Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch: Week 6

We continue to stay at below normal temperatures for the season with a low of 35F on 4/21 and only reaching the 50s in the afternoons. Heavy rain on 4/19 kept us inside, and we even dealt with snow and ice pellets on 4/20. Gusty winds ranged from the southeast to northwest. The high day count for the week was 4/25 with 268 hawks counted. A third American Goshawk was seen that day, along with some good close looks at Broad-winged Hawks. Double-crested Cormorants and Tree Swallows seemed to be about the only non-raptors moving this week. A flock of 15 Bohemian Waxwings stopped by for another visit and a solo Sandhill Crane was spotted.

Week 6 Totals (current week - total to date – season average) 

BLACK VULTURE  0-0-1

TURKEY VULTURE  0-439-414      

OSPREY 49-273-400

SWALLOW-TAILED KITE 0-0-0   

MISSISSIPPI KITE   0-0-0   

BALD EAGLE 8-58-81

NORTHERN HARRIER 6-119–108

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 59-228–661

COOPER’S HAWK 6-39–68

AMERICAN GOSHAWK 1-3-6      

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 5-67–88

BROAD-WINGED HAWK 380-1096-1888

SWAINSON’S HAWK 0-0-0

RED-TAILED HAWK 9-67–202

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 0-0-1

GOLDEN EAGLE 0-1-0       

AMERICAN KESTREL 11-237–364

MERLIN 6-32–71

PEREGRINE FALCON 0-3-6

UNIDENTIFIED RAPTOR 1-17-47 

TOTAL 541-2679–4407