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Golden Gate Raptor Observatory HawkWatch Sightings 2003* |
Click on a day to see HawkWatch Activity for
that day.
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on some days if the HawkWatch Today is late, it is because the Webmaster
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December 6, 2003 - Well, the weather outside was frightful, but the Hill is so delightful. And we all had no place to go, and and least it wasn't going to snow. Enough of that. It wasn't actually raining, so we got up to the Hill and laid out our feast a little after 9:30 am, thick in the soup, with wind to boot. But with Stacy's magic touch on Michelle's Coleman stove, we were soon in business with hot mulled cider and delicious quinoa soup for breakfast! Much eating and silliness ensued, and good fun was had trying to feed the Ravens, whom we dubbed Blackie and Edgar. They apparently love Tostitos. At around 11:30 we moved our moveable feast back down to 1064, and relaxed watching Pale Male. Really great food, and even better company on our last day. With such a big team, someone once pointed out, if 14 people all bring enough food for 14 people, we'll have enough food for 196 people. It wasn't that bad, but almost! So, instead of counting the hawks, let's count the watchers! Many thanks to the big, bad Saturday II team, Stacy, Marley, Michelle, Steve, Jeff, Brian, Shannon, Jude, Judy, Donna, Sterling, Julian, Lillian, Linda, Frank, and special thanks to Val, Nancy and Pamela (our honorary member in St. Louis!) who made it whenever they could. And of course, our wonderful intern, Jeff Birek. Oh yeah, we saw some TV's and redtails. Definitely more watchers than raptors on our last day. No official count due to fog. Lillian
December 5, 2003 - Today's rain out was the end of another teams season. Today Friday II finished a year we struggled triumphantly through. We experienced the hottest days this year. No joke, it was really really hot some of those days. Fortunately an ice chest-carrying director saved us on one particular day! We didn't spot the most number of hawks, by any means but some we did see some very cool stuff. We had one day when the Coops outnumbered Sharpies. On another day while the air was stagnant a Juvenile Bald Eagle chose to soar by our watch. So why don't we take a look at the rest of the numbers?
Turkey Vulture: 560
Osprey: 2
White-tailed Kite: 2
Bald Eagle: 1
Northern Harrier: 25
Sharp-shinned hawk: 323
Cooper's hawk: 107
Red-shouldered Hawk: 12
Broad-winged Hawk: 4
Swianson's Hawk: 1
Red-tailed Hawk: 413
American Kestrel: 47
Merlin: 14
Peregrine Falcon: 14
Unidentified: 61
Total: 1,586
So for those of you play along that's 14 raptor species this season! This was a great Buteo team too we spotted both of the super long distance migrants as well as our local pals. I like that. So thanks and Congratulations Friday II on a terrific season. Sam Stuart
Today's Count: RAINED-OUT
December 4, 2003 - Today rain's prematurely ended a great season. Really it was. We saw terrific birds, both in number and species.as well as some bad weather. But we always had fun, whether it was calling out "chicken hawks" or listening to wild stories about hunting mushrooms. When the fog wasn't in our face's we did see some pretty choice birds. So why don't we take a look at those numbers?
Turkey Vulture: 1,041 Osprey: 10 White-tailed Kite: 2
Bald Eagle: 1
Northern Harrier: 35
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 355
Cooper's Hawk: 37
Broad-winged Hawk: 5
Swainson's Hawk: 1
Red-tailed Hawk: 463
Ferruginous Hawk: 1
American Kestrel: 71
Merlin: 24
Peregrine Falcon: 14
Prairie Falcon: 1
Unidentified : 100
Total: 2,161
So for those of you playing along that's a whopping 15 species.WOW!
This was a great diversity day and it may have helped or befuddled some
of our apprentices, interns and even (dare I say) our experienced HawkWatchers'
ID skills. This was a great pay off for so many persistent hours spent
in fog banks! Way to go Thursday II. Thanks and Congratulations for a
wonderful season. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 25
Hawks Per Hour: 10
Species: 4
December 3, 2003 - well we had a great day on the hill. Wednesday 2 finished off the 2003 HawkWatch season with a beautiful sunny day. Champagne, wine, spinach and apple salad, minestrone soup, proscuitto and salmon sandwiches, pumpkin bread and many other delectables were tasted. oh... did someone say we were supposed to be hawkwatching- there was a bit of that going on too. It was a fairly slow day, but we can't complain as we easily surpassed the previous days counts. HawkWatch out. Katy
Total Sightings: 141
Hawks Per Hour: 24.5
Species: 6
December 2, 2003 - Today was foggy. When we first arrived on the hill, it was raining. This was the last time out for the Tuesday II team this season...so, we went out with a bang. We had a Coleman stove on the hill warming up homemade chili and frothing milk for our lattes. Our potluck included, my step-dad's smoked salmon that was caught last week in Oregon, sandwich wraps, persimmon cake, brownies, carrot cake, guacamole, spicy cream cheese dip, eggnog, etc. Mmmmmmm. I wasn't really sure if there were any Hawks flying. But, the ravens were really interested in our feast. Anyway, we only got in about 2 hours of counting and it was very slow. But, it was great. Peace and feasts. Jeff Birek
Total Sightings: 41
Hawks Per Hour: 18.2
Species: 2
December 1, 2003 - HawkWatch was rained out today.
November 30, 2003 - For Sunday I's last day for the 2003 season, they were rained out.
November 29, 2003 - Today was possibly the end of a dynasty. Saturday I is just that team. We're kind of like the Yankees; we always win throughout the year but have a little problem on the final day. Yes after having wonderful day after wonderful day we bit the bullet and walked off the hill early today, chin up and proud of a great season. We lost two valuable HawkWatchers midway through the season due to a trade that we couldn't prevent (damn free agents). They were missed but the counting went on. We suffered foggy days but made it up in time to count a couple hundred birds. Through Sickness and Health we counted. Our biggest day came on September 20th when we got a grand total of 698 birds. Even our lowest count regular season day October 15th when the morning was fogged we got 12 species! So why don't we take a look at this season's numbers?
Turkey Vulture: 1,034
Osprey: 20
White-tailed Kite: 3
Northern Harrier: 33
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 432
Cooper's Hawk: 145
Red-shouldered Hawk: 22
Broad-wing Hawk: 18
Red-tailed Hawk: 690
Golden Eagle: 3
American Kestrel: 57
Merlin: 10
Peregrine Falcon: 17
Unidentified: 127
Total: 2,631
So for all those of you playing at home that's 13 species of raptors, not to mention one giant sized total! In addition, the weekend teams get the pleasure of dealing with many many visitors each time out. That means they play ambassador in between each identification on some days. I am impressed. Thanks and congratulations Saturday I on one great season!
Total Sightings: 125
Hawks Per Hour: 42 hph (Vultures/hour)
Species: 6
November 28 2003 - Today was a typical day for the Friday I HawkWatch team. We only counted for three hours and saw 33 raptors.8 were non-Turkey Vultures. We didn't end with a glorious day but we were consistent. This team has been rained on, fogged out, and even SNOWED on! This team sought shelter under the West Platform more often than George Bush mispronounces 'Nuclear.' However, unlike the rest of the season September 19th was a big day. On that day we counted 700 raptors from the heights of Hawk Hill. Why don't we take a look at all the birds Friday I counted this year?
Turkey Vulture: 735
Osprey: 6
White-tailed Kite: 3
Northern Harrier: 24
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 313
Cooper's Hawk: 87
Red-shouldered Hawk: 8
Red-tailed Hawk: 431
Golden Eagle: 2
American Kestrel: 27
Merlin: 2
Peregrine Falcon: 11
Unidentified: 61
Total Raptors Counted: 1,710
For those of you playing at home that makes an awesome total of 12 species
seen! Where else can you stand in one spot to get fogged and snowed on
while seeing so many different raptors? If you know please tell me. Congratulations
Friday I, Thank you very much for your extra hard work and determination
to make this count possible. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 33
Hawks Per Hour: Sucked (11)
Species: 4
November 27, 2003 - No report filed.
November 26, 2003 - Hawk Hill was clear with light variable winds today, and light passed quietly through the sky. There was this whole drama between the coast guard and a slow drifting junker sailboat in the Gate. We made up stories -- drug bust, aging SF dignitary has heart attack mid-Gate, a mysterious blonde . . . . Yes, it's true; we were bored. We did have some Redtails, barely a few accipiters, an AWESOME CLOSE-UP LOOK at a juv Peregrine Falcon (thank you Cathy Bell) and the usual mix of Kestrels, Turkey Vultures, Harrier, Turkey Vultures, Coop, Turkey Vulture, waxwings, Turkey Vulture, 45 BTP's, TV, kinglet, TV, TV, TV, TV, TV -- you get the idea. Come out Dec 7th at 2 pm for the last hour of the 2003 Golden Gate HawkWatch. Bring something to toast the migration. Adios -- Allen FishNovember, 25 2003 - Today was the end of a legacy. Yes today the 2003 Tuesday 1 team hung up its binos.the season ended today. I really believe that it was a triumph, apprentices turned into valuable Accipiter I.D.er's, Peregrine Poachers and Kite spotters! Yes the stamp of eternity that we left to this day will for sure be the Juvenile Mississippi Kite seen on 10/28/03. But each day was terrific. We never saw less than 250 birds each time out and had a few really big days. Lets go over the numbers.shall we? 2003 Tuesday 1 Totals:
Turkey Vulture: 615
Osprey: 16
White-tailed Kite: 6
Northern Harrier: 19
Sharp-Shinned Hawk: 526
Cooper's Hawk: 141
Red-shouldered Hawk: 27
Red-tailed Hawk: 506
Broad-winged Hawk: 13
Swainson's Hawk: 1
Ferruginous Hawk: 4
Golden Eagle: 3
American Kestrel: 58
Merlin: 20
Peregrine Falcon: 22
Unidentified: 77
TOTAL: 2,055
So for those of you playing at home that is a total of 16 species! The computers says we saw 9 more birds than the total, but honestly I can't figure out what they were.probably more rare birds. Regardless of totals that is great work and a lot of hard work. Thank's Tuesday 1, we'll see you at the Banquet and next year! Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 250
Hawks Per Hour: 42
Species: 10
November 24, 2003 - Today was a gorgeous day on the hill. Very pleasant for a late November day. The skies were clear...literally. The last cycle of hawk watches began today with a traditional feast on the hill. I knew when I heard the "pop" of the champagne that Lew brought we were gonna see something spectacular. A Swainson's Hawk appeared from south quadrant wishing us well as we end the HawkWatch season. Thanks for the good times Monday 1 and fare thee well. HawkWatch out. the doctor
Total Sightings: 159
Hawks Per Hour: 27
Species: 8
November 23, 2003 - On a cold, clear day with great visibility HawkWatch saw a Prairie Falcon, American Kestrels and a Merlin.
Total Sightings: 233
Hawks Per Hour: 38.8
Species: 7(?)
November 22, 2003 - The remarkable sighting today was a close Prairie Falcon.
Total Sightings: 235
Hawks Per Hour: 39
Species: 9
November 21, 2003 - Today was unremarkable with two exceptions. One was a Coyote on Rocky Ridge. Second were the two Peregrine Falcons that buzzed the HawkWatchers.
Now the reason for this drought may be slightly unknown but I have an idea. As we got there we were informed that we had "brought the wind." Great!
This early morning (sudden) change of wind direction pushed up several Accipiters. By 10am we were off to with a record setting pace. By 10:30 things were settling down. By 11:00am I was trying to decide if it was too early for lunch. The wind was just too strong and produced 29 degree wind chills. Now would you want to be a migrant at the tail end of the season in that kind of weather? I didn't think so. The Ravens, however, were on cloud nine all day. Boy, they just were doing all sorts of tricks up there.Ravens fly for fun.I know that sounds anthropomorphic but it's true! So pack a lunch, dress warmly and bring your binos up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 229
Hawks Per Hour: 38
Species: 7
November 20, 2003 We saw a Rough-legged Hawk chasing a Bald Eagle while being chased by a Prairie Falcon! It was amazing and a lie. Yes the lie we lived is an awful one but it sure made us feel warmer as we were pummeled by Northwest winds today. Boy was it cold on North Platform! The first half hour of the day was fogged out but we ended up having a nice tally. Activity peaked before 12pm. After that the hawks took an extended lunch break before coming back in notable but not outstanding numbers for the last two hours. Highlights included a distant Juvenile Ferruginous Hawk, the bridge Peregrines a poached White-tailed Kite and a Bobcat! We didn't actually log any eagles, or Roughies despite our best efforts at transmogrifying every gull we saw. Tomorrow will produce more birds! So pack a lunch and bring you binos up to the hill (remember: LAYERS!). Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 250
Hawks Per Hour: 45
Species: 10
November 19, 2003 - Hazy glorious day. Very few hawks (it's all relative) but good company as always. The white-tailed kites ruled the skies today with five beauties. The day started off with no wind and picked up towards the afternoon leaving our faces red and sun kissed. The gray ghost is still hanging around and has been for three days now, so if you haven't seen one of those, get your booty on the hill. HawkWatch out. the doctor
Total Sightings: 174
Hawks Per Hour: 29
Species: 9
November 18, 2003 - On a clear cold day Hawk Watch saw mostly Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks. HawkWatch also got looks at Merlins, a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk and an adult Cooper's Hawk.
Total Sightings: 251
Hawks Per Hour: 42
Species: 7
November 17, 2003 - Strange swirling haze covered Hawk Hill as the Monday II team got the count started. The fog seemed to press in, and then all of a sudden it dissipated. The skies were almost clear for the rest of the day. We saw the most hawks in the morning and the afternoon the wind died along with the flying birdies. The team had some entertaining group discussions about reality TV, sugarcoated cereal, and the good-bye food fest for the last time out on the hill. Near the end of the day, all we were seeing were TVs, airplanes, and floaters (the little black dots that 'older' people see moving across their eyes). Totals for the day include: 96 Turkey Vultures, 6 Northern Harriers, 21 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Cooper's Hawks, 61 Red-tailed Hawks, 9 American Kestrels, 7 Merlins, and 7 Peregrines (most likely all different sightings of the 2 local bridge birds, but I could be wrong). ~ Heather Total count: 214 raptor sightings Raptor rate: 35.7 hawks per hour Number of species: 8
Total Sightings: 214
Hawks Per Hour: 35.7
Species: 8
November 16, 2003 - Mediocre hawk and weather day, but great food. We had doughnuts, four kinds of cheese, crackers, tri-tip steak, humus dip, brownies,and chocolate chip cookies. Yum. As for the hawks, well we saw a few, but nothing to brag about. We saw mostly Turkey Vultures, Red-tails and Sharp- shinned Hawks, a couple Cooper's Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks, as well as American Kestrels, Peregrines, and Northern Harriers. The weather was nice to begin with, but as the day carried on the sky became darker and darker as the rain clouds approached. The shaded sun made the temperature drop and the bird numbers dwindled. By 2:30 the North Quadrant regulars (Steve and Tim) had given up and left. Also at that time, the team began to scheme up ways to end the day early. However, there was no need for schemes because the rain booted us off the hill early at 3:05. ~ Heather Total count: 215 raptor sightings Raptor rate: 39.1 hawks per hour Number of species: 8
Total Sightings: 215
Hawks Per Hour: 39.1
Species: 8
November 15, 2003 This morning when I woke I didn't hear the pitter patter of rain drops on my window that I expected. No it was more like the thumping of giant water balloons. I said to myself "cool, I'll take my time having breakfast and then meander over to 1064, there's no way were going up." I was so wrong. At 9:25am a bolt of sunlight shot through the window as we were discussing which movie to watch. That was all we needed. Steve was already out the door running by the time the rest of the team stood up. The day did clear up considerably. Highlights included (but are not limited) to the following: Golden Eagle playing tag on Slacker Hill, Dark-morph Buteo, nonstop Peregrine action, two two o'clock Merlins in close, and a Bobcat that hung out just east of Kremmen's Crag on Rocky Ridge. Our major lesson learned today concerned a White-tailed Kite. This baby scooted up Rocky Ridge and soared up over Hawk Hill giving everyone a great look. This one didn't have a really clear brown necklace and so was initially called as an adult. However, it was pointed out that this bird had considerable brown scalloping on the scapulars and mantle as well as a faint gray tail band. So next time out look for any or all of those three things when aging Kites or else it becomes an Undoc. Lets hope for clear skies again tomorrow. So pack a lunch and bring your binos up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Other interesting birds: A couple of Red-crossbills (including one sexy male) and some Pipits. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 308
Hawks Per Hour: 54
Species: 10
November 14, 2003 -No report filed.
November 13, 2003 - Today started out looking stormy. We all were claiming to have felt raindrops on our ascents to hawk hill. However, the rain never came... nor did the hawks. Well, the number of birds was not spectacular, but the quality was nice. Katy Doctor claimed to have seen a juvenile Bald Eagle on her way to 1064 in the morning. I thought that she was full of it. I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up in my quadrant. We all got a very nice show as it circled over Kirby Cove. Other highlights included 4 adult Peregrine Falcons, 1 Merlin, 1 Osprey, 6 adult accips and two dark morph juvenile Red-tails. So, overall I liked this day. It was wonderful to watch the light rays dance across the water. Peace and Bald Eagles. Jeff Birek
Total Sightings: 220
Hawks Per Hour: 36.67
Species: 10
November 12, 2003 - Another gorgeous day in the Headlands. The day began with a White-tailed Kite and ended with one too. The skies were filled with Falcons... who would have thought that Peregrines could get boring? Well they did. All 13 sightings of them, but we had at least three different individuals. One was a beautiful adult male Peregrine who 'flirted' with a huge juvenile female for about 30 minutes right over our heads. The count also included 10 Merlin and 6 American Kestrel sightings. The other birds were: 3 White-tailed Kites, 12 Northern Harriers,76 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 8 Cooper's Hawks, 98 Red-tailed Hawks (1/2 adults), and 136 Turkey Vultures. All would have ended perfectly, but unfortunately as people were driving down the hill I lost my car keys. Allen stayed with me to call AAA, assuming that I had locked them in my trunk. While on hold for 20+ minutes, I noticed a group of firemen taking pictures of the bridge. I politely asked them if they could unlock my car. Three good looking firemen freed my door to save the day, but my keys were not in the trunk. Finally, an hour later Allen and I found them in his car with the scope. Oops! ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 367
Hawks Per Hour: 61.17
Species: 9
November 11, 2003 - A gorgeous day on Hawk Hill today with good winds to bring in the Raptors. Highlights included 2 Ferruginous Hawks, 12 Merlins, 3 White-tailed Kites, 4 Peregrine Falcons, 6 Red-Shouldered Hawks and 4 Northern Harriers along with the "usual suspects."
Total Sightings: 273
Hawks Per Hour: 45
Species: 11
November 10, 2003 - 11/10/03 Monday I team is proud to announce the first official Rough-legged Hawk to make it onto the 2003 HawkWatch count. It happened about 1:30 when Herb yelled at Tim to look at a Sharp-shinned Hawk that was soaring around in the fifth quadrant. Fortunately for us, Tim saw a different bird. Of course, Time didn't call out that he was looking at a Rough-legged Hawk... instead he quietly said "Pizza." I overheard the call for pizza and began immediately searching the sky. And there it was, my first ever Rough- legged Hawk right overhead. It flew right over and then off towards Angel Island. This day was especially nice for me cause I was able to complete my goal of seeing all 19 species of raptors from Hawk Hill. (This is including all the raptors on the GGRO HawkWatch data sheet, unfortunately I missed #20 the Mississippi Kite... maybe it will come back in another 30 years) =) All in all today had great weather and good winds. The Sharpies made a comeback with 50 seen total. We also saw a handful of Cooper's Hawks, one Northern Harrier, two White-tailed Kites, 64 Red-tail Hawks, five American Kestrels, and seven Merlins. ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 256
Hawks Per Hour: 42.7
Species: 9
November 9, 2003 - HawkWatch expected rain today but saw Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins and Red-tailed Hawks as well as Turkey Vultures.
Total Sightings: 147
Hawks Per Hour: 24.5
Species: 8
November 8, 2003 - The weather didn't quite live up to the threatening forecast as the Sat II team took the Hill this morning, but the conditions were far from ideal for hawk watching. The day started with overcast skies, and a few breaks of sunlight all around, although we never saw the top of Mt. Tam. There wasn't much activity -- the occasional Red-tail, finally a few accipiters, with highlights including one very close look at an adult Peregrine, and then a little later a Peregrine harassing a Red-tail for a good few minutes from the West to the North quadrants. Other than that, we dealt with very strong winds from the South. The wind speeds kept increasing throughout the day, and when we left the hill around 1:15 pm due to rain, there was a steady wind of 20-25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph, brrrr, from due South. (As JJ Harris said, "It will be a cold day in the South Quadrant when (fill in the blank)." But nothing ever happened). When the rain started it was really pelting us, and we quickly retreated. Of course, while we were down at 1064 putting in the data, etc, the sun broke through and the clouds began to disperse -- so perhaps we'd made a mistake?! But as a handful of us began our holiday shopping at the visitors center, the rain came back and we knew we'd made the right decision. Seven species on the day including TV's, Peregrine, Kestrel, Merlin, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Red-tails. 61 of our 97 sightings were TVs, so that kinda tells the story. As always, we had a lot of fun anyway! Sightings: 97 HPH: 24 Species: 7
Total Sightings: 97
Hawks Per Hour: 24
Species: 7
November 7, 2003 - Today sucked. The storm systems in the area stalled out so we did get up to the hill. It really didn't rain much at all. We had some brief sprinkling. However, the weather did prevent a huge majority of the birds from coming our way. In fact I think that they probably left, but we didn't even see that. Birds seen include: Turkey Vultures, Cooper's Hawks and a Sharp-shinned Hawk or two, Redtails, Kestrels and one Merlin. Thanks very much to the few HawkWatchers that did show up for their shift today because it wasn't everyone. So whatever happens tomorrow don't forget to pack a lunch and bring your binos up to the hill. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 88
Hawks Per Hour: 16.5
Species: 6
November 6 2003 - Dozens of diurnal raptors were documented during this drizzly and dismal day. What we saw really was a solid gray cloud layer for the entire six hours of our watch. We stayed up there; no puny raindrops were going to run this team off the hill. Perhaps the allure of seeing a Rough-legged Hawk fueled our stubborn persistence today; perhaps it was just our sense of duty. The first hawk of the day was a Northern Harrier but things went downhill from there. We managed to squeak out a two Buteo day with one Redshoulder. The best bird today (I know they are all good, but this one rocked) was a Adult Female Peregrine Falcon that carried an American Wigeon sized and shaped bird over our heads. We are going to have to hope for better tomorrow. So pack your lunch and bring your binos up to the hill. Good day and good birding. A non-raptor did show up today and gave a few of our HawkWatchers a new check on their life list: a female Red Crossbill. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 239
Hawks Per Hour: 39.8
Species: 9
November 5, 2003 - HawkWatch was rained out today November 4, 2003 - On a windy, sunny but cold day HawkWatch saw Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Cooper's Hawks Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Merlins and Peregrine Falcons and of course Turkey Vultures.
Total Sightings: 308
Hawks Per Hour: 51.3
Species: 9
November 3, 2003 - The sunny skies did not disappoint today. Now that the fall coldness has finally set in, the hopes of winter rare birds lingers in the minds of all faithful watchers. First words by Herb this morning..." today we'll get that bald that we've all been waiting for..." ya ya herb, HawkWatchers are always ever hopeful, I think to myself. Little did I know around 10:32 a majestic and very huge black eagle with white markings comes soaring in over the lagoon was chased by four Ravens directly over our binos. Thank you. We also got some beauty looks by Peregrines, Merlins, and White-tailed Kites. HawkWatch out. Katy
Total Sightings: 271
Hawks Per Hour: 45.17
Species: 11
November 2, 2003 - On a cold and overcast day, HawkWatch did get to see a Peregrine Falcon chasing a Short-eared Owl in the morning and a Peregrine Falcon chasing a Red-tailed Hawk in the Afternoon. They also got a good look at a Merlin.
Total Sightings: 282
Hawks Per Hour: 47
Species: 10
November, 1 2003 - I remember a cold day in late November when I was younger. The sun set early and the frost hung on the window panes of my childhood home as my grandmother arrived back from her day of birding. "Oooh Sam, it was cold today" she told me. "I sat all day long on top of a mountain to look for large birds with wings as big as you!" I asked her if she saw any and she warmly answered "Yes, there were many but the best of them all was a Golden Eagle." I now know that my grandmother had just returned from a routine trip to Hawk Mountain, PA were Golden Eagles are possible in November. I also know that now I am fully grown and the Golden Eagles we saw today were STILL bigger than I am. It was great! These two prehistoric sized birds cruised straight through the fifth quadrant today. Both were juvenile and both showed two extremes of white primary marking. One was dark and one was light. These were the treats of this cold post-Halloween day hawk watch.
Yet again the Redtails moved through in large numbers showing off a full spectrum of morphs, shapes and sizes. Notable birds were a beautiful chocolate-espresso colored adult; a richly colored adult with a tiger striped tail; a very light juvenile with a washed out reddish tint to the tail. I strongly encourage each of you to come up to the hill and try and see every possible Redtail morph shown in your favorite field guide. It's worth it and these days you can almost do it in one day. Other great birds today were a pair of Ospreys seen, one each in the first two hours. So pack a lunch and bring your binos up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 441
Hawks Per Hour: 73.5
Species: 11
October 31, 2003 - HawkWatch had some rain today but was able to be on Hawk Hill for 3 hours. They saw Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, Osprey, American Kestrel and Golden Eagles.
Total Sightings: 149
Hawks Per Hour: 49.7
Species: 8
October 30, 2003 - No report filed.
October 29, 2003 - After a week of consecutive hot days in the Headlands, it finally cooled off! The fog rolled in this morning, and the Wednesday I team enjoyed hot yummy, delicious apple fritters thanks to Steve. We went on a lagoon walk and saw 2 Virginia Rails, American Wigeons, juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons, and other exciting birds. Two hours later the fog cleared from Hawk Hill. The weather was a cold 59 degrees with a wind speed at 18+ mph with a chill of 39 degrees. The wind was really powerful especially in the North, and it eventually kicked the regulars (Tim, Steve, Lew, and Herb) into the South Quadrant. The Hawk highlights were one Ferruginous Hawk, one Peregrine, one Merlin, two White-tailed Kites, and 16 Kestrels. Unfortunately no Mississippi Kite, but I guess we can't all be that lucky. ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 246
Hawks Per Hour: 57.8
Species: 10
October 28, 2003 - History happens; I was once told this and now I have every reason to believe it. Today, on the pinnacle of Hawk Hill in Marin Co. California a very very beautiful thing happened. No one was expecting it, no one could have predicted it so at 11:55am when apprentice Keen Turner called out that he might have a weird falcon in the south quadrant we expected just that. The band-tailed pigeons were flying in record numbers so the Peregrines should have been too, right? However, when we all heard a squeaky voiced Tim Behr gently but urgently calling out "Herb, you better get over here" everyone else got pretty interested. Yes, this was the moment that Steve Bauer became the first man ever to see 20 species of raptors from Hawk Hill in one season. The astounding juvenile MISSISSIPPI KITE rose effortless into the binoculars of every hawk watcher up there. We shouted with glee, grown men wept, policemen turned in their badges.it was the best things that could have happened. The kite rose and rose as we watched it for ten minutes. It joined a group of Red-shoulders and Red-tails above us and then headed out towards Mill Valley. It made the juvenile dark morph Broadwing seen seconds before about as interesting as Turkey Vulture with crap on it's back. Our adrenaline and seratonine levels were peaking through the roof as we basked in the euphoric glow of having seen a super rare bird. This bird certainly was the peak of possibly the best 20 minutes of Hawkwatching ever witnessed. As I said a dark Broadwing had been seen right before it, there were five Redshoulders and eight Redtails in the sky. In addition a handful of Merlins were counted in that period from every direction. The finally was a gigantic adult Ferruginous Hawk that soared up right above Hawk Blind. We still had three hours to go. In that time we spotted at least two Golden Eagles, possibly three, several Peregrines and Kestrels and of course more Merlins. We had a special help from 10 year old Weston Everett who spotted and correctly identified a White-tailed Kite that would of escaped the count otherwise. Thanks to Wes we had a two kite day! So pack a lunch and bring your binos up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 385
Hawks Per Hour: 64
Species: 14
October 27. 2003 - Another bloody hot day on Hawk Hill... the afternoon thermals really made hawk watching difficult by putting most of the bird sightings up high in the fifth quadrant (straight up in the sky). We saw 47 adult Red-tails and 87 juveniles including one rufous/dark morph. The accipiters were also flying in high numbers and most of them were being blow around like paper bags in the heavy early morning winds (up to wind speed code 5!). The other exciting birds were 2 American Kestrels, 6 Merlins, 8 Peregrines, 2 Osprey, and 6 Northern Harriers. The beginning of the day was wonderful for hawk watching, but by three o'clock it was hot, miserable, and birdless (5 total sightings in the last half hour). So, my recommendation is to get to Hawk Hill early tomorrow... remember that the Rough-legged Hawk could still show up again. ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 399
Hawks Per Hour: 66.5
Species: 9
October 26, 2003 - One of our four favorite interns, Katie Doctor, was off chasing Miwok (the telemetry Red-tailed Hawk). So in order to make all those eager hawk watchers happy, I (Heather) am relaying the daily hawk watch assessment from the Sunday II team. Today was a FANTASTIC day for hawks, it was like old peak times. The weather followed the recent hot temperature trend (89 degrees in shade), and was extremely windy (scale 3 & 4) all morning. There were many Accipiter sightings, and the team was also allowed brief looks at one bird for each of these species: White-tailed Kite, Osprey, Broadwing Hawk, juvenile Golden Eagle, and Merlin. Unfortunately, no Rough-legged Hawk so the team is definitely jealous of Saturday (Note: HawkWatch did not see the Rough-legged Hawk yesterday, but Hawk Blind did see one before 9:30). HawkWatch out. ~ Heather
PS. I realize that last week I mentioned something about summer-like weather. Please note that I am from Texas and obviously do not know what San Francisco summer weather is like. I got several comments from that remark, so I just wanted to set the record straight.
Total Sightings: 619
Hawks Per Hour: 103
Species: 12
October 25, 2003 - Today was supposed to be hot. However, no one mentioned anything about strong winds from the East. This is what we got for most of the morning. Gusts were over 20 mph. It did get warm as the wind calmed down during the day and the hawks were pretty awesome. At 9:10 am a veteran Hawkwatcher and banders at hawk blind all spotted a juvenile Rough-legged Hawk. This is the first one spotted from the hill this season. Unfortunately, it didn't show up again. We did manage to get a very close and long look at a juvenile Ferruginous Hawk. That was fantastic. Two adults and one juvenile Peregrine Falcon were spotted playing over Kirby Cove(10 total). There were 46 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks located throughout the day. One White-tailed Kite graced us in the morning. There were also, four Merlins during the watch. There were 5 Red-shouldered Hawks and 16 Northern Harriers. Overall, this was an excellent day on the hill. Peace and Roughies to you all, Jeff Birek.
Total Sightings: 541
Hawks Per Hour: 90
Species: 11
October 24, 2003 - This hot, breezy Friday brought out good numbers of hawks (403 total!) of 10 different species. We had lots of close-in birds, which was a nice change of pace for the Friday II crew. It was a good day for falcons, with at least three Merlins and an adult peregrine directly overhead, and several Kestrels. We saw lots of adult accipiters (and juveniles, of course). Black-tailed deer were sighted, and a honey-colored coyote came up on Fish Rock and looked us all over. But try as we might, we couldn't wish up a white-tailed kite or an eagle. Next time...
Total Sightings: 403
Hawks Per Hour: 67.2
Species: 10
October 23, 2003 Beautiful day up there, really. The fog crept out in the morning and gave us great clear views of almost everywhere. The sharpies took the skies once again as adult bird after adult bird streamed over our heads. The blues and grays were a welcome change to the browns and creams of those Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks. Let's not forget the great effort made by the Cooper's Hawks today. They showed up in their ASY (after second year) plumage too. From 12 to 1pm we even had a plus 100 hour! Some HawkWatchers had tears in their eyes as they reminisced peak once again. For those of you polymorphphile HawkWatchers the chocolate Redtails came back with an adult and a juvenile today. Also of note were the falconids; Merlins, Kestrels and Peregrines showed up for lunch. You might just want to be here tomorrow, the Buteo invasion just might happen. So pack a lunch and bring your bino's up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Other birds of note were the 1,492 Band-tailed Pigeons, 20 Tricolored Blackbirds and hundreds of Violet-green Swallows. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 389
Hawks Per Hour: 64.8
Species: 10
October 22, 2003 - HawkWatch was fogged out today.
October 21, 2003 - Today's account of Hawk Hill is all second hand because Jeff the regularly scheduled intern had a day off the job. So according to the Tuesday II team, there was beautiful weather and the fog remained slightly below Hawk Hill until the early afternoon. The hawk count began slow, but continued to pick up until 3pm. The majority of the count consisted of the magical appearing and disappearing act of 100 turkey vulture sightings. The Accipiter numbers appear to have slowed down, but we've been seeing close to equal numbers of adults and juveniles. The exciting birds consisted of 2 White-tailed Kites, 3 Merlins, 3 Peregrines, 6 Northern Harriers, and 1 juvenile Broadwing Hawk. Other birds seen include: Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks,and American Kestrels. ~Heather
Total Sightings: 262
Hawks Per Hour: 43.7
Species: 10
October 20, 2003 - Beautiful summer-like day on Hawk Hill. The temperature was in the low 80's, there was no fog, and the wind was blowing from the east. The birds were coming relatively slow especially in the morning. It seems that the raptors have really started sleeping in late since peak week. We saw a lot of "tweeners" (male coop or was it a female sharpie?? accipiters), which made identification close to impossible. However, it was obvious that ALL the accips both juveniles and adults had been eating well, evidenced by exploding crops. Today, more than ever I felt like we were the GGBTPO (Golden Gate Band-tailed Pigeon Observatory). There were hundreds of them in every direction flying aimlessly in circles. ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 255
Hawks Per Hour: 42.5
Species: 10
October 19, 2003 - Today was slow.............. with some good variety. We saw 5 Merlins, and passed ravens between quadrants. There were lots of visitors thanks to the fair weather and sunny skies. Here's the breakdown: Buteos (Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk), Accipiters (adult and juvenile Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks), Falcons (American Kestrel , Merlin, and Peregrine Falcon), and finally others (Turkey Vultures, of course, Northern Harriers and White-tailed Kites). ~ Heather Total count: 234 raptor sightings Raptor rate: 39 hawks per hour (felt like less) Number of Species: 10
Total Sightings: 234
Hawks Per Hour: 39
Species: 10
Total Sightings: 457
Hawks Per Hour: 76
Species: 8
October 17, 2003 - No Pizza today, Hawk that is. We're waiting with baited breath though and it could happen at any moment. I think. After today's slow flight we think the hawks may have changed their minds and do not migrate any more. We invite your input on this subject but things may have changed here. We are considering a name change.Golden Gate 'Raven' Observatory. Enough.on with the report! Today was muggy. Warm and humid with mostly variable wind directions. Perhaps I jinxed the day when I called in the first bird, "unidentified raptor!" Bad idea, I know but the bird was really far out and wasn't giving me much. Our best hour came between 12 and 1, we saw 75 raptors including 40 Turkey Vultures. Other highlights of the day are as follows: 20 small school children lying down playing dead on one platform in an attempt to attract a Turkey Vulture (Allen's idea); one Juvenile Peregrine Falcon playing tag with Hawk blind for ten entertaining minutes; watching Steve Bauer and myself trying to pitch pebbles into 'that pipe' that sticks up out of the ground near the East Quadrant (I beat him); not seeing the Blue Angles and of course the shade when we walked off the hill. Now I think this team has done a great service to the rest of the groups. We have endured a slow day so that each following day will be better. So with that pack a lunch grab your binos and come up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Other cool birds included a Palm Warbler and a Winter Wren. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 294
Hawks Per Hour: 49
Species: 9
October 16, 2003 - We didn't believe the reports of a clear hill while we were sitting down in the fog of Rodeo Valley. But, low and behold we get above it and realize its beautiful. We had clear skies and it was warm. Of course, when you are part of Thursday I HawkWatch anything is possible (i.e. Golden Eagle and White-tailed Kite in the same binocular field of view a month ago). The volume of raptors was not big, but we did have some good looks. In the first 30 minutes we only had one raptor spotted, but it was a juvenile Northern Harrier. Things did pick up, though. Early in the day we had a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk that we could reach with a stick. It wouldn't go away, either. Throughout the day, we had 7 adult accipiters, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, 6 Northern Harriers, 2 White-tailed Kites, 1 Broad-winged Hawk, 5 American Kestrels, 2 Merlins and 1 adult Peregrine Falcon. So, all in all, highly enjoyable. Peace and unlimited skies. Jeff Birek
Total Sightings: 305
Hawks Per Hour: 50.7
Species: 11
October 15, 2003 - Foggy morning allowed for a movie hour. The team watched "Pale Male", a fantastic movie about a mating pair of Red-tail's in New York. The skies cleared at 12, and the count began with an Osprey. The day was sunny, but the wind was blowing around at 30mph with a wind chill of 33 degrees. Despite the winds, the Wednesday team did not give up and we were rewarded with good looks at a Peregrine, Merlin, and wind buffeted Accipiters. ~ Heather Lannie & Kathy Odell
Total Sightings: 148
Hawks Per Hour: 53.8
Species: 12
October 14, 2003 - Today was less than stellar. What were those hawks thinking. We had clear skies, NW winds and some really nice people too. I was told today that I can't ask for everything and that I need to appreciate what I could see. So with that (sarcastic remark) we did see a couple Red-shoulders which were pretty nice and the lone Northern Harrier of the day got shouts of excitement and jumps of joy. Also there was a nice couple of Twitchers from Wales up today. They impressed us all with stories of their backyard Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the time they watched a Hobby (Falco subbuteo) chase a swallow. We showed them a Coop at two miles a way. I don't mean to sound disheartened with today's count. Any day up on Hawk Hill is a good day. It really is. There were several adult Accipiters today, beautiful blueberry colored males and blue tinted females. It is so totally awesome to get surprised by one of those after seeing hundreds and hundreds of juveniles through the season. I give that change two thumbs up. Other interesting birds were the hundreds and hundreds of Violet-green Swallows passing over head (no Hobbies in pursuit unfortunately). Tomorrow will bring more birds so pack a lunch and bring your bino's up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 274
Hawks Per Hour: ~46
Species: 9
October 13, 2003 - Today we got the record for seeing the most species with the fewest number of total birds. But don't get us wrong... the entire day was entirely boring. The sun was shining but the birds they were NOT flying. Of course the company was great as always and the black dot specialists got some extra practice today in the fifth. HawkWatch out. KKD and HDL
Total Sightings: 238
Hawks Per Hour: 39.7
Species: 13
October 12, 2003 - Good day! Sightings of interest: 4 White-tailed Kites , 7 Peregrine Falcons, 1 Broad-winged Hawk and 51 adult Red-tailed Hawks.
Total Sightings: 360
Hawks Per Hour: 60
Species: 10
Total Sightings: 407
Hawks Per Hour: 68
Species: 10
October, 10 2003 - Bald Eagle, what more can I say? I could talk about the phenomenal clarity with which we could see Mt. Diablo, Tam and San Jose. I suppose I could also tell you about the juvenile Broadwing that was spotted by a guest Hawkwatcher who chose to lay down for a while. Or maybe I could tell you about the possible Harlan's-Western Red-tailed Hawk we saw at a distance.
Was today an exciting day? Yes and No. The birds we saw were spectacular.
There were many adult Accipiters in the mix of juveniles and this presented a pleasant identification problem. We did see one giant Juvenile Bald Eagle that "appeared out of nowhere" in the south quadrant being mobbed by a Raven. This Eagle showed a chocolate belly, clean white carpal lines.never mind, the thing was massive and it came right over us on it's way north to Hill 88. The other very interesting bird was the above mentioned Redtail. This bird sparked life into those old jaded hawk watchers who never really get excited about Redtails anymore. Interestingly, this bird was picked up by an apprentice first! This Redtail had an almost entirely white tail dipped in a light wash of rufous. The rest of the bird looked fairly normal to this hawk watcher. Remarkably or perhaps obviously this Tail didn't come in too close for us to look so we resorted to our scopes, "ummms" and long sustained "wells" while watching this bird. These were the only highlights of the day it certainly was a quality bird day and not a quantity bird day.
We're going to blame it on the Blue Angles again today. Perhaps once Arnold is in office we'll start seeing more birds, he can fix our problems. Right? Other interesting birds of the day were the first Varied Thrushes, Cedar Waxwing and a nearly constant stream of Duck Flocks flying over San Francisco. So pack a lunch, grab your binos and come up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 326
Hawks Per Hour: 55.8
Species: 11
October 9, 2003 - What a nice view of the Marin Headlands we had today. The weather really was pretty clear, but the wind left something to be desired. You know it's just harder to see birds with southerly winds. Not impossible though. We did manage to see a good number of Red-shouldered Hawks (22) and Harriers (9). These have got to be two of the sexiest birds we see from the hill, really, so it was nice to have a high count for both. Despite this the time just seemed to drag by today. We saw around 230 non-Turkey Vulture raptors and the bulk of these came in the middle of the day. The Blue Angles of the United States Navy did come in the afternoon. Coincidence may be to blame but we certainly counted less Hawks once the blue-boys were out. On being asked why there were no Hawks in the sky this afternoon Heather Lannie said "I blame the heat, the Blue Angles and Grey Davis." Two interesting Raptors were recently spotted here in California but we didn't see either. A Black Vulture was seen near Arcata and a Rough-legged Hawk was spotted in Point Reyes a few days ago. Remember to study those field guides before you get up to the hill next, there will be a quiz. So don't forget to pack a lunch and bring your binos up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 542
Hawks Per Hour: 90
Species: 11
October 8, 2003 - Clear skies graced HawkWatch today. They got a good look at a 1st or 2nd year Bald Eagle, Broad-winged Hawks including 2 adults, a Ferruginous Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawks and White-tailed Kites.
Total Sightings: 715
Hawks Per Hour: 119
Species: 13
October 6, 2003 - Well maybe Monday I would have gotten some of the leftovers from the stellar day that Sunday I had, but we couldn't see them because there was this funny white stuff surrounding us all day- something called FOG, you may have heard of it. It came to visit us today and won.
Fog Fog Fog
2 Turkey Vultures
Fog Fog Fog
Fog
(courtesy of HDL)
Until next time. HawkWatch out.
Katy Doctor
October 5, 2003 - YOU should have been on Hawk Hill!!! Early in the morning someone 'spotted' a Spotted Owl perched on a railing behind one of the Hawk Hill tunnels. It stayed on the railing all day long preening, sleeping, and looking around at all the visitors it attracted. The top of the hill was packed with tourists, bird watchers, and Hawks. The Hawks were gathering in huge kettles above Kirby Cove and allowed everyone to get great looks. In total, we saw 3 buteos ( 27 Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Red-shouldered Hawks), 3 falcons (American Kestrels, Merlins, & Peregrine Falcons), 3 accipiters!! (Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, 1 Northern Goshawk!!!!!!!), 1 eagle (2 Golden Eagle), and 3 others (White-tailed Kites, Turkey Vultures, and Northern Harriers). The day was mostly clear with 1 hour of fog at 2-3pm. The skies fortunately cleared again to allow for a 360 degree look (as it flew through all the quadrants) at a Northern Goshawk. Finally, at 3:30 the day ended with two Golden Eagles that showed up over the vortac and eventually flew just over Hawk Blind. Wow, what a show! ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 751
Hawks Per Hour: 125.7
Species: 13
October 4, 2003 - Today was a well-rounded day for the HawkWatch team. I mean it, despite the three and a half hours of official counting we saw a lot and not just from Hawk Hill. Our morning started out with a walk around the headlands. We managed to see Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Broad-winged Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier and some good non-raptors. We made it back to 1064 at around 11:30 and saw a Peregrine Falcon fly overhead! It was time to go up to the hill too! We began our count at 12:15 and still managed to see 76 birds for the hour. We did see one Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk during this hour, which most likely was the same one that Hawk Blind caught and banded today. Way to go guys! The fog finally thought about lifting at around 2:30 and we enjoyed the blue sky once again. Peregrines, Kestrels and a Merlin were seen in the clear skies today. It was a nice day and tomorrow only promises to get better tomorrow (fingers crossed!). OK, now let me tell you about the bird I am REALLY excited about seeing today. All you Raptor-philes will have to branch out here and use your imagination because this was a Passerine. When I came back down from the hill today I found a little yellow Kingbird and it wasn't a Western Kingbird. This guy entertained me for a while and turned out to be a TROPICAL KINGBIRD! It was down by the Headlands Institute from 4:45 to 5:30pm and on. So pack a lunch and bring your binos up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 286
Hawks Per Hour: 88
Species: 10
October 3rd, 2003 - Today was a fog out. We didn't see Hawks and they didn't see us. It was really disappointing to be honest. Fog is just a reality for us here. One more weather variable preventing us from seeing hawks on any given day.
This Team did view the new Raptor Classic 'The Kestrels Eye' a film about the life of the Common or Eurasian Kestrel. We were enchanted to see the images and enjoyed rooting for the chicks as they competed for food. The Lapwing-Kestrel chase seen was great although we were disappointed nothing blew up. All in all it is an important documentary on the life cycle of this raptor species. However, the director attempted to be fairly artsy and this failed to impress us here. He tried unsuccessfully to make comparisons and contrasts Humans and Kestrels. See the two birds being studied roost in a church. This church has a graveyard (as any good church should). The director followed a casket on its funeral possession out the doors of the church and into the ground in one scene. The next shot was of a baby Kes popping out of it's shell. In the eyes of this reviewer that was just too much. Let me share some other perspectives on the movie. The Meyers review is as follows: "The second half was better, we got sound and color." The Birek review: "It kept my interest, it was daring!" The Bush review: "It was pretty good, but I saw Winged Migration and that was much better." The Fish review: "I'm thinking about using it for the Raptor Class!" So 'The Kestrels Eye' is going to get the Two Start Stuart rating. So on that note let me say: pack a lunch grab your binos come up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding! -Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 0
Hawks Per Hour: 0
Species: 0
October 2, 2003 - Ah the joys of having cold fog blowing in your face while squinting through the whiteness trying to make out the vague shapes of our migrants. Of which we saw relatively few of today considering the illusion of peak season. We were rewarded at the end of the day with a close Merlin sighting and that's about it. But we here at the GGRO are thankful for whatever we may get. HawkWatch out. Katy Doctor
Total Sightings: 248
Hawks Per Hour: 45.1
Species: 9
October 1, 2003 - Sound the alarm!!! Fog has taken over Hawk Hill never to be seen again on October 1st. Instead of hawk watching, the team watched the Kestrels Eye, a movie based in Sweden on a pair of Eurasian Kestrel's during a breeding cycle. Afterwards, we all drove up to the annex. Even at the annex, the fog was swirling around us blown in by wind at 20+ miles per hour with the wind-chill at 39.5 degrees. I was wearing the usual 7 layers of clothing (no exaggeration, I swear) and still continued to shiver. We did end up seeing 2 Sharpies, 1 Red-tail, and 1 Peregrine in the fog. Allen officially declared the day a Fog Out at 12:15 ish. As the team began to disperse, the loss of hope and the numbness of the cold reminded Sue Pemberton of how the Donnor party must have felt back in the frontier days. .......awwwwwww....fog......... ~ Heather
Total Sightings: 0
Hawks Per Hour: 0
Species: 0
September, 30 2003 - "It was foggy at the start and the end, but in the middle things got pretty exciting" - Jack Gescheidt
Yes, today was a sky code A. You know, that category that only applies to the GGRO's watch. That code which Hawk Watch International still hasn't figured out. It was Foggy below us, but we could see all the way to Mt. Diablo. The peak of Hawk Hill poked out for four and a half hours today. Enough time to count a lot of birds! Today's HawkWatch should not have happened. We went to the hill to look for Passerine Migrants and found a non-foggy hill (along with 6 Red Crossbills). For the first hour we counted three birds. One Kestrel and two Merlins. Each one shot right over our heads. Then the Sharpies got moving. Between 10:30 and around 1:30 we counted almost 240 of them. Between 11:00 and 1:00 we counted over 300 birds. We were like chickens running around with their heads cut off. The birds were everywhere, stacking up in swirling kettles above the Cove or shooting by the Rifle Range at warp speed. During the amazing Accipiter attack we were also being bombarded by Buteos. One Adult Red-shoulder passed us along with 13 or more hatch year Broadwings and many many Redtails. At quarter of two as we were beginning to enjoy our tomato basil soup the temperature dropped, winds picked up from the west and the fogged swallowed us whole. We had counted over four hundred birds already and we had to quit! If only that fog hadn't rolled we would have got a pin for today. Tomorrow should be good so pack a lunch bring your binos and get on up to the hill! Good day and good birding. Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 441
Hawks Per Hour: 98.3
Species: 10
September 29, 2003 - After much debate, the sun finally decided to shine it's light upon us midday. It turned out to be a great Hawk day for the second half of the day. The usual rarities (excuse the oxymoron) showed themselves today- Broadwing and the Merlin. 317 Accipiters were counted today, that's 57% of total birds seen. The peak continues... HawkWatch out. Katy Doctor
Total Sightings: 557
Hawks Per Hour: 92.8
Species: 10
September 28, 2003 - Great day on the hill. Sunny weather and a northwesterly wind. Sunday 2 finally made it up on the hill and boy were we psyched. The birds did not disappoint. Broadwings blundered and Merlins marveled as we cast our eyes in the fifth quadrant. Although the Accipiters aced the skies today acting their aviary acrobatics. Thank you raptors. HawkWatch out. -Katy Doctor
Total Sightings: 729
Hawks Per Hour: 121.5
Species: 11
September 27, 2003 - We started counting at 11:30 am, with a low ceiling but visibility in all directions. By 3:30 pm we had counted 586 hawks, or 146 hawks per hour, which is by far the highest Hawks Per Hour for the season. The Accipiters were spectacular, and interacting with one another, we had I think nine Merlins (not one, as the site says now), and even had a male and female Merlin interacting over the mouth of the bay. We had 10 species. Red-tail, Red-shouldered, Broadwing, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Merlin, Kestrel, Peregrine (5 or so... ), Osprey and Turkey Vulture. Considering how bad it looked early on in the day, it was great in the afternoon. And considering how great the Banders did that day, it's no wonder we had such a great day on the hill. A highlight for some was the fact that Allen was there for the banding demo, and with Jeff Birek's help, had not one, not two, but THREE birds for the banding demo. A juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk , a juvenile Cooper's Hawk and a Merlin.
Total Sightings: 586
Hawks Per Hour: 146
Species: 10
September, 26 2003 Today was slightly less than stellar. The fog did a nasty job today and we once again resorted to poaching Turkey Vultures from other quadrants. The first hour of the count was actually fogged out. This team did not actually begin the count until 10:30am. Around eleven the wind picked up and stayed steady from the Northwest. When this fog does lift these winds are going to bring us something wonderful. We did, however, up yesterdays one Buteo count. Three Broad-winged Hawks (2 adults) and one Red-shouldered Hawk graced our hill today with their presence. For all of you Broadwing enthusiasts here at the GGRO, you might be interested to know that Brian Wheeler's new book on the Raptors of Western North America notes especially the Broadwings we count. Traditionally it was believed that Broad-winged Hawks did not have a regular western migratory path. I think we showed them! The Peregrines that showed off yesterday did not return today, unfortunately. However, three Merlins did show along with a few Kestrels. This weekend promises to be fruitful if the fog breaks. Our own local black-dot-specialists predict a possible big day very soon! So pack a lunch, grab your binos, do a little anti-fog dance and come up to the hill tomorrow. Good day and good birding! Sam Stuart
Total Sightings: 266
Hawks Per Hour: 53.2
Species: 9
September 25, 2003 - Whatever you were doing today that kept you off the hill.well, I hope it was important because you missed a superlative day. Today was simply legendary. However, the news of yesterday's afternoon 'fog-out' and previous counts being low was not encouraging this morning. The fact that the hill was almost entirely fogged in when we got to the top was borderline heartbreaking. Things got better. Sometimes quality is better than quantity and the late day activity proved this saying to be true. By 12:30 this HawkWatch crew was almost ready to pack it in. Then a Kestrel showed up and the fog did a little dance. Maybe things were about to clear. By two o'clock the fog had raised and we had seen 30 plus sharpies. For better or worse we were going to stick this one out. At around 2:02, East saw a Merlin. At 2:02 and fifteen seconds East had 2 Merlins. Then three. I'm not talking about your average black dot Merlin off of Alcatraz two miles out and three miles high. These birds were close, real close. By the end of the 2-3 hour we had eleven falcons. Five each on Merlin and Kestrel and one juvenile Peregrine. In the last half hour of the regularly scheduled HawkWatch we counted five more Merlins. It was great. But this was just the tip of the iceberg. At 3:12pm a big Merlin was seen over Slacker ridge. At 3:13pm this large Merlin came closer and turned into a big adult Peregrine Falcon. It streaked in from the East, over Hawk Blind, around the West and behind the Pines. What a look! Everyone was on it. Two minutes latter it was re-spotted coming up over the Pines. No wait! That's two adult Peregrine Falcons coming up over the Pines. For the following 15 minutes this HawkWatch crew along with a few lucky visitors witnessed a blessed event. Hawkwatching is fun and exciting for most of us. Today's watch was something more. These two beautiful creatures, pinnacles of evolutionar