[MDOsprey] Broad-wings over Gaithersburg
Jim Felley (IRMSS668@SIVM.SI.EDU)
Mon, 27 Sep 99 08:03:03 EDT
I had the opportunity to be out and about in Gaithersburg
yesterday from 10 till 2, when there was a major flight of Broad-
winged Hawks passing over. I saw about 750 Broadwings, 2 Osprey
and a Cooper's Hawk. Most the the BW's (500 or so) passed by from
10 till 11, then activity slowed considerably till 1:30, when it
essentially was over. The streams of hawks were all heading in
a southwesterly direction.
Part of my 'watch' was conducted from Old-town Gaithersburg
day. No-one but myself seemed to notice the flocks of 10-40
birds gathering and rising over the festivities at 15-20
minute intervals during the late morning and early afternoon.
My daughters were a bit annoyed at my behavior, fearing that
some of their friends would see their weird dad staring at the
sky. I proposed that they excuse me as having a crick in my
neck from sleeping wrong.
Finally, a single Common Nighthawk flew by my house at 6:00PM.
Jim
Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution
irmss668@sivm.si.edu