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Subject:

Turkey Point Hawk Watch

From:

Patricia Valdata

Reply-To:

Patricia Valdata

Date:

Thu, 7 Sep 2006 18:57:32 -0400

We've had a slow week as expected this early in the season, but so far
we had a UA on Sunday, Meta Little had 3 hawks on Monday, and Don Bayard
had 1 Sharpie yesterday.

Today was the first really nice day in a while, and I was pleased to 
count 12 birds
today:

1 American Kestrel, a male who perched in the sunlight and was gorgeous
1 unidentified falcon that probably was a Merlin
2 Osprey
1 Sharp-shinned
5 Broad-winged Hawks, including one lovely adult that circled right 
over the picnic tables
     giving excellent close-up views
2 Cooper's Hawks

There were also 4 resident Bald Eagles floating around, 1 adult and 3 
immatures. I also
spooked an immature when I pulled into the parking lot. They sure are 
big up close.

Passerines are moving through like crazy. I counted 58 species today 
(including the above).
I am sure there were many others that I was unable to ID, especially 
warblers that I only
caught a quick glimpse of. Some highlights:

warblers - Prairie (still and preening, bless its heart), Am. 
Redstart, Magnolia, Black & White (bunches),
N. Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Blue (2 females), imm. 
Chestnut-sided, which
actually fell off a branch while hunting and had to flap its way 
back, which was pretty funny
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Empids. and other flycatchers
Baltimore Oriole
Vireos - Red-eyed, White-eyed (would not shut up all morning), 
Philadelphia. There were actually flocks
of vireos in the trees by the parking lot, but the sun position made 
them impossible to ID
Dozens of Chimney Swifts
Brown Thrasher
Wood Thrush
Rufous-sided Towhee
Pileated Woodpeckers et al.

It really is birdy out there! Such fun!

--Pat

Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
"The natural function of the wing is to soar upwards
and carry that which is heavy up to the place where dwells the race of gods.
More than any other thing that pertains to the body
it partakes of the nature of the divine." --Plato