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Subject:

Turkey Point Hawk Watch on Labor Day

From:

Patricia Valdata

Reply-To:

Patricia Valdata

Date:

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 14:26:47 -0400

With southwest winds at 8 gusting to 12 today, I didn't expect much, 
and was not disappointed.
I had all of 1 Sharp-shinned and 1 Osprey to count today. However, 
several immature TVs were
hot-dogging along the cliff, making steep turns, popping up about 20 
feet, looping around the
persimmon trees, and skating along the grass with their wingtips only 
about 6 inches over
the surface.  One of them, earlier in the morning, misjudged and let 
a gust of wind blow it
into the treeline. I clearly heard the "ffft" as its wing swept 
through the leaves.

The resident Bald Eagles were also enjoying the updraft, and surfed 
along the Northeast River side
for a couple of hours. The two adults were mirror flying, touching 
talons, and chirping--reinforcing the
pair bond? Two of the three immatures were doing the same thing. It 
was nice to be able to
point them out to the hordes of dog-walking tourists who stopped by 
today. A bonus: the lighthouse
was open, and they let two people at a time climb the hefty new 
spiral staircase to the top.  I was hoping it
would be high enough for a better panoramic hawk-watching view, but 
it isn't. Still, it's a pleasant
little climb.

The long meadow was still very birdy. I am not at all good at 
spotting let alone identifying fall warblers,
but I got Parula, Black & White, Blackburnian, Magnolia, 
"Yellowstart," Tennessee, and Nashville Warblers
today. The Nashville was especially cooperative and perched to preen 
its feathers, giving me a great look.
Two especially good birds included a Royal Tern that overflew the 
Hawk Watch picnic benches,
and an Olive-Sided Flycatcher, which I did not see, but which called 
"Quick, three beers!" over and over.
It was in a tangle of wild grapes, and impossible to see, even though 
it was loud enough to be very close.
Red-breasted Nuthatches are also still around, as are Baltimore 
Orioles, both immature and adult.

Turkey Point may not have many raptors this first week of September, 
but it sure has passerine migrants!
Butterflies are also very abundant this year.

--Pat

Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
--Douglas Adams