Wind (current)

Oct 24th - Our First Golden of the Season!

Yes folks, today we finally got our much anticipated, long awaited, first of the season Golden Eagle!  Also today we had a 'dark morph' Rough-legged Hawk directly over our heads.

My apologies for not seeing what everyone else saw through their binoculars that said 'Golden' without question.  I was viewing the bird through my camera's view finder and the photo that I took suggested 'Bald' as the bird appeared to have a white head.  Upon review of my shot on my computer, it clearly showed 'Golden' wings with white crescents and a light-coloured head which was actually sunlight reflecting off of the golden feathers.  When I saw Kris' photo of the same bird, it was obviously a Golden Eagle.  Ah, the importance of photography at a hawkwatch!

Today:
Turkey Vulture - 127
Bald Eagle - 1
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 18
Cooper's Hawk - 3
Northern Goshawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 37
Rough-legged Hawk - 1 (dark morph)
Golden Eagle - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 191

To Date:
Black Vulture - 1
Turkey Vulture - 3202
Osprey - 140
Bald Eagle - 100
Northern Harrier - 239
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3680
Cooper's Hawk - 102
Northern Goshawk - 9
Red-shouldered Hawk - 58
Broad-winged Hawk - 1418
Red-tailed Hawk - 574
Rough-legged Hawk - 4
Golden Eagle - 1
American Kestrel - 697
Merlin - 125
Peregrine Falcon - 78
Total - 10428

Eagle Time (EDT):
12:39 PM - BE
02:11 PM - GE

a beautiful 'dark morph' Rough-legged Hawk (Kris)

 our fos juvenile Golden Eagle (Kris)

 a Northern Goshawk being escorted out of the area by a Crow (Kris)




a wonderful sequence of shots showing the interactions
between the two local Red-tailed Hawks (Matt)

Only 3 Monarch butterflies were observed today.  Terry was able to catch and tag one of them!

Another great group of people today helping out!  My thanks to - Kris, Matt, Peter, Liz, Betty, Barbara, Ron, Terry, Berle, two guys named Don, Carol, Sarah B, MC, John, Allison, Lyn, Lynn, and Bruce M.  Again, sorry if I missed anyone.

Gusting SW winds tomorrow may bring a few falcons our way.

Walter

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