      12            108            120
Bald Eagle                   8             75            135
Northern Harrier             7            136            228
Sharp-shinned Hawk         336           1717           1994
Cooper's Hawk                4            120            337
Northern Goshawk             1              4             11
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             39            382
Broad-winged Hawk         2297           5837           5837
Red-tailed Hawk             19           1061           2883
Rough-legged Hawk            0             10            117
Golden Eagle                 3             25             60
American Kestrel             1             76            159
Merlin                       0             17             27
Peregrine Falcon             1              6             11
Unknown Accipiter            0              8             14
Unknown Buteo                1             26             35
Unknown Falcon               0              1              3
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               3             21             32
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                    2706          14619          25653
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end   time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6.75 hours

Official Counter:        Kyle Wright

Observers:        

Weather:
Almost as close to an ideal weather map as we've had all year, but still
not quite perfect for a mega flight. A low moving east just to our north,
with a front passing at about four bird time. Winds were out of the south
southeast most of the day. The catch was that the low was a bit closer than
we like, resulting in no wedge between a warm and a cold front, with the
warmer temperatures that one would have experienced a few hundred miles
south of the low not coming to fruition at Derb, and a very small window of
ideal flying conditions to get birds going in. Today's weather probably
just cleaned out any birds already along the southern lakeshore, but likely
did not inspire a push of birds all the way up from the Ohio River Valley.
Also, being so close to the low, the frontal passage was not super well
defined, and, the low was not the stongest or most organized thing in the
world either, with drizzle having started at Derby Hill around one-thirty
bird time. (An astute observer/reader will note that the count ended a half
hour before the actual frontal passage; what does that tell you?)

Raptor Observations:
South/southeast winds kept the birds low and slow, great for
visitors/observers, but... but... and not to be prepetually complaining or
playing the victim (although I do it so well)... it was a fairly spread out
flight, with birds passing out over the water (to the north) and well south
of the third field (to the south). A defined flight line never really
developed for the day, with the birds meandering and zig-zagging north and
south as they made their ways east, being blow out over the water, then
working to get back inland, etc etc etc. The result of this kind of flight
is that this counter felt he had to count litterally as birds were
overhead/crossing the finish line instead of trying to keep a little ways
out infront to give one's self time if they fall behind before birds
dissapear behind you. I know a strict protocol would never dream of
counting a bird before it crossed the finish line, but, with three
consecutive 600+ bird hours, one shouldn't be counting things overhead
unless they're behind and frazzled. Point of the long story being that (too
many) birds were (again/sigh/woe is us) missed, and is it even worth
mentioning that some peon in the backround (no names... David...) was
(jokingly) instigating with below the belt comments that if he had been
counting, we would have had over 3,000 b-dubs today????

Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
Northwest winds from fifteen to twenty mph, chance of rain and snow... not
the best of weather for a hawkflight at Derby Hill. I know that cleanup
flights can occur, but, will this counter really feel masochistic enough to
cover Friday???
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Report submitted by Kyle Wright (krw@...)
Derby Hill Bird Observatory information may be found at:
www.derbyhill.org


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