End of August Totals

With the addition of 10 raptors on Aug 30th,the final tally for August was 181. That is the 2nd highest August total in the 8 years(6full seasons) of counting at Rosetta. I believe this is a great total given all the terribly hot(humid) weather of the past month. Having a larger base of regulars definetly has helped with spotting birds,especially with the increased growth within the park and down the side of the bluffs. Working together over the coming months Im sure we can work around "our blindspots". Next month looks like we should have a great start,with the chance of at least 2 very good NW winds over the coming weekend. This should bring a respectable number of raptors by the park,but a reminder that it is still early in the raptor migration,and things normally dont really ramp up until the 2nd week in September. Thanks to everyone who made August such a sucess. We enjoyed some fantastic views of many birds,enjoyed great commraderie and introduced the raptor watch to several new folks who have committed to returning.

Our total Raptors consisted of

Turkey Vulture....................21

Osprey.................................26

Bald Eagle.............................9

Northern Harrier.................2

Sharpshinned Hawk...........39

Coopers Hawk.......................2

Broadwinged Hawk............27

Redtailed Hawk..................10

American Kestrel................26

Merlin...................................6

Peregrine Falcon..................6

Total Raptors.....................181

Noteworthy birds observed this fall include,20+ migrating Great Blue Herons,14Common Nighthawks,Wilsons Warbler,Whimbrel,Great Blackbacked Gull and Greater Yellowlegs. We have seen several Common Loons also. A good indicator on days with north element winds that it will be a successful count day is seeing Loons migrating straight over the lake,early in the day. They come from a good distance north and are a sign to us that raptors will also be on the move. If you are joining us on the weekend there are 3 things to keep in mind. First the strong NW winds could make it surprisingly cool,throw a jacket or sweater in the car. Secondly there are little flys that bite(but dont leave welts) so long pants and socks are advisable. Lastly the Airshow may interfere with raptor migration. The noise etc do slow things down. The plus side is we may see some of the planes.

Keep your eyes on the weather reports. We welcome everyone and invite you to join us.