Another Big Day...Too Many Choices...295 Raptors

Striatus Comin At Us

Today Lee and Ann made it tough for me...to decide which great photos to use. As U will see I am indecisive! The day started abit slow,and I wondered if indeed a good day would materialize. By 10am EST I had my answer,when the winds picked up and Turkey Vultures started to appear. With the holiday weekend,helpers were in short supply,I was glad to have Ann,Lee,Ron and Berle to help with spotting and ID. I was missing my right hand man,Walter,who had a great day of his own(more later). We had a good mix of very close birds and more distant ones,many gave watchers a real thrill. As I left my post briefly to answer the call of nature,I heard local Crows going goofy,alarm calling. I stopped and got in a spot where I could see what they were doing. They were harrassing a hawk,that was coming right over to where I was. It was a lovely Red-shouldered Hawk which circled just over me. Lee got some terrific shots of it.

Many Turkey Vultures came by low.

One of Lee's

Note the different colours of the adult and juvenile's heads.

Adult of Ann's

Juvenile of Ann's

Northern Harrier Ann

Redtailed Hawk

Walter had quite a day,right in his own backyard. He had stayed home to do some work on the garage,but ended up watching a flight of raptors over his home,which is only about 2blocks east of our location at the park and a short block north. Im wondering how many times he smacked his fingers with the hammer,while watching Turkey Vultures? I include this to show what happens when raptors decide to tack(fly sideways into the prevailing wind..they sort of shear forward) into the winds. The birds he saw didnt make it to Rosetta.

Walter saw 138 raptors including:

127-Turkey Vultures

6-Sharpshinned Hawks

1-Coopers Hawk

3-Redtailed Hawks

1-American Kestrel

Not a bad days work! errr raptor watching from the yard?

Over at Rosetta we saw 295 Raptors:

77-Turkey Vultures

1-Bald Eagle(11:10am Juvenile)

4-Northern Harriers

124-Sharpshinned Hawks

2-Coopers Hawks

1-Redshouldered Hawk(first of season)

1-Broadwinged Hawk

50-Redtailed Hawks

31-American Kestrels

2-Merlins

1-Peregrine Falcon

In all a fantastic day. Tomorrow will be much slower I suspect. Tuesday may be good?