I just arrived back in Maryland after visiting my mom in Pennsylvania for
five days. I know its off topic but it's birding related. For my birthday
present my mom and I took a birding trip to Bake Oven Knob in Lehigh Valley. For
those who don't know about Bake Oven Knob, it's East of the famous Hawk MT
and just west of the North East Extension Tunnel. Its not as crowded as hawk
mountain and you don't half to pay to get in also its only one third the walk
far to reach the lookout. This was my moms first time at BOK and she loved
it. we saw the following birds,
TV's
BV's
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Osprey
Coopers Hawks
Broad Wings
Raven
Western Red Tail
Black Throated Green Warblers
Cedar Waxwings
Flickers
RB Nuthatch
Blue Gray Gnatcatchers
Gold Finch
Black Capped Chickadees
5 Snow Geese ( with a large flock of Canada geese)
Double Crested Cormorants
The wind was right and the conditions perfect for migration but there were
small numbers of hawks that day, but we did get a good air show with the
gliders taking the thermals twirling upward like the birds do.
Back at my moms house in Collegeville I decided to do my own hawk watch in
my the yard so for the next 3 days I counted. ( * means new back yard
visitor)
Day 1 Sunday winds S 15 to 20 mph 2:53 to 3:44 PM
4 Kestrel
4 Purple Martins
1 Merlin
2 Palm Warblers
1 Peregrine Falcon 2
Black Throated Green Warblers
1 Northern Harrier
7 Black Vultures
1 Western Red Tail
2 Bald Eagles
1 Broad wing hawk
Day 2 Monday wind SE 10:00 AM to 2:20 PM
6 Ravens
*1 Bobolink
12 Western Red Tails ( one dark morph) 10
Chimney Swifts
11 Bald Eagles
* Sandpiper Species
9 Coopers Hawks
12 Osprey
7 Sharpshinned hawk
8 Peregrine Falcons
7 Kestrels
4 Broad Wing Hawk
5+ Black Vultures
* 1 Golden Eagle
6 Merlin
1 Red Shouldered Hawk
2 Northern Harriers
* 2 Mississippi Kites
6 Northern Goshawks
Day 3 Tuesday winds SE 10:57 AM to 2:30 PM
5 Coopers Hawks *1
Cliff Swallow
3 Osprey
2 Black Throated Green Warblers
18 Western Red Tails 12+
Tree Swallows
2 Peregrine Falcons 20+
common Grackles
4 Sharp Shinnned Hawks
4 Northern Harriers
6 Ravens
4 Northern Goshhawks
7 Bald Eagles
3 Broadwinged Hawks
6 Fish Crow
5 Kestrels
1 Mississippi Kite
2 Red Shouldered Hawks
5 Black Vultures
Wednesday
The last day of my Visit I witnessed a Coopers Hawk kill a crow in flight.
First the hawk dove at the crow and hit its wing flipping the crow upside
down., It then struck at the crows chest with its talons. Both birds tumbled
out of site behind a row of trees. I tried to find the hawk with its lunch
but with no luck.
On my way back to MD I stopped at Conowingo Dam to fish and bird watch. I
saw my first of year Common Loon Fishing along side some Double Crested
Cormorants. I also saw a Bald Eagle on a nest, and more flying around.
Unfortunately I didn't catch anything.
Birding forever
Jennifer Elmer
Pocomoke City MD
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