High Park Hawks

[Leslie]

I spent a lovely afternoon at the High Park hawk watch.  I left after 4:00 pm & after >400 hawks, of which over 200 were sharp-shinned & approx 100 were broad-winged.  There were also quite a few kestrels.  (I didn't keep the count.)

[ravynne40]

Sounds like a blast! I'm hoping to peek in tomorrow

[Leslie]

Another very pleasant afternoon at the High Park hawk watch.  Over 200 each of sharp-shinned and broadwinged hawks seen, with the edge to the sharp-shinned.  Highlights included a golden eagle (just before I got there, naturally), a bald eagle, and a goshawk (a first for me).

[Leslie]

Today at the hawk watch: 600 or so broadwings & 300 sharp-shinned for (estimate) over 1000 birds today.  There were 2 bursts of activity, one between noon and 1:00 (which I naturally missed) and a second about 4:00 when several kettles of broadwings flew over.

[Leslie]

Approximately 130 hawks were sighted at the hawk watch today, of which approx 70 were TV's.
(Note: I keep these figures deliberately approximate, since I'm not the recorder, & the official results are reported elsewhere.  But I like to know what's flying past, & I assume others do too.)

[Leslie]

Finally made it on time & in good weather back to the hawk watch yesterday.
Slightly over 400 Turkey vultures flew over, with about another 10% other species, in clear skies with a north wind.
The hawk watch concluded shortly after 4:00, but I dawdled.  Another kettle of 10* came by at 4:50, too late for the official count.
*Actually, I counted 10,10,11,12,10.  Good thing we can rely on experts for the count.

[Leslie]

I've been remiss in reporting on the hawk watch.  Here are the extremely unofficial results.
There were about 50 birds on Tuesday (no eagles, in spite of many enquiries), a single turkey vulture Wednesday (winds from the wrong direction), about a hundred birds on Thursday, and about a hundred and forty on Friday.  Friday's highlights included 2 golden eagles (for the experts) and a low-flying sharpie (for me).