HSR: Hitchcock Nature Center (06 Nov 2009) 15 Raptors

[reports-4]

Hitchcock Nature Center
Honey Creek, Iowa, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 06, 2009
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              1           2667
Osprey                       0              0            100
Bald Eagle                   9             58            176
Northern Harrier             0             25            355
Sharp-shinned Hawk           2             44           1251
Cooper's Hawk                0              7            271
Northern Goshawk             0              3              9
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              1              2
Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            495
Red-tailed Hawk              3            450           3439
Rough-legged Hawk            0              4              4
Swainson's Hawk              0              0            248
Ferruginous Hawk             0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              9
American Kestrel             0              1             92
Merlin                       0              3             82
Peregrine Falcon             0              0             35
Prairie Falcon               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              0
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              1
Unknown Buteo                1              1              2
Unknown Falcon               0              0              2
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0             15

Total:                      15            599           9256
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end   time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours

Official Counter:        Ryan Evans

Observers:        Elliott Bedows

Weather:


Raptor Observations:
Bald Eagle: 4 adult, 5 immature

Non-raptor Observations:
American Crow:  70
Franklin's Gull:  20
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Report submitted by Mark Orsag (morsag@...)
Hitchcock Nature Center Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.pottcoconservation.com/html/hitchcock.html


Site Description:
Hitchcock Nature Center is located in the Loess Hills of western Iowa. The
small town of Crescent is immediately southeast of Hitchcock. The watch
overlooks the Missouri River Valley, and the skyline of downtown Omaha,
Nebraska is easily visible (on clear days) to the southwest. The hawkwatch
at Hitchcock Nature Center is now a full-time operation that logs
approximately 600-800 hours of coverage and counts an average of 13,000
migrating raptors every fall. Besides recording a diverse raptor/vulture
flight of 20 annual or semi-annual species dominated by Turkey Vultures,
Bald Eagles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, and Red-tailed Hawks,
Hitchcock's observers track large numbers of other abundant avian migrants
ranging from Blue Jays and Red-headed Woodpeckers to Snow Geese and
American White Pelicans. Our fall season runs from 15 August to 20 December
with the peak period for raptor migration running from approximately 20
September to 20 October. Counts are now conducted daily from the 56-foot
hawktower attached to the HNC Lodge between 1 September and 20 December.
Counting in August is part-time.

Directions to site:
From Omaha NE, take I-680 north to the Crescent Exit. Take Iowa 988 into
Crescent. At the "T" junction with Old Lincoln Hwy. (formerly Iowa 183),
take a left north and drive for approximately five minutes until you see
the Hitchcock Nature Center sign. Take a left at the sign, and drive up the
hill. At the top of the hill, take a right. Enter the nature center and
follow the signs to the Lodge.

From Council Bluffs IA, take I-29 north and take the Crescent exit. The
rest of the directions are as above...  

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