Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch, Fall 1999
Date:   10-10-99

Hi everyone,

Here's Sunday's report from Joel, holy smokes, what a day!

-------------------

Today was a typical October day on the hill. Less than a thousand raptors but a tremendous diversity. It's a lot more fun finding (and challenging) and identifying 130 accipiters than counting 130,000 broad-wings. A total of 15 species of migrating raptors plus two non-migrants was enjoyed by all.

The bird of the day came very late in the afternoon. At 4:35 a spotter saw what they took to be an on-coming buteo. Comments like "its not a broad-winged" or "definitely not a Swainson's" were heard. As soon as Fernando and I picked the bird up we jumped for our scopes, quickly we ruled out every species of buteo, and then the light went on, it's an accipiter! Low enough to see field marks and plumage as it passed overhead and a brief consultation we both knew we had just seen a Northern Goshawk. It is the 27th species recorded this season.

There have been several inquiries about the Rough-legged Hawks, Prairie Falcons, and now the Northern Goshawk. I am finally off for a couple of days and plan to post a rather long response soon.

425 Turkey Vulture
4 Osprey
1 White-tailed Kite
5 Northern Harrier
65 Sharp-shinned Hawk
68 Cooper's Hawk
1 Northern Goshawk
5 Red-shouldered Hawk
65 Broad-winged Hawk
114 Swainson's Hawk
6 Red-tailed Hawk
1 White-tailed Hawk (sub-adult)
1 Zone-tailed Hawk (adult)
21 American Kestrel
6 Peregrine Falcon
26 UA
9 UF
90 UR

Total 913

Joel

-------------------

- Cheers from Patty Beasley, Joel Simon, Fernando Ramos Rincon, Ryan Wagner, and the rest of the HBHW cast and crew!